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Topic: It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut! (Read 1085 times) previous topic - next topic

It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut!

Yes, I'm incompetent.

In mid-December the starter stopped turning over and I couldn't start the RV.  Fortunately, we were at home.  The forum posts point to wiring, wiring, wiring!  I checked all of that.  Everything was tight.  Checked the batteries and replaced the starter (that was not fun!).  Removed the belt on my a/c compressor because it has a questionable bearing.  No change.

Yesterday, I had my wife stand at the back by the batteries to watch for spark.  She saw a whiff of smoke.  I had her point to the rough location.  Tightened everything down again.  This time it sparked and she could tell me a specific joint.  When I took everything apart, I found that the nut was rusted tight, not tightened tight.  I wire brushed everything and sprayed with Corrosion-X.  Started right up!  I really didn't want to get it towed.

Grr!  $250 starter, $100 12T pneumatic jack (that corner wouldn't raise -- fixed), 20 hours (?) of my time.  Grr!

Well, that corner raises and I don't have to worry about the starter or batteries for a while.

Re: It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut!

Reply #1 –
Rick, I feel your pain on the starter. I replaced mine this spring while at storage. Couldn't get it raised up, so it was challenging. I think it was only the solenoid but I changed out the entire stareter. Figured it would outlive me since the last one lasted 22 years.

Larry

Re: It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut!

Reply #3 –
Sometimes the problem is almost impossible to diagnose.
I designed and built a machine for a customer. After installation and runoff the machine would run fine--for awhile. Then a forklift would go by and the machine would quit. After their electrician checked the machine it would run for awhile.
Cold spell? The machine would quit. Got so bad the customer wanted to return the machine ($300,000+).
Me, not being an electrician, went to the customer and started tugging on the wires in the electrical control cabinet. (of course I turned the electrical supply off first!)
After tugging on about thirty contacts I found the problem! Their electrician would check the tightness of all the set screws each time he went in the cabinet. But he missed one point where there were two wires in the same terminal block, and the set screw was tight on only one wire so the other wire was loose and causing the problem thru intermittent contact.
It seems that tugging on each wire can aid it the search for a solution. Reliance on a fastener may not be the answer when looking for the solution to a problem.
Glad you found your answer.

Re: It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut!

Reply #4 –
Rick, which nut was it? Battery to terminal block?

Re: It Took Me Two Months to Tighten a Nut!

Reply #5 –
One of our other members, John Morales, experienced a similar loose starter cable.  His photo of the "problem" was quite impressive!