NOTE: Also make sure to check battery cables and wires for lose connections. Make sure the battery has a good connection to the starter. If none of this works then you may have to replace the starter ;(
Sir!!!!!! YOU ARE THE MAN!!! I just got off work, worked late, made a couple of stops, now its 12 am, super tired, stopped at a gas station now truck wont start. Watched your video and now i get to go home..
This video was seriously our life line just moments ago we broke down in the middle of no where with a special needs kid in tow. Triple AAA was not getting back to us and we had no idea when they’d arrive. But you seriously saved us! You are heaven sent! Thank you and blessings to you!
Trust me this was very instrumental for me on a rainy Thursday morning when I was just preparing to pick up my niece from boarding school. I couldn't afford to disappoint her and then I watched your video and got the car started. Thank you and God bless you
Just wanted to say thank you. Son who is 500 miles away at college was stranded. He has a 2008 F150. Sent him your video and he made it back to campus and to a mechanic to replace his starter. Great video. Thank so much.
Thank you ever so much. Why are strangers on UA-cam kind and helpful than people that live in your own neighborhood?! I live in Cheyenne Wyoming by the way.
Finally! I finally find a realistic tip on how to, do it YOURSELF auto lesson, WITHOUT all of these mechanics pulling out all of their professional tools, that most of us, auto do it yourselfers probably won't have. Then you have to find a ride to the auto parts store, for a loaner, only to find out that they don't have it. Thank You, Nathan Rohrbough, for your easy, very clearly explained starter, no crank tip. I have a 09 Chrysler T&C, 3.8l. Since I noticed bad worn out motor mounts, I hope, worse case, motor not locked. I had to buy brand new tires last week, since we have grandkids, safety first. Since my lay-off, I can only afford 1 repair, every 2 months. Anyway, I'll try jumping solenoid first, battery reading 12.5V on my multi meter. Thanks again, Frank
This video comes up while I'm stranded with a starting problem. WTF. I bang the starter. Nope. But, the starter solenoid head is loose. I move it to a snug position. Wah-la. Thanks brother.👍
lol it really works, went out for errands came back to my car, car had power but starter wouldn’t turn over. i carry a small battery jumper. tried that no luck. checked fuses, all fine. had no tools. so i picked up a stick an tapped on the solenoid. car started right up. man was i happy. an the replacement was super easy in my case.
Great video! Another tip: that upper solenoid where he jumps it out with the screwdriver. If you put your key into the ignition to the start position (MAKE SURE VEHICLE IS IN PARK) you can start it by jumping out the solenoid if you let the motor turn over long enough (about 3-5 seconds) . Should start every time just make sure you’re in park.
We were stranded in the cold, in a storm while moving from one state to another and THIS saved us! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! If I weren't under so much stress, I MAY HAVE thought of this myself, MAYBE! Thanks to your video, I was able to diagnose and locate the problem! A million thank yous aren't enough! Your awesome!!!
Just remenber. Only with cars. If you do that with your wife, not only she still won't make you that breakfast, but also she will probably hit you back... way harder!
Sir, thanks to you we finally got our diesel pusher motorhome up and running. We were boondocking at a remote location and no tow truck was willing to come out. The one that was willing to come out would take several days. We found you after 3 days of trying what we could and pulling out our hair cuz nothing else worked. Your hack with the screwdriver saved us a lot of money & time. Thank you!
This video seriously solved my problem. Was stuck in the grocery store parking lot, car made a clicking, some guy told me it was the starter (okay) but wanted to know more, saw this video, did the battery check talked about in the beginning, and sure enough, the juice was starting to die down. So went to the car parts store, got a jumper battery for emergencies and car started! Saved me money and was great for an independent woman! Thank you 😁👍
Wow sir you're a life saver, i just parked my Toyota Axio 2012 at a friend's place. Came back a few mins later my car wouldn't start. The solenoid trick worked for me & its almost midnight
I wanted to leave a comment saying my starter was all gravy but my starter battery cable was bad and I got stuck a gas station if u didn't post this video I wouldn't of ever figured out how to jump the starter to get my start running. Thank you thank you thank you. This was the most informative video Ive seen that wasn't a ChrisFix video.
I was trying to do this yesterday on my truck I know starts every time once it doesn’t start by doing this and my friend I was with totally gave up on me and wouldn’t believe me this works and I needed him to only turn the key and he wouldn’t even help me! Time to attempt it again with a better more useful friend! It starts every time after tapping! Best hack ever!
You Sir, are a legend. I couldn't find any more direct and no nonsense video but yours. I have just solved my no crank, no start Hyundai accent 2009. Thank you and more power!
I watched a few videos but I was attempting to do this alone & everyone explained it w another person in which I didn’t have so thankfully I found your video & it is very informative you touched on everything I should know & im very appreciative! Thank You for such a great & useful video!! Fingers crossed I get it started! Thank You!
Good basic info on how to troubleshoot and how to get it running. Old tricks still work. My Dad taught me these tricks 40 years ago. I'm so happy that in todays day and age that we have You Tube where there is a wealth of knowledge being shared. Thank you for sharing and helping people.
Thank u so much. My starter started giving me trouble a month ago and I have had to call my road side rescue, I saw him tap something but didn't know where or what it looked it looked like. I just went out and tried it and boom, away she went. Been late to work etc but I now know thanks to you. A new starter is just out of my reach right now. Thanks again 👍👍
I have known this trick for over 40 years (damn I am old) and it has served me well and I just had to do this on my Subaru Tribeca last night. Great video.
Yup, that worked. Banged on it with a hammer and it sort of turned over. Banged on some more and started right up. (I did plug the diesel in for about 3 hrs to warm the engine and make the turning easier.)
