Best automotive replacement starters & parts according to redditors

Replace them...they're like 10 bucks with prime shipping.

Also it could be the solenoid. I did mine and have never had an issue since. (I lied i actually paid a dude $60 to do mine because im lazy)

Personally, I build switching relays myself to route DC power to certain functions when needed. The item that I live by is a solenoid from golf cart.

Max 300A Continuous Duty Solenoid Relay Nickel-Plating For Golf Carts ,Winch, Marine In Rush 12VDC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072MZHK48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YC5PCbMWC2SN3


Ex: When the engine is running, the alternator ignite wire (depending on your alternator, but most have a wire that "ignites" the charge current) is hooked up to the solenoid, and applies power only when engine is running. You can do this with anything that is DC, and a solenoid needs only a small amount of amperage to close the circuit.

Absolutely worth it. I have an Engel fridge and I originally wasn't going to do solar. But I found that If I wanted to park for more than a day or if I didn't drive at least 50 miles everyday, the battery would slowly drain down to the cutoff point within a week. I installed one 100-watt panel and I can leave the van parked for as long as i want and the battery stays charged and I never have to turn off the fridge.

I just use a continuous-duty solenoid that connects the house and main batteries when the ignition is on for alternator charging. Nothing fancy. And a sunsaver charge controller for the solar here's a link list I made for a friend who installed a similar setup:

Solar Panel:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-STAR-100W-Polycrystalline-100-watt/dp/B00CAVMMMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-1&keywords=grape+solar

Mounting Feet:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-ZB-Fab1-Zippity-Off-Grid/dp/B00MS8AKUM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-5&keywords=grape+solar

Connectors:
http://www.amazon.com/Islandoffer-Pairs-Female-Solar-Connectors/dp/B00A8TRKJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633077&sr=8-1&keywords=MC4+connectors

Charge Controller (don't skimp here and don't get an MPPT controller for just a panel or three):
http://www.amazon.com/Morningstar-SS-20L-12V-SunSaver-Charge-Controller/dp/B007NNHUHI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633118&sr=8-3&keywords=sunsaver

Battery:
I got the x2 Power from Batteries plus. it's not bad, but the battery i should have gotten is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-GPL-27T-AGM-Battery/dp/B004OA25PU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0P8HYGYQ24QVWZARFF4Z - which Batteries plus should be able to get, which means less or no shipping.

Fuse Block:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1438633797&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=blue+sea+fuse

Volt meter:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZPNICG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Solenoid:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064MX7US/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0050I94XG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F2ZN9606RB53XSFR2EC

$55 on Amazon 30 minutes to install No Core charge.

https://www.amazon.com/DB-Electrical-SMT0052-Cherokee-Wagoneer/dp/B007Y86TIS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536211903&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=xj+starter+jeep&dpPl=1&dpID=51mhapD1zKL&ref=plSrch

I paid $40 for a saturn sl2 starter, $46 for a buick lesabre starter, $52 for a honda accord starter. Honda civic starter $38.

What are you talking about? I have replaced quite a few and never paid much for them. Those are for brand new ones. Remans are normally like $30 or less. You just overpay.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y867DA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R1EMWJ0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Gear-PG-17871-Professional-Starter/dp/B00KY0KXMG/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1493329518&vehicle=2004-59-752-912--1-9-5-7385-2050-1-1-2359--9-0&sr=1-3&ymm=2004%3Ahonda%3Acivic&keywords=starter

there are a few links for you. Most starters are inexpensive and those are brand new quality ones. I purchased them and they work.

First, You need to add up all the energy youre going to use in an average day. This is critical and no one else can really do it for you.

Theres a couple of ways to do this. You can buy a kill-a-watt meter and plug a power strip into it and then run everything you would want to run in a day off of it. This is it on amazon It will tell you how many watts everything has used.

Or you can go to a solar calculator on the web.....type in all the things you will use and what their rated wattages are. If you dont know them you can find them ..usually...on a label on the back near the power supply of each appliance. Or just google and use the larger number of their examples. Type in their wattage and how long you will use them. This too will tell you how many watts youre likely to use during a day.

Second, you need to size your solar array and your battery bank.

