I used my remote start this morning and walked out to a truck that had the radio and parking lights on. I tried to start the truck again with the key and only got a click. I went to hit the started with a hammer and the thing sparked real bad and then started smoking a lot. I've never had a starter smoke on me. Any ideas as to what would cause this? Everything was fine last night when I went out.

 

You likely knocked something loose when you whacked it and that shorted out the feed from the battery.

 

Thats what gets me is that I never hit it with the hammer. I only tried to push the wire out of the way so I could hit it with the hammer. I wonder if the power wire came loose. I really couldnt see. I was using my phone as a flash light cause it was so early in the morning. Nother better that being freezing cold at such an early hour on a Monday.

 

In that case, you probably broke the stud and shorted the cable out.

 

I looked at it when I got home and had daylight. The ring lug on the positive cable had snapped in half and I couldn't see it in the dark. So when I went to push the wires out of the way the positive touched the solenoid and smoked it. I'm glad I turned a $15 cable fix into a $200 fix. I wouldn't have it any other way. Top that off by not being able to get 2 bolts out so I have to pay someone with better told to do it for me.

 

That top bolt is the worst bolt Ive ever had to take off and put back on out of any car ive worked on. Ive done it twice on mine already and I will pay someone to do it next time.

 

plz delete