When I was in high school I drove a 1976 GMC truck with a failing starter. If I couldn't get it to start I would have to crawl under the truck and strike the starter housing with a trailer hitch ball. A few taps later, I would crawl back out and try to start the truck. It might take 2-3 tries, but eventually I would get it started. When we finally found time and money to pull the starter and rebuild it we found the brushes were worn down so far that the screws holding the brushes in place were partially worn away. As my mom always used to say, "Poor people have poor ways!"
Steven Berry.... Poor people are always striving ways to fix things...unlike rich folks...who depend on money for the same thing only have one resource. Poor folks are masterminds.
It definitely forces you to think outside the box. Another classic was make do or do without. By the time I came along my family was doing well enough, but both of my parents really knew what it means to do without. I've got the ability to hire out a lot of jobs instead of doing them myself, but I'd rather DIY because there's a real sense of accomplishment when you fix something yourself.
Happened to me today. Closing up our summer camp, loaded my F150 full bed.....had just moved my truck closer to the porch door. And exactly this happened. I crawled under and tapped the starter with hammer but nothing. Did not know about shorting the firewall solenoid so tomorrow that's my next move, and then get a new starter motor. Thanks for a great vid.
I drive a tow truck and you should see people's faces when I whack their starter with my jack handle and it fires right up lol soooo funny. But when it doesn't work they look at me like I'm crazy
Your dad and I learned from those old tv sets. Once you hit them, they'd start working. But that was in the old days. Don't practice that with your husband nowadays, you might end up in court.
I recently help out my in-laws getting stranded after pumping gas.I came to the rescue ,check the battery. Battery is good, I located the starter and tap on it couple of times and asked him to start it.Yes, the car started up, I could see the look on his eyes like WHAT? He was amazed ,then when he got home, he keep starting and turning off the engine.Later he called me again and said the car won’t start anymore.I told him, leave the car alone, we will replace the starter when you have the time off from work. 😀
Want to let people know, the AAA guy tried this on my car today & IT WORKED!!!! I was about 20 miles away from my hometown... 😲 Thankfully "tapping" the starter with a metal pipe WORKED, because otherwise I would've needed to pay like $100.00 out of pocket for the towing distance- Plus, I was in a covered parking garage, & it would've been difficult for a flat-bed to try and even "get in" to tow my car! 😟
I think the idea of using a stick or hammer to hit the starter is to make all mechanical parts of the starter : plunger, shift lever and contact disc to be in "normal" position so that when the terminal S gets power from ignition switch, the resulting magnetic field can pull the plunger to enable contact disc to make electrical contact to both terminal B and M of the starter, while at the same time this motion of the plunger causes the starter drive to move into mesh with the flywheel ring gear. So this trick makes sense, although not recommended, unless in emergency and we are ready to replace the starter someday.
My family growing up was poor. Car had this problem in late 60's early 70's. We couldn't afford repairs. My dad used this hammer trick on our Belair for a couple years. Nice to see backyard mechanics still use this trick.
Shalom Aleichem. I'm a 68¾ year old retired mechanic on disability and that's an old trick that's saved my ass many time's over the year's. Always carry a hammer amongst your tool box in your trunk. If it's a stick shift tranny all ya gotta do if you're parked on a hill is put it in 2nd gear, turn on the key and roll appropriately 50 feet or so and dump the clutch and it should start. Ratson haba b'shem YaHuah
In my case recently it turned out it was the ignition switch itself, not the starter. I got back home by fiddling with turning my key to exactly the right spot. There was a tiny spot where the car would start as usual (if I could find it and hold the key there a couple of seconds). 2002 Subaru Impreza.
I have a manual (UK) gearbox. If my starter won't turn I bump start it. If I'm not on a hill to let it roll I put it in reverse gear and push car forwards/ backwards a little to rock it free, or I try 1st gear and push forwards and backwards to rock it free - always works :)
This video helped me Diagnosed the problem, after trying to trip the starter there was a broken wire connecting to the starter. I had my son start the car while pushing the wire against the starter and it started right up
another way to check the starter if it's bad is use a multimeter. By putting one of the lead wires on the disconnected signal(trigger)wire, and the other lead on the negative battery post. Then have someone turn the ignition key, if you get 12 volt reading on the voltmeter that means 12 volts is reaching the starter, so the starter is bad.
Thank. Youuuuu!! It just worked on my 2005 MDX. I've had a "lagging?" starter for a while now, but the day has come when I was, JUST stranded. Banged it from the underside a few taps 2X, started up, and got me home ever so grateful. (now, if I could only replace it myself ..🤔) TY. Good day to you 🙌
Jennifer, you most likely can replace it yourself. But it's a fair amount of work. You'll need to buy a jack and jackstand $100 to 150 total. A ratchet and sockets $20. Chucks to block your wheels from rolling. Amazon has MDX starters for $85 to $260. You'll have to let the car cool off, put it in park, set emergency brake, chuck the wheels, disconnect the battery, jack the car up, put it on jackstands, then crawl under there on your back and uninstall the old starter (usually two electric wires and two starter mounting bolts), then install the new one. The real pain is doing this on your back, with limited space under the car, limited visibiity, dirt and grease, etc. A local auto repair shop just quoted me $350 to $450 to put a new starter on my 2004 Ford Explorer. Ridiculous. I can do it myself for $100, in my home garage, using the method I just described. I already have the jack and tools, etc.
I never, commented on the video before also and I just want to say thank you man because of you I was able to get my car started my Toyota Corolla 06 . I tapped it with a hammer
Another cause can be the security system lockout. I have a 2002 f150 that will not crank with the key unless the Key Fob disarms the security system. Its an OEM security system, before I figured out what was going on, I would periodically unlock the vehicle with the key, and I wouldn't crank, I too thought it was the firewall solenoid and replaced it but the problem returned. I could jump the firewall solenoid and it would start in this situation, but the key would not activate the start sequence until I hit lock and unlock on the key fob and then it would function appropriately.
