Over Heating Starter, won't start after a commute Options

[yellow914]

Starter is apparently over heating during my commute (which it didn't do for the past year)

(1).What's the cause? (yes I know heat...why I odda (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif) )

(2). Is the only cure a new starter?......or...?

(3). I also have an interesting idle also...the "warmer" the car the lower the idle?

Help Por-favor : (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[klink]

Funny story. I had bought a '72 new off the showroom floor. My girl friend (and she still is) who is my wife now of 32 years and I dated and had a a lot of great times with the 914. I remember we pulled up to the local hangout restaurant and we had just gone over the 36K warranty on the car. We had dinner and went to leave and sure enough it wouldn't crank over. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Went back into the restaurant and acquired a butter knife. Got under the car and jumped the solenoid and fired it right up. Away we went and kept the butter knife in the center console. Used that butter knife many times. She used to drive it alot and many times she was with friends and it wouldn't start and she would just say "just a minute, I've got this handled". She'd crawl under the car and fire it right up. Later I had heard of the hard start solenoid but just never got to installing it. I'd have to say stupid stories like these are what endear these crazy little cars to our hearts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[swl]

I'd have to say stupid stories like these are what endear these crazy little cars to our hearts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

Endear the cars? Hell no! That story should endear the girlfriend. That kinda girl is rarer than a 916! I want one!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grouphug.gif)

Eric,
Absolutely - if it works and gets you on the road reliably then why not. Not all of us wrench wenches like klink. The good think about the relay is that it does not require a hack to the wiring. If a future owner wants to trace down the real problem in the future he just can yank out the relay - no harm no foul.

The key to your approach is your statement of 'due diligence'. There are conditions that can cause poor starting that might effect other things. As long as you have investigated them then there is no harm in putting in the relay.

If you have a problems with the ground strap or the battery terminals it will effect cranking and a host of other things.
If you have corrosion on the connectors to the relay board you could have host of other problems emerge as the corrosion gets worse.
If the traces are wearing out on your switch - well that will get obvious when it gets bad enough.

You can use a volt meter, with an assistants help, to check for some of these conditions easily without replacing parts. All of the below needs to be done with the car being cranked (or at least trying to be cranked)

1. measure the voltage across the battery terminals. That's your baseline. In theory that voltage should be present at the solenoid. Even in a new car it would not be there 100% but it would be close.
2. now read between the + battery post and the body. If it is lower than the baseline then there is probably an issue with the neg battery terminal or ground to the body.
3. now read between the + battery terminal and the block. Any additional drop would be attributable to the tranny to body strap. (oh I can see certain members of the forum having fun with that statement!)
4. Now measure from the starter wire to the block. additional drop = positive battery post.
5. yellow wire on the starter to block - additional drop = something on the trip to the ignition and then back to the battery. At this point it starts getting a little more difficult to do the checking. Also from this point you are looking for the voltage to start going up. The rest is fiddly - you may want to give up here.
6. pin 6 of the 12 pin on the relay board (leave it plugged in - slide the cover off and measure to the pin) to the block - voltage increase = that the wire to the solenoid, the connector on the solenoid
7. pin 1 of the 14 pin on the relay board - voltage increase = dirty connector on the 12 or 14 pin.

You can continue this on through the ignition switch and back to the battery.