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My 1989 Eagle Medallion (essentially a Renault, with an electrical system similar to the Jeep's)...
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My 1989 Eagle Medallion (essentially a Renault, with an electrical system similar to the Jeep's) will not start. I'm fairly sure it's the starter or the solenoid. I will explain why in a moment. First, where is the starter on this Eagle located? Somewhere underneath the engine I am sure, but don't know exactly where. And, once I find it, can I do the job myself or is a mechanic required? And, can the solenoid be replaced separately, if that's all it is, or does the whole starter have to be changed? I may be wrong about the problem being the starter or solenoid, but I don't think so. Please correct me if I am wrong. Here are the reasons. About eight or nine years ago, I began having the present problem. I would turn the ignition key and the starter would not turn over on the first attempt. However, on the second or third, it always did and the car would start right up. After about five years of that kind of activity (and sometimes it would start on the first turn for weeks on end), the problem gradually began to get worse, but I always managed to get the car started by trying again and again. Sometimes it took eight or ten turns of the ignition key, but finally the car would start. At times, when it would not start after several turns of the key, I would move the shifter back and forth and then leave it either in neutral or park and try again. That often resulted in the starter turning over and the car starting, but sometimes would not. I don't know if I was doing something helpful or not. Nonetheless, I just lived with this minor problem for over eight years until the car recently began to take much longer to start, and recently has failed to start completely. I''m fairly sure it is the starter or solenoid, as I have heard of similar problems such as this one with other cars. Other possibilities, I have been told, are the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch. The latter was blamed for this same problem 12 years ago, but was perfectly fine. The problem then was a small resistor plugged into a group of wires on the driver's side near the front of the car. I have just replaced that piece again to make sure it is not the cause this time, and it is not, as the problem continues. As for the ignition switch, I don't think so, as when I turn it and the starter does not turn over, the normal lights come on on the dashboard and I can hear the sound of what I have been told is the coil (a whirring up and down sound). I don't believe I would see the lights or hear the coil if the ignition switch were the problem. And of course, I see the lights and hear the coil for several turns of the key before the car finally DOES start up, or at least always did finally start up in the past. The coil, I believe, is part of the electronic ignition module, which I replaced about six years ago when the car turned over but did not start. That old module is perfectly good, so I can put it in to replace the newer one, but I'm fairly sure that is not the problem now. The problem six years ago just mentioned was due to a broken ground wire, nothing more, although it took a mechanic a long time to find it. So, that's my problem. The car won't start and I'm almost certain it's the starter or solenoid. I've also noticed in the past that the car will sometimes start (after not starting for a few days) when the weather changes. Lately, we've been having hot, humid, rainy weather, which seems to result in the car not starting more than in other types of weather. But the weather may not change until the fall, and that's too long to wait. I want to get it fixed now. Is it the starter? The solenoid? Can the latter be replaced without the former? Can a person with reasonable mechanical skills and plenty of tools (me) do it himself? Or does the car need to be on a lift with a professional mechanic doing the job? Also, where precisely is the starter located on this car? Of course, if someone thinks the problem may be something else, please say so. I would appreciate any help that can be offered. Thank you ahead of time. Sincerely, Richard M.