The hammer trick worked for me! Thanks for the hack. It allowed me to drive home. However, it is not a long-term solution. It barely worked the second time (so I could pull the car into the garage and change out the starter there).
Man I can't believe this worked honestly I was 20 miles away from the nearest town, surprisingly enough I had more or less the right tools to get it done
around 3 minutes into the video, you jumped the upper solenoid.. it instantly turned over the engine. This usually means the solenoid is bad or has bad connections. If you would have turned your key on and then jumped the upper solenoid, the truck would have started
Interesting it wouldn't start with a key but when you jumped the solenoid it did turn over. That means the solenoid is likely the culprit not the starter as it turns over.
I had problems every few months of starting ,and hit it a few times with hammer, and got it going. Some times had 2 hit it more, and harder 2 make it start ,then one day staring at it, and found a bolt was loose! like the mechanic that put it in a couple yrs back did not tighten it ! so i tighten it then had no.problems since , (so. far so good.)
This happened to me 2 months ago. To my surprise, I have noticed that if I shift to Neutral while turning the key, it starts every time. No idea if that can be damaging to the car or not, but.. IT STARTED! lol
Tapping my starter worked for me earlier. My dad told me about it. His idea was that you needed to have a second person cranking the thing while you're tapping it though but like you, I got my car to start on my own. Can't do both at the same time on your own lol. With a manual car, parking on a hill and leaving off the clutch in second gear after you get up a bit of speed works too but you already know that lol.
Used to do that with my Chevy truck. Had a gutless that had a visible link that burned out, couldn't get to it easily so I installed a starter remote. Worked like a charm
My wife's starter just conked out on her this morning 2001 Dodge Caravan 3.3, 9 degrees outside too brrr!! I tried whacking it from the front and got nothing, not too much leverage either. You gave me an idea though, gonna try to whack it from the wheel well with a skinny pipe. Thanks
A wealth of knowledge! Every issue that you hit on dead-on accurate! And the way you worded everything was so professional and easy for Shadetree mechanics like myself. Thank you for the great video! And I have a question my starter had totally stopped I just had a click. I tapped mine using the metal rod and Hammer technique. And then I noticed where someone had hit it before. This is where the tricky thing comes on I've had the truck for 4 years! And never gave me any problems unless they rebuilt this starter I suspect they had a problem with it before whoever the previous owner was and I tapped mine like I said tapped a little harder than maybe I should have but it did the trick 12 Cycles and no lag no strain on the starter. Could it possibly be it just had rust in it? Like I said it looks like somebody had done this before. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated and like I said great video keep them coming I just subscribed
Thanks for the video. Great tips that have worked for me a couple of times (especially when I was in college with a 1962 Hillman Minx). Thanks for throwing in the tip about the fuel pump cooling by gas. I tell my kid not to let the gas go below a quarter tank just in case.
Happend to my car was gping tp get it towed. But tow truck driver checked it real quick and tapped it a few times and it started he didnt charge me but i gave him 40 saving half for a tow thank god he was coo abojt it
Ur bypassing the solenoid with the screw driver. Therefore the solenoid is probably bad. The solenoids job is to make contact between the two wires except its done by the turn of the key.
The guy who authored the video he did an okay job. However you are right the solenoid is probably bad when he jumped it from the firewall thank you for clarifying that I was thinking that I knew that and you confirm that thank you sir
I jumped the solenoid attached to the starter with a screwdriver and the key turned forward and it started right up. It wouldn't even turn over before using g just the key so what does that mean?
Here is what I read from a good automotive textbook : Don’t Hit That Starter! In the past, it was common to see service technicians hitting a starter in their effort to diagnose a no-crank condition. Often the shock of the blow to the starter aligned or moved the brushes, armature, and bushings. Many times, the starter functioned after being hit, even if only for a short time. However, most starters today use permanent magnet fields, and the magnets can be easily broken if hit. A magnet that is broken becomes two weaker magnets. Some early PM starters used magnets that were glued or bonded to the field housing. If struck with a heavy tool, the magnets could be broken with parts of the magnet falling onto the armature and into the bearing pockets, making the starter impossible to repair or rebuild.
But it can't hurt if the starters already junk. Or pay a tow bill I think I'd rather wrap on my starter and it's not going to break anything just tapping in it . Maybe if you're swinging a sledge or something lol of course auto techs and manufacturer are going to say that. They want that service and part money. Its fine to do as long as u aren't pounding the shit out of it and it would probably still be fine Even if you did
Just be more careful where you hit it. Tapping on the edge, especially near the solenoid should be ok. It will vibrate everything but anything remotely reasonable should not hurt anything. Another thing. Few if any starters today even involve a rebuild. It's best to accept the reality of expensive OEM parts or much more affordable aftermarket parts. Either is new or re-manufactured with a warranty. In theory a re-manufactured part intended for store stock is likely better than having someone rebuild your starter specifically. The reason is because that type of organization is likely set up to better clean the old parts whether some sort of bath, ultra-sonic cleaning, etc. Something a small shop probably can't match without unrealistic labor and lots of expensive brake clean. The quality of the replacement internals could be better or worse, but the big company saves money through bulk purchases meaning they could have better parts to limit warranty liability while still having lower cost than the lone wolf. The labor cost of the re-manufacturer is cheaper and the employees whether skilled mechanics or not should become quite proficient with the parts they are working on because a high volume of repairs equals a high volume of experience. They can robotically and mindlessly do the same quality of work that requires attention to detail as a one off repair....... All of that to say fragile Magnets and rebuilds are not generally an issue, unless a person is needing a hard or impossible to find replacement starter. In that case they probably already know not to wack the sh*t out of something they want to be properly repaired. And this advice should only be used to avoid a tow, get home in an emergency, etc. Do it repeatedly at one's own risk of reaching the point of no option. I'm probably in that spot myself right now with my truck stuck in a less than ideal location on my property and in need of being started so that I can be certain the coolant is suitable for a sustained weeklong plus deep freeze in a few days.