Lets say in your calculations you find that you use 2000w a day (2kw) that would be about 60kw a month if you want to compare it with your electric bill (which is pretty low but not unrealistic since you arent using a/c or any large appliances). For solar panels the math is pretty simple. If you get 4 hours of direct sunshine you would need 500w of solar panels to get your 2000w for the day under ideal conditions and assuming no loss. (never plan for ideal conditions and never assume zero loss but you get the idea) If you think youre going to get 8 (youre not) then you just need 250w....and so on.

You will probably never achieve this, I would shoot for 60% more solar on the bus than you think need on paper. For this example I would do my best to get 750 to 800 watts of panels. It is fair complicated and very build specific to try and calculate how much loss you will incur in your wiring and in panel placement. Since you can only have two panels the simplest and most elegant solution is to just buy panels that cover as much of the space as you have left as possible.

Panels also are never as efficient as they are the first year. If you size perfectly this year in a year or two you will be undersized.

For batteries you have to consider amp hours. Watts are amps * volts. Batteries are usually 12 v. Lets continue our example that you use 2000w a day and want to have enough reserve power to cover a full day. 2000w at 12v is 167 amps. An amp hour is one amp or one hour. We can take our 167 amps and know that you need 167 amp hours because youre using it over time. Im oversimplifying but thats the smallest amp/hour rating that will suffice. A good rule of thumb is to never drain lead acid batteries below 50% so now you need a 330 amp hours battery bank at the minimum. As an example that means you would need between 3 and 4 of these For lithium ion I think its 80% so thats 210 amp hours of lithium ion.

Your battery will never be as good as it is the first week so in a year's time neither of these banks will provide enough reserve energy if you just do the minimum required right off the bat. You will have to overbuild to account for this or add later.

If you want to work backwards then its a little less elegant. Lets say your coffee maker is 5 amps but its rated at 110 V thats 550 watts. Lets assume you use it for 15 minutes so thats ~138 watt hours. Your inverter will need to draw (138 watts divided by 12 V) about 11.5 amp hours out of your battery. If you have a 100 ah battery bank, that gives you 50 ah effective use...that 15 minutes of coffee making just used over 20 percent of your battery.

Charging your house batteries off the alternator can be very simple. This is what I used Put a switch in the cab and run a wire to the small terminal. When the small pole is energized it will connect the two larger poles. Wire one pole to one battery bank and the other pole to the other battery bank, use thick wire for the large poles 2/0. When the small pole is not energized the two poles will not be connected. When you want one bank to charge the other bank turn your switch on. When you want one bank to not drain the other bank, turn your switch off.

Im partial to this brand but you may find a cheaper one.

There are dozens of gauges that will tell you your battery voltages. Here is one example if you have everything wired correctly when you flip your switch to connect your two battery banks you should see their voltages come together.

maybe this https://www.amazon.com/SOLENOID-GENERATOR-0-47100-4100-0-47100-4160-0-47100-4390/dp/B00E9FXDP6

Something like this. Make sure you get one that can handle what your alternator puts out.
https://www.amazon.com/CONTINUOUS-SOLENOID-GOLF-CARTS-1114208/dp/B008R1T5IM

A starter solenoid would be something else to try that could be found cheap or free. You would only need 1.

Edit: This looks like a starter solenoid, but might be a bit beefier and marketed for continuous use: http://www.amazon.com/CONTINUOUS-SOLENOID-GOLF-CARTS-1114208/dp/B008R1T5IM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TX8JDH10MBQ6S2MZ97J

What's it off of? The one in your picture looks like Polaris part (but only for the Fuji built engines so it may be in other japanese designs). If it is, then yes you can disassemble it. If you look at the lower left where the silver shaft meet the gold colored pieces you can see the snap ring that holds it all together. Careful when you take it apart several springs and weights will come out.

Here's one just like the picture for $23 shipped. That's probably the way to go, I've never had much luck repairing one of them.

97-01 are basically the same in every way. I highly doubt they would've bothered with the mounting of the starter.

You payed way too much for that starter. A decent AC delco is around $70. I would try to return that if you can.

