Another cause of a "No Crank" condition is a bad starter solenoid. The starter solenoid is a large coil that, most often, sits on top of the starter and engages the Bendix drive with the flywheel and sends power to the starter. If the internal coil goes bad, the solenoid won't engage the Bendix or turn the starter on. This condition will not cause any noticeable noise.

Less common, but by no means rare, is a problem with the starter electrical system. There are several components between the battery and starter that can fail and cause a "No Crank" condition.

The starter motor has the solenoid shift lever mechanism and the solenoid plunger enclosed in the drive housing to protect them from exposure to road dirt, icing conditions and splash. They have an extruded field frame and an overrunning clutch type drive. A solenoid switch mounted to a flange on the drive housing operates the overrunning clutch. The permanent magnet gear reduction starter has a gear reduction assembly to achieve free speed of up to 7,000 RPM.

The solenoid is attached to the drive end housing by two screws. The cover can be removed to inspect the contacts and contact disc, but the switch is serviced as an assembly only. Most motors of this type have graphite and oil impregnated bronze bearings that ordinarily require no added lubrication except at time of overhaul when a few drops of light engine oil should be placed on each bearing before reassembly.

Typical Starter and Starter Solenoid

1. Starter Solenoid
2. Starter Drive/Bendix
3. Starter Armature
4. Starter Brushes
5. Starter Bearing