I usually don’t promote any auto part stores. But for goodness sakes don’t buy a Amazon starter. It’s made of the thinnest metal and after being thrown 30 feet the posts bust. I’ve used every stores parts. While they are competitive on prices and sometimes a little higher in price, O’rieleys has the strongest heavy duty starter out of all auto part chains. Spend that extra 10.00 so your not back under it as soon as the warranty is gone.
This is me in my driveway right now, I guess this is a Ford thing. Very straightforward yet detailed enough for us home mechanics. Also good editing. Fingers crossed.
@@FixingWithPassion It fixed it though. I have never replaced those on any of my three Expys ever. When that weird sound on the firewall happened, I knew it wasn't the starter. Thanks for the confirmation. PS, Zeus just turned to 204K tonight.
I hit my starter Ford F-150 97 and it started right up!!! OMG what a lifesaver! Is this trick just a one time thing to get it going? How long can this last?
Man my truck still does this now. Everything he says valid. I still just knock my starter on my 02 Ford Explorer lol I will replace it soon but I do keep everything else good. Truck actually has a strong engine & trans just my starter. People look at me funny when I gotta knock my starter lol
I totally subscribe love that this is one of the first video that I could actually see what you were doing and explained it in detail in layman's everyday terms thank you great post very helpful
What if it makes no sound at all when turned to the start position x 3. New battery in 10 year old truck. I shook the hell out of the truck and it started!? No issues for 3 weeks now. Thoughts? 2012 Chevy Colorado 5.3L
..and if the starter tries to engage and the engine won't turn, get ready to do a motor job. I had a 74 dodge dart that i started for a couple of months by shorting the solenoid. The last thing i replaced was the starter. Every mechanic I took it to said this or that. It was the starter...!!
Great video well i am gonna go try that now cause my wife brought some young ppl home and need to go back out to retrieve something from garbage and take the young ppl home as well so hope this works
NOTE: Also make sure to check battery cables and wires for lose
connections. Make sure the battery has a good connection to the starter.
If none of this works then you may have to replace the starter ;(
TVWXMAN32 I have a question can I use a starter from a bigger engine but same platform?
ok, thanks. will do
Nathan Rohrbough 0
Nathan Rohrbough So I just get one click.Sometimes after multiple times it starts.So bad starter?
I can't do that because it keeps popping j 20amp fuse's so how I get it to stop blowing the fuse first
Sir!!!!!! YOU ARE THE MAN!!! I just got off work, worked late, made a couple of stops, now its 12 am, super tired, stopped at a gas station now truck wont start. Watched your video and now i get to go home..
This video was seriously our life line just moments ago we broke down in the middle of no where with a special needs kid in tow. Triple AAA was not getting back to us and we had no idea when they’d arrive. But you seriously saved us! You are heaven sent! Thank you and blessings to you!
Allstate tow never showed up, 5 hours on freeway. 6th time I called they called a new York tow truck for Florida!
How did you get service or internet in the middle of nowhere??hmmm
@@ancientonessanctuary1139 was the tow truck driver on vacation or visiting family?
@@lilbagz4418Maybe a cell tower was near
Trust me this was very instrumental for me on a rainy Thursday morning when I was just preparing to pick up my niece from boarding school. I couldn't afford to disappoint her and then I watched your video and got the car started. Thank you and God bless you
Just wanted to say thank you. Son who is 500 miles away at college was stranded. He has a 2008 F150. Sent him your video and he made it back to campus and to a mechanic to replace his starter. Great video. Thank so much.
Lmao. You jumped back quick when checking the solenoid and the starter clicked!! Scared my ass too. 😂
Thank you ever so much. Why are strangers on UA-cam kind and helpful than people that live in your own neighborhood?! I live in Cheyenne Wyoming by the way.
Finally! I finally find a realistic tip on how to, do it YOURSELF auto lesson, WITHOUT all of these mechanics pulling out all of their professional tools, that most of us, auto do it yourselfers probably won't have. Then you have to find a ride to the auto parts store, for a loaner, only to find out that they don't have it. Thank You, Nathan Rohrbough, for your easy, very clearly explained starter, no crank tip. I have a 09 Chrysler T&C, 3.8l. Since I noticed bad worn out motor mounts, I hope, worse case, motor not locked. I had to buy brand new tires last week, since we have grandkids, safety first. Since my lay-off, I can only afford 1 repair, every 2 months. Anyway, I'll try jumping solenoid first, battery reading 12.5V on my multi meter. Thanks again, Frank
Nice!~~ ;)
You can tell this guy has mastered the art of trial-and-error I love it I love every bit of it hes the man
This video comes up while I'm stranded with a starting problem. WTF. I bang the starter. Nope. But, the starter solenoid head is loose. I move it to a snug position. Wah-la. Thanks brother.👍
Wow!!!
This is good to know. I need a new Starter but can't afford a tow truck. Thank you for this video!
Shorted out the starter solenoid and got my 2020 Ram 2500 started when we were stranded at the campground. Thank you sir!!!!!
Nice!!
lol it really works, went out for errands came back to my car, car had power but starter wouldn’t turn over. i carry a small battery jumper. tried that no luck.
checked fuses, all fine.
had no tools. so i picked up a stick an tapped on the solenoid. car started right up. man was i happy. an the replacement was super easy in my case.
Man, you just saved my butt with that secondary solenoid trick. Got me back on the road again after the started unexpectedly died.