Since the starter grounds through the body, it's definitely possible that missing bolt is the source of your starting problems. I would replace that, and also clean the battery terminals really well before blaming the starter.

Though at 13 years, it wouldn't hurt to just replace the starter anyway. Its best days are certainly behind it.

yes http://www.amazon.com/Discount-Starter-Alternator-Cherokee-Replacement/dp/B004MNDT8G

> but at that rate I'm better off charging my batteries with my diesel's alternator

Yep. I frequently ask people on this sub why they think solar is so important when they're driving around in something that generates electricity already. Solar is expensive. It doesn't work in Seattle except for three weeks in August. Unless you're in the desert southwest, you need to have sufficient battery capacity for multiple days without sun which means you need an even bigger solar panel array to recharge that battery pack on the 2 sunny days during a two week period of overcast and showers.

Unless the van is parked somewhere for days and days without moving, just charge the house battery from the alternator. Even if it's parked on a sunny day, there's a huge incentive to park it in the shade to prevent the interior temps from killing anyone inside.

Using the alternator is easy. The absolute brute force, quick-n-dirty, cheap way is to run a #2 or #4 gauge wire from the positive terminal of your your van's battery to the positive terminal of your house battery through a simple switch and a high capacity (100A) fuse.

Under $10 crude switch from any auto parts store: https://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B001N729FS/ You use this to 'disconnect' the wire between the batteries when you park. This prevents that 60W fan you're running 24/7 from running down your starter battery. Get a better switch as your budget allows.

Better is an 'isolation relay' - there are two basic kinds. The inexpensive kind https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JCX8OY/ requires that you also find a 12v power source that goes active when your ignition is turned on. This powers the relay to connect your house battery to the alternator/starting battery. It's not a big deal, but possibly a small hassle. Any Napa, Reibes, Pep-Boys, Autozone, etc auto parts place will have one.

Or, an automatic type that senses when the voltage on your starter battery rises due to the alternator and then automatically connects your house battery so it gets charged, too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00400IYTK/ You take the 12v cable from your van battery to one terminal. The 12V from your house battery to the 2nd terminal. And, the last terminal goes to ground.

BTW, I wasn't trying to 'burn you' but rather put some realism into your needs. At least you didn't mention electric heater or electric air conditioning like some folks do. For heating or cooking, gas/propane is the practical way to go. (There are some great, BUT EXPENSIVE, diesel heaters that can tap into your van's fuel system).

For air conditioning, there isn't any van-sized alternative other than a gas powered generator or an electrical outlet near the van.

Good choice on the fridge. And, you're right - it's not a 'now' sort of requirement.

Those battery powered LED things last forever. If you haven't bought any yet, try to get ones with diffusers - intentionally stay away from the brightest ones you can find. The issue is that in the small confines of a van, they just sear burn marks in your retinas. 'dimmer is better' I have these - multi brightness, magnetic stick on to my van's metal interior: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H731UNS/

I got the non-rechargeable ones but use Amazon Basics Eneloop- equivalent rechargeable AAA batteries: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-AAA-Rechargeable-Batteries-12-Pack/dp/B007B9NXAC/ and a USB recharger for them sort of like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PZ6V99U/

I have one of these. You do not want this 2 ft from your eyes in a van: https://www.amazon.com/BUYGO-11-LED-Outdoor-Lantern-Camping/

something like this continuous duty solenoid would work well. takes the idea of having a relay switch and makes it more idiot proof. the last thing you want is to forget to disengage your primary battery from your house battery & wake up to a non-starting vehicle

Your starter armatures sound like they're shorting (drawing more current than the fuse will allow), and your battery is probably dying.

Take the starter apart, check for resistance between the armatures. If this is anything like the '83 shadow I did this on, it's not going to be fun to get in an out. Maybe it's easy on yours, but my exhaust pipe was in the way.

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Starter-Rebuild-Motorcycle-Interceptor-VT500FT/dp/B00CPOPU3Q

Just because it's at 12.7 volts doesn't mean it's fully healthy.

