Do starters slowly die, or just die at once?

[Weblamer]

Odd problem with my scooter starter.

The starter had been feeling 'slow'. Cranks real slow but eventually fires up the scoot. Eventually it stopped running. I figured it was a dead battery, so I bought a new one, and gave it a good charge before I put it in.

That fired it up once or twice, but ended up feeling 'slow' again until eventually I just got the relay clicking.

Busted out the meter, the battery was fine and the starter relay is good.

So I think its a bad starter, however I always thought they just died out at once, not slowly grind down?

Could there be a short somewhere drawing power from the starter?

I would like suggestions before I tear it down and order a new starter.

[blueboy5000]

They can go either way. Sometimes the starter starts laboring, (cranking slowly) but more often than not, simply seizes.

The best way to make sure your starter is okay is to turn the key to ON and then use a screwdriver to "jump" the solenoid. If the bike fires right up, then replace the solenoid. If the starter still labors then replace the starter.

The technically correct way to diagnose this problem is with a VOLTAGE LOAD TEST, but since scooters use small low-amperage batteries, using an automotive load tester usually kills the battery before you figure anything out.

[Weblamer]

Thanks.

It was indeed a bad starter. Ordered a new one. Kind of a pain stripping everything off to get to it though.

http://i.imgur.com/SSHrIyC.jpg