Great video! Another tip: that upper solenoid where he jumps it out with the screwdriver. If you put your key into the ignition to the start position (MAKE SURE VEHICLE IS IN PARK) you can start it by jumping out the solenoid if you let the motor turn over long enough (about 3-5 seconds) . Should start every time just make sure you’re in park.
In 1st grade level language pls g
How is the key in the start position? Thought you usually have to turn it to the start position then it twists back to the first position
@@zack7080 He meant the on position.
I've never commented on a UA-cam video before but I did the trick of banging on the starter and a got my work truck . Thanks
Nice!!
YOU HAD a badly warn pushing cog if you take off the starter you could clean up the solenoid where it pushes the starter cog
We were stranded in the cold, in a storm while moving from one state to another and THIS saved us! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! If I weren't under so much stress, I MAY HAVE thought of this myself, MAYBE! Thanks to your video, I was able to diagnose and locate the problem! A million thank yous aren't enough! Your awesome!!!
Just remenber. Only with cars. If you do that with your wife, not only she still won't make you that breakfast, but also she will probably hit you back... way harder!
Sir, thanks to you we finally got our diesel pusher motorhome up and running. We were boondocking at a remote location and no tow truck was willing to come out. The one that was willing to come out would take several days. We found you after 3 days of trying what we could and pulling out our hair cuz nothing else worked.
Your hack with the screwdriver saved us a lot of money & time. Thank you!
Nice!!
This video seriously solved my problem. Was stuck in the grocery store parking lot, car made a clicking, some guy told me it was the starter (okay) but wanted to know more, saw this video, did the battery check talked about in the beginning, and sure enough, the juice was starting to die down. So went to the car parts store, got a jumper battery for emergencies and car started! Saved me money and was great for an independent woman! Thank you 😁👍
Wow sir you're a life saver, i just parked my Toyota Axio 2012 at a friend's place. Came back a few mins later my car wouldn't start. The solenoid trick worked for me & its almost midnight
You're welcome!
I wanted to leave a comment saying my starter was all gravy but my starter battery cable was bad and I got stuck a gas station if u didn't post this video I wouldn't of ever figured out how to jump the starter to get my start running. Thank you thank you thank you. This was the most informative video Ive seen that wasn't a ChrisFix video.
I was trying to do this yesterday on my truck I know starts every time once it doesn’t start by doing this and my friend I was with totally gave up on me and wouldn’t believe me this works and I needed him to only turn the key and he wouldn’t even help me! Time to attempt it again with a better more useful friend! It starts every time after tapping! Best hack ever!
tapping is good sometimes ;)
You Sir, are a legend. I couldn't find any more direct and no nonsense video but yours. I have just solved my no crank, no start Hyundai accent 2009. Thank you and more power!
Nice!~
How did you solve the problem? I have same car
You just saved me from a $450 tow!!! Thank you! It really did work.
I watched a few videos but I was attempting to do this alone & everyone explained it w another person in which I didn’t have so thankfully I found your video & it is very informative you touched on everything I should know & im very appreciative! Thank You for such a great & useful video!! Fingers crossed I get it started! Thank You!
Good basic info on how to troubleshoot and how to get it running. Old tricks still work. My Dad taught me these tricks 40 years ago. I'm so happy that in todays day and age that we have You Tube where there is a wealth of knowledge being shared. Thank you for sharing and helping people.
Thank u so much. My starter started giving me trouble a month ago and I have had to call my road side rescue, I saw him tap something but didn't know where or what it looked it looked like. I just went out and tried it and boom, away she went. Been late to work etc but I now know thanks to you. A new starter is just out of my reach right now. Thanks again 👍👍
ya, but how many times were you able to do this?
@@MsSuzAllen Alot, not just the once.
I have known this trick for over 40 years (damn I am old) and it has served me well and I just had to do this on my Subaru Tribeca last night. Great video.
Join the club, lol.
Yup, that worked. Banged on it with a hammer and it sort of turned over. Banged on some more and started right up. (I did plug the diesel in for about 3 hrs to warm the engine and make the turning easier.)
Nice!!
Thanks for not wasting our time with too much chatter! Very good video.
When I was in high school I drove a 1976 GMC truck with a failing starter. If I couldn't get it to start I would have to crawl under the truck and strike the starter housing with a trailer hitch ball. A few taps later, I would crawl back out and try to start the truck. It might take 2-3 tries, but eventually I would get it started. When we finally found time and money to pull the starter and rebuild it we found the brushes were worn down so far that the screws holding the brushes in place were partially worn away. As my mom always used to say, "Poor people have poor ways!"
Steven Berry.... Poor people are always striving ways to fix things...unlike rich folks...who depend on money for the same thing only have one resource. Poor folks are masterminds.
It definitely forces you to think outside the box. Another classic was make do or do without. By the time I came along my family was doing well enough, but both of my parents really knew what it means to do without. I've got the ability to hire out a lot of jobs instead of doing them myself, but I'd rather DIY because there's a real sense of accomplishment when you fix something yourself.
You got that right! Pride.
Steven Berry Your mum is a smart women
@@FixingWithPassion rich folks just go to the dealer and buy new Truck
Happened to me today. Closing up our summer camp, loaded my F150 full bed.....had just moved my truck closer to the porch door. And exactly this happened. I crawled under and tapped the starter with hammer but nothing. Did not know about shorting the firewall solenoid so tomorrow that's my next move, and then get a new starter motor. Thanks for a great vid.
Daddy always said, if it don't work, beat on it with a hammer until it does!!.. woohoo got me home for a lot less than a tow truck!! Thanks!!
Word!
Lubrication in the silinoid
I drive a tow truck and you should see people's faces when I whack their starter with my jack handle and it fires right up lol soooo funny. But when it doesn't work they look at me like I'm crazy
Your dad and I learned from those old tv sets. Once you hit them, they'd start working. But that was in the old days. Don't practice that with your husband nowadays, you might end up in court.
