Turn Key - Starter Doesn’t Turn - Help!

[Patrick]

We drove from San Diego to Lost Hills, pulled into Pilot for fuel and now the motorhome will not start. Dash lights on but neither front or rear starter switches work. 
 

Mechanic says must be the starter. 
 

Help please.  

[Dr4Film]

Give the starter a good rap with a hammer to see if it will turn over. Also check the connections at the starter to make sure they are clean and tight.

[Benjamin]

If it was a car, pickup or tractor, I'd suspect the starter.  On a motorhome, my first suspect is the motorhome wiring.  If you can find the wiring on the starter solenoid, and rig a test wire to hot wire it from a safe distance, that will cut the problem in half by telling us if it's the starter not working, or the wiring not supplying the start signal voltage. 

[Patrick]

6 minutes ago, Dr4Film said:

Give the starter a good rap with a hammer to see if it will turn over. Also check the connections at the starter to make sure they are clean and tight.

Yup. Rapped it good already. You can hear the solenoid click when you activate the switch. 

1 minute ago, Benjamin said:

If it was a car, pickup or tractor, I'd suspect the starter.  On a motorhome, my first suspect is the motorhome wiring.  If you can find the wiring on the starter solenoid, and rig a test wire to hot wire it from a safe distance, that will cut the problem in half by telling us if it's the starter not working, or the wiring not supplying the start signal voltage. 

I can hear the solenoid in the left hand engine cabinet click when I activate either switch. 

[vito.a]

Maybe time for one of the new Delco gear reduction starters.  They require less amps and turn the engine over much faster.  

[Benjamin]

Solenoid clicking changes everything.  You've got a good chance it will start again once the starter cools off, not much help now. 

IF you're sure it's the solenoid on the starter clicking, and not another start relay, then I'd tap it a couple more times while the key is held to start for a couple seconds as long as you don't hear arcing coming from the starter. 

How comfortable are you with starter removal?

[jacwjames]

Have you tried you battery boost, maybe you chassis battery is on it's last leg.

Same thing happen to my wife when she was driving the rig from E TN to Northern Michigan.  Was able to start rig and drive but battery won't hold a charge.  Once she got where I was I found the battery bad.

[MyronTruex]

Good idea on the boost button. And perhaps start the generator first as well.

You really need a voltmeter right on the input to the starter while someone hits the key to start. It's a scary thing to do so I always try to connect an alligator clip and run a piece of scrap wire to a safe place.

[Ali-026]

If this was our coach, I would be measuring chassis battery voltage while someone is turning the ignition. If chassis battery is confirmed good, then I would tap on the starter while someone turning the ignition. You should see sparks coming from the starter if chassis battery is good, but starter is bad.

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, Ali-026 said:

If this was our coach, I would be measuring chassis battery voltage while someone is turning the ignition. If chassis battery is confirmed good, then I would tap on the starter while someone turning the ignition. You should see sparks coming from the starter if chassis battery is good, but starter is bad.

Start the GENNY.  Then run jumper cables from the House to the Chassis. Go ahead and put on BOTH cables...  Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative.  Let the genny charge the Chassis for maybe 30 minutes.  That SHOULD put a good surface charge on the Chassis...PLUS, you have the House bank.  THEN try to start it.  

If your Alternator is CHARGING... you will see 13.8 - 14.0 VDC.  Then drive it.  The Jumper cables can be removed.

 

[Patrick]

First of all, thank you to everyone for your suggestions. Your support is tremendous. 
 

I crawled under again and checked all the wiring on the starter. I found a thin wire that was detached from a round eye connector that was bolted on with a small hex nut. The thin wire was shielded by a small corrugated hose.  Replaced the eyelet connection and viola. The starter was back in business. 
 

Not sure how the mechanic I had look at it missed the disconnected wire. 
 

Again, thank you everyone!