Starter Test

TOOLS REQUIRED
^ SA9154Z-A Starting and Charging System Tester

IMPORTANT: Place the gray inductive current pick-up around the battery positive cable between the battery positive terminal and the starter motor solenoid connection. The easiest place to connect the inductive pick-up is in front of the brake master cylinder. The battery positive is covered by a protective wire conduit. This conduit does not need to be removed for this test.




1. Turn the Starting and Charging System Tester SA9154Z-A On. Connect large red tester cable to battery positive (+). Connect large black tester cable to battery negative (-). Place gray inductive current pick-up around battery positive (+) cable. Make sure that the arrow on the gray inductive current pick-up is pointing toward the starter motor solenoid.
2. Press the STARTER TEST button on the system tester. The tester will display:
"INPUT # CYLS." Input the number of cylinders.
3. Disable the ignition system by disconnecting the electrical connection at the ignition module.
4. Position the tester so the display can be seen from the driver's seat. When the display says CRANK ENGINE, turn the ignition to the START position. The tester will continue to display CRANK ENGINE for 15 seconds.




5. The display on the system tester will display the following information:




Cranking Amps: This displays the average amperage drawn by the starter motor during cranking. The following amperage readings are general guidelines for normal operation:

IMPORTANT: As the ambient temperature decreases the amperage required to crank the engine increases.

Cranking Voltage: This displays the average battery voltage during cranking. If the voltage is below 9.5 volts, perform the BATTERY TEST to make sure the battery is charged (green eye) and good.

Good cranking voltage and a slow starter cranking speed can be caused by loose or corroded cables.

Good Starter/Bad Starter: If the display reads BAD STARTER, replace the starter motor only after determining that there is no engine mechanical problems or flywheel binding problems.

NOTE: The starter should not be engaged for more than 15 seconds at a time. If the vehicle does not start after 15 seconds, turn the ignition key to the Off position for 20 seconds before attempting to restart vehicle.