I recently help out my in-laws getting stranded after pumping gas.I came to the rescue ,check the battery. Battery is good, I located the starter and tap on it couple of times and asked him to start it.Yes, the car started up, I could see the look on his eyes like WHAT? He was amazed ,then when he got home, he keep starting and turning off the engine.Later he called me again and said the car won’t start anymore.I told him, leave the car alone, we will replace the starter when you have the time off from work. 😀
Want to let people know, the AAA guy tried this on my car today & IT WORKED!!!! I was about 20 miles away from my hometown... 😲 Thankfully "tapping" the starter with a metal pipe WORKED, because otherwise I would've needed to pay like $100.00 out of pocket for the towing distance- Plus, I was in a covered parking garage, & it would've been difficult for a flat-bed to try and even "get in" to tow my car! 😟
Nice!!
I think the idea of using a stick or hammer to hit the starter is to make all mechanical parts of the starter : plunger, shift lever and contact disc to be in "normal" position so that when the terminal S gets power from ignition switch, the resulting magnetic field can pull the plunger to enable contact disc to make electrical contact to both terminal B and M of the starter, while at the same time this motion of the plunger causes the starter drive to move into mesh with the flywheel ring gear.
So this trick makes sense, although not recommended, unless in emergency and we are ready to replace the starter someday.
Got it! thnx for the long version...lol.
My family growing up was poor. Car had this problem in late 60's early 70's. We couldn't afford repairs. My dad used this hammer trick on our Belair for a couple years. Nice to see backyard mechanics still use this trick.
Shalom Aleichem.
I'm a 68¾ year old retired mechanic on disability and that's an old trick that's saved my ass many time's over the year's. Always carry a hammer amongst your tool box in your trunk.
If it's a stick shift tranny all ya gotta do if you're parked on a hill is put it in 2nd gear, turn on the key and roll appropriately 50 feet or so and dump the clutch and it should start.
Ratson haba b'shem YaHuah
Right on man!!!
It doesn't always work but if you're stuck somewhere it's worth a try. Much cheaper than a tow truck!
Word!!
In my case recently it turned out it was the ignition switch itself, not the starter. I got back home by fiddling with turning my key to exactly the right spot. There was a tiny spot where the car would start as usual (if I could find it and hold the key there a couple of seconds). 2002 Subaru Impreza.
Nice!!
@@FixingWithPassion 334k miles on it now, first time it has ever failed to start because of something other than a dead battery.
2006 bmw X3, whacking the starter with a short piece of rigid pipe did the trick! Thank you so much!
Nice!
I have a manual (UK) gearbox. If my starter won't turn I bump start it. If I'm not on a hill to let it roll I put it in reverse gear and push car forwards/ backwards a little to rock it free, or I try 1st gear and push forwards and backwards to rock it free - always works :)
This video helped me Diagnosed the problem, after trying to trip the starter there was a broken wire connecting to the starter. I had my son start the car while pushing the wire against the starter and it started right up
another way to check the starter if it's bad is use a multimeter. By putting one of the lead wires on the disconnected signal(trigger)wire, and the other lead on the negative battery post. Then have someone turn the ignition key, if you get 12 volt reading on the voltmeter that means 12 volts is reaching the starter, so the starter is bad.
Hey! Soooooo true! Thanks for sharing! I can't think of everything....lol
@@FixingWithPassion plus your video was about how to get it started To get home. Then do the diagnostics...
Thank. Youuuuu!! It just worked on my 2005 MDX. I've had a "lagging?" starter for a while now, but the day has come when I was, JUST stranded. Banged it from the underside a few taps 2X, started up, and got me home ever so grateful.
(now, if I could only replace it myself ..🤔)
TY. Good day to you 🙌
Great!
Jennifer, you most likely can replace it yourself. But it's a fair amount of work. You'll need to buy a jack and jackstand $100 to 150 total. A ratchet and sockets $20. Chucks to block your wheels from rolling. Amazon has MDX starters for $85 to $260. You'll have to let the car cool off, put it in park, set emergency brake, chuck the wheels, disconnect the battery, jack the car up, put it on jackstands, then crawl under there on your back and uninstall the old starter (usually two electric wires and two starter mounting bolts), then install the new one. The real pain is doing this on your back, with limited space under the car, limited visibiity, dirt and grease, etc.
A local auto repair shop just quoted me $350 to $450 to put a new starter on my 2004 Ford Explorer. Ridiculous. I can do it myself for $100, in my home garage, using the method I just described. I already have the jack and tools, etc.
Buddy, my car never has videos specifically for it. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE SAME ENGINE AS ME
hahahaha I KNOWWW
I use the jumper box made sure the cables were clean and just hit some random things thank you thank you now I can make it to my mechanic
Nice!!
I never, commented on the video before also and I just want to say thank you man because of you I was able to get my car started my Toyota Corolla 06 . I tapped it with a hammer
Another cause can be the security system lockout. I have a 2002 f150 that will not crank with the key unless the Key Fob disarms the security system. Its an OEM security system, before I figured out what was going on, I would periodically unlock the vehicle with the key, and I wouldn't crank, I too thought it was the firewall solenoid and replaced it but the problem returned. I could jump the firewall solenoid and it would start in this situation, but the key would not activate the start sequence until I hit lock and unlock on the key fob and then it would function appropriately.
True but rare.
Great hack, Nathan! Props for showing your older starters. That helps with the visualization a lot!
Yea!~~~
The hammer trick worked for me! Thanks for the hack. It allowed me to drive home. However, it is not a long-term solution. It barely worked the second time (so I could pull the car into the garage and change out the starter there).