If it is the starter solenoid and he has the 3.9/5.2/5.9 gasoline engine in it then it's a super easy fix that should take around 30 minutes. First disconnect the battery as you're going to have a live wire hanging that will ground itself against anything metal on the truck and roast a fuse. Roll under the truck and you'll see the starter hanging off the side of the transmission on the driver's side. There's 2 or 3 bolts holding it on, one electrical connector and a power cable going to it held on by a nut. Disconnect all of those and it will slide out of the bell housing there. Now, with it out of the vehicle, you can take the 3 small 8 mm screws off the back of the starter which will allow you into the solenoid part of the starter. Pull out the old solenoid, loosen the two contacts inside by removing the nuts and put the new contacts in, tighten those two bolts, replace the plunger with a new one. Bolt on the cover to the solenoid making sure to clean the gasket first. Now place it back in the hole on the flywheel cover on the transmission, replace the mounting bolts, bolt the power cable back on and connect the electrical connector. Connect the battery back up and it should fire up right away.

Part you will need for this job: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031HMS7C/

You can buy it in small quantities at any Lowes.

It's a kit intented for patching, but it's enough carbon fiber fabric to cover a keyboard, and it's under $20.

Also, you CAN buy it on Amazon. Here's a larger kit for $65.

http://www.amazon.com/Godzilla-carbonworksTM-Carbon-composites-starter/dp/B00GIUIGWA

Well I just had the battery checked and they said it's good so I don't think it's that. Replacing the solenoid seems easy enough. Can I ask you though what is the other cylinder next to the solenoid?

The part that looks like a solenoid was actually to the left of the part I was touching. It kinds looks like this

A common issue is worn contacts on the starter solenoid causing reduced starter speed, a small reduction in starter speed can be enough to produce the symptom you have. Cheap and easy to replace

https://www.amazon.com/LarryBs-Starter-solenoid-Rebuild-Cummins/dp/B00D2C1URK

I have a PDF of a different service manual so I will try to double check everything before I do anything. Thank you for the heads up though.

I went ahead and ordered a starter motor rebuild kit. It was only twenty bucks and every source has told me that my brushes (measuring around 9-10mm) needed to be replaced. My issue now is going to be making sure all of the little pieces that come with the kit get put in the right place. This is what I ordered:

https://www.amazon.com/Starter-Rebuild-Motorcycle-GS1000S-GS1100ES/dp/B00CS8E6E8

Get a $19 continuous duty solenoid (http://amzn.to/2eJkQSO) a $22 50A fuse (http://amzn.to/2eAWFCL) and then don't worry about the other stuff.

you want to put the fuse between the battery and the switch grounding to the frame would work just fine. I would use a 20 amp fuse that way you blow the fuse before the switch gets overloaded. you can also ground the eng to the frame. this is the type of relay I would use
Cole Hersee (24059-BP) 12V Insulated SPST Continuous Duty Solenoid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064MX7US/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_T8IqDbHS3ESDJ

I just ordered this 150a solenoid: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R1T5IM/ref=pe_825000_114657650_TE_item

I don't really know how much my battery is going to draw, but my alternator is only 120A so it should be quite within the limit.

Maybe this will clarify: https://www.amazon.com/Cole-Hersee-24059-BP-Insulated-Continuous/dp/B0064MX7US/ref=pd_sbs_263_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41jsjsit2KL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=MH7BMKXWB4AYVXXH118B

Is the solenoid I plan on using

Thank you all for the constructive comments! I apologize for having confusing information. It even took me a minute to compile it with what I thought to be an understandable manner because it even confuses me if I don't go through it in one breath. I'm going to do my best to clear things up.

u/velaazul , Here is a schematic I drew. - http://imgur.com/a/Zldos
Not the best drawing but I did it as I pieced it together, I could try to do another to clean it up a bit.

HouseBatt is the car battery. Batt1/Batt2 are deep cycle batteries. Currently this draft is a two 12v deep cycle battery operation. I still need to spend some time calculating (and understanding) what my daily/weekly power consumption would look like to see if two batteries will be sufficient for my lifestyle. I'm also trying to figure out how long I will have to run my car to charge these.

I don't necessarily plan on doing this under my current build for more than a year so there is room for improvement beyond this. With that said I know it may not be the most efficient setup possible, but I need to get my feet moving forward and make this happen.

