Guides and how tos
Diagnosing a starting or charging fault, and identifying the part you need. Written by people who sell these units every day.
Tooth count and pitch explained
What the tooth count on a starter drive means, why pitch matters as much as the number, and how to check both against your flywheel before you order.
Read the guide-
Tilt and trim goes down but not up
One direction working and the other not is usually a relay or low fluid, not the motor. The order to check things in, and how to tell when the motor...
Read more -
Starter or solenoid? How to tell which failed
One click, no click, or rapid clicking all mean different things. How to tell the solenoid from the starter motor in about ten minutes, and the checks that stop you...
Read more -
Starter clicks but will not crank: the diagnostic ladder
Work down the ladder in order and you will find the fault without guessing. What one click means, what rapid clicking means, and the two checks that resolve most of...
Read more -
One wire versus three wire alternators
What the wire count actually changes, why a one wire conversion costs you low speed charging and the warning light, and how to tell which your machine needs.
Read more -
How to tell if your alternator is bad
The voltage numbers that decide it, the symptoms that point at charging rather than starting, and why a failing battery destroys a new alternator if you skip a step.
Read more -
Alternator noises decoded: whine, growl, grind
What each alternator noise actually means, how to tell it from a belt or an idler pulley, and which ones give you weeks of warning versus which strand you.
Read more -
How to read a Lester number
Lester numbers are how the rotating electrical trade identifies a starter or alternator regardless of brand. What they are, what they are not, and how to use one to find...
Read more -
Bad battery, alternator or starter? How to tell
Three parts cause most no start problems and they fail in different ways. A symptom table, a five minute voltage test and the checks that stop you buying the wrong...
Read more