Man I can't believe this worked honestly I was 20 miles away from the nearest town, surprisingly enough I had more or less the right tools to get it done
around 3 minutes into the video, you jumped the upper solenoid.. it instantly turned over the engine. This usually means the solenoid is bad or has bad connections. If you would have turned your key on and then jumped the upper solenoid, the truck would have started
True. But a lot people would not understand this. Also not too many auto have easy too get to solenoids. Good luck finding one now days. )
Jonathan you are dead on. It was a faulty solenoid or solenoid activation circuitry. NOT the starter.
yeah, the starter was just fine, if bypassing the solenoid makes the starter turn over, the solenoid is bad, not good.
Interesting it wouldn't start with a key but when you jumped the solenoid it did turn over. That means the solenoid is likely the culprit not the starter as it turns over.
My luck It was both ;(
@@FixingWithPassion no your issue was the solenoid, you replaced the starter because you don't properly understand how the solenoid works
I agree. He says the starter is bad. He just proved it was not the starter.
Wow! Thanks! Going to work on my 2004 Ford Expedition tomorrow.
Hell ya!~~
Ty. Second starter vid I've seen. No nonsense and straight to business.
Word!
I had problems every few months of starting ,and hit it a few times with hammer, and got it going. Some times had 2 hit it more, and harder 2 make it start ,then one day staring at it, and found a bolt was loose! like the mechanic that put it in a couple yrs back did not tighten it ! so i tighten it then had no.problems since , (so. far so good.)
Nice!!
This happened to me 2 months ago. To my surprise, I have noticed that if I shift to Neutral while turning the key, it starts every time. No idea if that can be damaging to the car or not, but.. IT STARTED! lol
Let me try that cus I’m hungry and ready to go from where I am
Neutral switch is bad
Tapping my starter worked for me earlier. My dad told me about it. His idea was that you needed to have a second person cranking the thing while you're tapping it though but like you, I got my car to start on my own. Can't do both at the same time on your own lol. With a manual car, parking on a hill and leaving off the clutch in second gear after you get up a bit of speed works too but you already know that lol.
I just put one kick off cable to alternator and turned key and it started. Any metal touching alternator or starter looks while cranking probably work
Used to do that with my Chevy truck. Had a gutless that had a visible link that burned out, couldn't get to it easily so I installed a starter remote. Worked like a charm
My wife's starter just conked out on her this morning 2001 Dodge Caravan 3.3, 9 degrees outside too brrr!! I tried whacking it from the front and got nothing, not too much leverage either. You gave me an idea though, gonna try to whack it from the wheel well with a skinny pipe. Thanks
When COLD can't start without banging it, but warmer weather rarely have starting problem.
Thanks for the info, i just hit the starter and it works 👍👍👍👍
OK!
Thanks couldn't get my truck to start for 3 days hammerd the starter fires up every time now
Ha ha, nice!
A wealth of knowledge! Every issue that you hit on dead-on accurate! And the way you worded everything was so professional and easy for Shadetree mechanics like myself. Thank you for the great video! And I have a question my starter had totally stopped I just had a click. I tapped mine using the metal rod and Hammer technique. And then I noticed where someone had hit it before. This is where the tricky thing comes on I've had the truck for 4 years! And never gave me any problems unless they rebuilt this starter I suspect they had a problem with it before whoever the previous owner was and I tapped mine like I said tapped a little harder than maybe I should have but it did the trick 12 Cycles and no lag no strain on the starter. Could it possibly be it just had rust in it? Like I said it looks like somebody had done this before. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated and like I said great video keep them coming I just subscribed
This process worked on the second try...
Thank you very much for the video.
Great to hear!
Thanks. Worked on my tractor too!
Thank you very, I have experienced such problem, after watching your video I sort out my problem
Amazing get me home trick!~
Moments ago my starter wouldn’t turn over. Tapped starter with pipe and car started. Thanks.
today I learned this on my 2002 civic. when some guy helped me hit starter when stuck far late night from home .got started n reached
This just happened to me today. Thanks to him I got home lol.
Good trick! Helped me get my truck home. Thank you
Nice!!
Man, damn good video. I wrecked my truck in the snow. I’m gonna go through these steps today and I’ll let you know if it worked but I’m sure it will.
Did it work or
You still out there in the snow?
Thanks for the video. Great tips that have worked for me a couple of times (especially when I was in college with a 1962 Hillman Minx). Thanks for throwing in the tip about the fuel pump cooling by gas. I tell my kid not to let the gas go below a quarter tank just in case.
Happend to my car was gping tp get it towed. But tow truck driver checked it real quick and tapped it a few times and it started he didnt charge me but i gave him 40 saving half for a tow thank god he was coo abojt it
Ur bypassing the solenoid with the screw driver. Therefore the solenoid is probably bad. The solenoids job is to make contact between the two wires except its done by the turn of the key.
Ya there's some bad info here
The guy who authored the video he did an okay job. However you are right the solenoid is probably bad when he jumped it from the firewall thank you for clarifying that I was thinking that I knew that and you confirm that thank you sir
Yeah. You’re right.
I jumped the solenoid attached to the starter with a screwdriver and the key turned forward and it started right up. It wouldn't even turn over before using g just the key so what does that mean?
Here is what I read from a good automotive textbook :
Don’t Hit That Starter!
In the past, it was common to see service technicians hitting a starter in their effort to diagnose a no-crank condition.
Often the shock of the blow to the starter aligned or moved the brushes, armature, and bushings. Many times, the starter functioned after being hit, even if only for a short time.
However, most starters today use permanent magnet fields, and the magnets can be easily broken if hit. A magnet that is broken becomes two weaker magnets. Some early PM starters used magnets that were glued or bonded to the field housing. If struck with a heavy tool, the magnets could be broken with parts of the magnet falling onto the armature and into the bearing pockets, making the starter impossible to repair or rebuild.
So what's your text book say? Replace starter everytime at the customers expense?