Fuses are something I am conflicted about. I've seen instructionals that incorporate fuses, and I've seen builds that don't. I've heard people say you need them and heard people tell me I don't. If I do indeed need fuses put in place I would put a fuse between the Small Solenoid terminal to the alternator. and the 2nd fuse would be from the House Battery positive wire to the Deep Cycle Battery 2.

u/Y_BOT , am I misunderstanding the function of the solenoid? From what I understood it would function independently and control the flow of electricity from the alternator to the car battery and then to the deep cycle. When I turn the key in the car that should activate the solenoid switch to charge my car battery and deep cycle. When I draw power from the deep cycle the solenoid should act as the barrier between the deep cycle and the car battery so I never drain my cars battery when using the deep cycles. In the schematic I drew I have included the solenoid and an alternative- an isolator switch. If possible I'd prefer to wire the solenoid so I don't have to manually disconnect batteries.

u/MythicalMover , I plan on purchasing 8 guage wire, however I have not purchased any of the materials yet. I have written out a list of necessary equipment for this project with rough cost estimates. I'm trying to square away my setup before I move forward with buying what I need. I plan on going to auto parts stores and Lowe's to browse wires, lugs, batteries, ect. Also you've hit on another point that I need to flesh out. That being the load capacity for the solenoid connected to my alternator and then potentially the fuses and their load capacities.

Every time I come back to work on all this power planning it alternates between seeming simpler than I previously thought to more complicated and back and forth between the two.


Again, thank you all for the direction and the help! I will also attach links to a few products I am looking at buying for this project. I use most of these as visual representations though. I want to go to a store to actually see and hold a tool before I buy it to ensure I feel right about what I need.

Might need these: https://www.amazon.com/Plated-Battery-Terminal-Positive-Nagative/dp/B00ORH1W2W/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1486148779&sr=1-3&keywords=car+battery+terminal

This is the solenoid that I have in mind. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064MX7US/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0064MX7US&linkCode=as2&tag=rvlifenetwork-20&linkId=TL56E2B62BVKAEKJ

2nd considered solenoid: https://www.amazon.com/Intellitec-Battery-Disconnect-Relay-Prevents-Batteries/dp/B00KPR8QAO/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4S939F2G73BZBDQ6JZA9

Inverter (though I might up it if I need more watt handling if need be): https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-400-Watt-12-Volt-120-Volt-Inverter/dp/B001RNOHBC/ref=sr_1_7?m=A2VVWG2KXGK6N2&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1485455953&sr=1-7

Deep cycle battery consideration: https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/marine-and-boat/deep-cycle/bci-group-27m/sli27mdc

8 guage wire: https://www.amazon.com/Ancor-Marine-Grade-Duplex-Cables/dp/B000NV0BNM/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1486225382&sr=1-1&keywords=8+gauge+wire

(optional) Isolator switch: https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Battery-Disconnect-Switch-Isolator/dp/B00EBQOKEQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1486225429&sr=1-2&keywords=isolator+switch

I also intend to protect my wires with conduits. If necessary I will need to buy lugs and shrink insulation to "make" my own wires for this project. Crimping is something I would imagine I could find a friend to help with or get done at a store.

Hopefully I covered everything, let me know if I am still missing any information and again sorry this was all not included in my original post!

https://www.amazon.com/DB-Electrical-SMU0404-Starter-31200-Plm-A51/dp/B007Y87Y46/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495398321&sr=8-1&keywords=2004+honda+civic+starter

Nice van!

Don't be too intimidated with adding a house battery. You can do it.

Very in-depth guide for adding a house battery with solenoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zrwHyy4qyY

This is the battery I used, it ROCKS. (smaller and cheaper options from same company available)

Other items I used...

• Continuous Duty Solenoid
  
• Heavy Gauge Wire 2 AWG
  
• Ring Terminals for Heavy Gauge Wire
  
• ANL Fuse Holder
  
• ANL Fuses 100 Amp
  
• Lighter Gauge Wire
  
• Terminals and Connectors for Lighter Gauge Wire
  
• Heat Shrink Assortment
  
• Circuit breaker (alternative to ANL fuses, works as master disconnect too)
  
• Fuse Block (for all devices connected to house battery)