New member 2001 SL2, starter issues
 

Hi there,

For several months I thought the starter was going, intermittently wouldn't start unless I banged on the starter, finally purchased a new one and went to replace it only to find the solenoid on the wrong side. So I reinstalled the old one and.... No problems at all for approximately one year... Till a few months ago and figured I just needed to tighten the wires back up again although this time even banging isn't working... Could it be the wires again? Or that the starter truly went this time?
This is the only time in the 2 years I've owned her that she has left me dead otr....
Any suggestions welcome and appreciated!
TIA

Corrosion is your enemy. Poor electrical connections due to built up corrosion behaves like a large or infinite electrical resistance, and can completely stop the flow of current.

1). Check for corrosion at the positive and ground connections-- on the wires and their corresponding contact surfaces. Don't forget the pink or purple wire coming from the ignition relay or PCM.

2) .pull the starter and get it tested for free at AutoZone or similar.

I suspect the electrical connections were/are poor. Hammering on the starter eventually moved the connectors to a position which better conducted electricity. It got wedged in a good spot for a while. Recently jarred loose and now there is no connection at one of the wires due to looseness or corrosion

In addition to the great information that derf provided, be sure to check the battery cables for corrosion under the insulation too. I'm sure that's what he means by wires. That can sneak up on you. I'm thinking it's time for that new starter.