But it can't hurt if the starters already junk. Or pay a tow bill I think I'd rather wrap on my starter and it's not going to break anything just tapping in it . Maybe if you're swinging a sledge or something lol of course auto techs and manufacturer are going to say that. They want that service and part money. Its fine to do as long as u aren't pounding the shit out of it and it would probably still be fine Even if you did
Just be more careful where you hit it. Tapping on the edge, especially near the solenoid should be ok. It will vibrate everything but anything remotely reasonable should not hurt anything. Another thing. Few if any starters today even involve a rebuild. It's best to accept the reality of expensive OEM parts or much more affordable aftermarket parts. Either is new or re-manufactured with a warranty.
In theory a re-manufactured part intended for store stock is likely better than having someone rebuild your starter specifically. The reason is because that type of organization is likely set up to better clean the old parts whether some sort of bath, ultra-sonic cleaning, etc. Something a small shop probably can't match without unrealistic labor and lots of expensive brake clean. The quality of the replacement internals could be better or worse, but the big company saves money through bulk purchases meaning they could have better parts to limit warranty liability while still having lower cost than the lone wolf. The labor cost of the re-manufacturer is cheaper and the employees whether skilled mechanics or not should become quite proficient with the parts they are working on because a high volume of repairs equals a high volume of experience. They can robotically and mindlessly do the same quality of work that requires attention to detail as a one off repair.......
All of that to say fragile Magnets and rebuilds are not generally an issue, unless a person is needing a hard or impossible to find replacement starter. In that case they probably already know not to wack the sh*t out of something they want to be properly repaired.
And this advice should only be used to avoid a tow, get home in an emergency, etc. Do it repeatedly at one's own risk of reaching the point of no option. I'm probably in that spot myself right now with my truck stuck in a less than ideal location on my property and in need of being started so that I can be certain the coolant is suitable for a sustained weeklong plus deep freeze in a few days.
Your video is so HELPFULL! I just hit my starter with my rachet then it work! Thank you
I usually don’t promote any auto part stores. But for goodness sakes don’t buy a Amazon starter. It’s made of the thinnest metal and after being thrown 30 feet the posts bust. I’ve used every stores parts. While they are competitive on prices and sometimes a little higher in price, O’rieleys has the strongest heavy duty starter out of all auto part chains. Spend that extra 10.00 so your not back under it as soon as the warranty is gone.
This is me in my driveway right now, I guess this is a Ford thing. Very straightforward yet detailed enough for us home mechanics. Also good editing. Fingers crossed.
Did it work im having this problem
i tried this but when i tried to hit the starter with the pipe i hit the raideator by mistake and now it leaks antifreeze!
A blonde drops off her dress to the dry cleaners
The lady says, "Come Again!"
The blonde says, "No, it's toothpaste this time."
@@FixingWithPassion LMAO
Lmaooo sucks to suck
If you don't know the diff between a radiator and a starter you have NO business getting under the hood of a car.
🤭😂😂😂😂
You sir are a professional i had to do this on my 2006 lincoln town car 🚗
The ol' hit it with a stick method. Love it!
Yes!
💚 I forgot about this trick. I'll try tomorrow...
Best video not messing up engine compartment
thx for the heads up. Didn't even think of the firewall solenoid.
cheers
Word!
@@FixingWithPassion It fixed it though. I have never replaced those on any of my three Expys ever. When that weird sound on the firewall happened, I knew it wasn't the starter. Thanks for the confirmation. PS, Zeus just turned to 204K tonight.
😢I like the way you explained and also covered slot of area without being long and boring
Yo Nathan man you are a genius thanks man I’m going to go try it out I’ll give u the feed back 🙏
I hit my starter Ford F-150 97 and it started right up!!! OMG what a lifesaver! Is this trick just a one time thing to get it going? How long can this last?
This may work for a while, but in reality the moving part is dirty, probably to to oil & grit or slight corrosion.
It will need removal at some stage.
That's the point ;D
What part of Nathan's "Don't shut off the vech once started" was confusing to you?
Man my truck still does this now. Everything he says valid. I still just knock my starter on my 02 Ford Explorer lol I will replace it soon but I do keep everything else good. Truck actually has a strong engine & trans just my starter. People look at me funny when I gotta knock my starter lol
Ha ha...nice!
I totally subscribe love that this is one of the first video that I could actually see what you were doing and explained it in detail in layman's everyday terms thank you great post very helpful
a tap on starter worked a treat, thanks
Tap tap tap tap tap tap bang hit tap tap tap...lol
What if it makes no sound at all when turned to the start position x 3. New battery in 10 year old truck. I shook the hell out of the truck and it started!?
No issues for 3 weeks now.
Thoughts? 2012 Chevy Colorado 5.3L
Thank you, sir ❤
I just got a 2002 Chevrolet Impala and looks like I'll need to try this out. More on that later.
Thank you! Saved me after a cold night and no start!
..and if the starter tries to engage and the engine won't turn, get ready to do a motor job. I had a 74 dodge dart that i started for a couple of months by shorting the solenoid. The last thing i replaced was the starter. Every mechanic I took it to said this or that. It was the starter...!!
Ol James Right....you just never know sometimes.
This is old , but from experience that's not a correct statement. Actually
Can I tap on the starter with a low battery to get my vehicle started? I have a 2000 ford expedition 4.6L
not really low
Hey dude thank you for this, this was so well said thanks for simplifying things, much appreciated. God Bless.
I appreciate the fuel pump advice!
;D
Got me home thanks buddy
Roger dodger....:)
Great video well i am gonna go try that now cause my wife brought some young ppl home and need to go back out to retrieve something from garbage and take the young ppl home as well so hope this works
Ive watcched severeal youtubers on this and you make it so easy for me to unserstand , Thank You ! 🙏💝💝