Bad starter solenoid

[Jim 951]

Hello,

Having problems starting my '02 TB, I replaced my ignition switch, only to find out that it didn't change anything. I noticed that when the trouble occured, knocking on the starter would usually help. Therefore I'm pretty sure I have a bad starter solenoid.

Starter motor looks fine, so I was thinking of replacing only the solenoid. Any advice on this?

Do you know where I can purchase the solenoid only? I usually buy parts from Rockauto because they ship to France, but they only sell whole starter assemblies.

[CoyoteFireGuy]

That sounds like a bad solenoid to me too. You cant buy just the solenoid for our trucks, you have to buy the whole starter, and they run around 200. When you remove the starter you will see what I am talking about. The solenoid is actually clip welded to the starter.

[RunVoyRun]

Sounds ridiculous, but make sure your battery terminal connection is good. I was having a similar problem, and it was fixed by knocking on the starter (or anywhere on the vehicle). Somehow, the bump would create a connection long enough to start it occasionally. Had nothing to do with the starter or solenoid. Symptoms were comparable though.

[Jim 951]

Thanks for the info. I had already checked my battery connection. There are 7 different starter motors on Rockauto for my TB, going from $135 to $255. Can I just go for the cheapest or do you have any other advice on this?