K series starting

[Evetts1960]

why does starter click sometimes and then after 2 or 3 goes starts other tomes no problem 

[SM25T]

Because you have a problem looming !

Battery dying ? Check liquid levels if wet type. Remove, clean and remake ALL connections on black and red fat cables. Try that for starters before removing starter and getting it and integral solenoid tested and overhauled at your local auto electrical place.

[Jonathan Kay]

Private Message sent.

Jonathan

[Bricol]

But before doing all that, make sure it's not in-gear, use a length of suitable wire, and trigger the solenoid on the starter direct from the battery.  If it works, repeatedly, then just fit a separate relay to trigger it from the igntion switch.

I'm using the orginal well cooked, flooded, frozen, over-heated (its close to the exhaust) starter it came with in 2001, and the same battery cables.  I just bypassed the original wiring from the switch through all the Rover/Caterham bits, by fitting the separate relay and it's own power supply from the fusebox.

10 yrs later I've no worries it won't start . .. ;-)

 

[John Vine]

This could be the infamous "K-click".  If so, follow Bricol's advice and fit a bypass relay.

For details, see Andrew Revill's excellent article here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ejetbzbsxhyev9/Low%20Flying%20Article.pdf?dl=0

JV

 

 

[Geoff Brown]

With my experience of the K click happening to my 1.4 & 1.6 the by pass mod never fully cured the illness only the symptom. In the end replacing the starter motor solenoid sorted it out. 

[grumpy the 7th]

When you do the relay mod DO USE a SPDT (single pole double throw) 60 amp 12 volt one.

AND replace the thick red wire to the solenoid with either a thicker one or at least a new cable (mine had gone black and brittle) Ooer

Fatal error to say this BUT

I changed a couple of 30 amp ones before fitting a 60 amp relay a good many years ago. On inspection when opening up the relays the contacts were showing signs of spiking and pitting (and there's NOTHING like 30 amps passing through the relay contacts)

[Bricol]

I bypassed everything - new wire from ign switch to new relay sat in the spare mount in the existing fuse box.  New power wire to it.  New earth.  New wire from relay to starter solenoid.

Never clickety-clicked since.

[p.mole1]

Check your earth leads, my car had very poor earthing