Starter problem

[tgracing]

I have an intermittent problem with my starter. I get the click of death sometimes, but it's not the battery. I suspect a connection at the battery master switch, but where should I start checking ?

 

TIA,

 

Davebo

C7 CAR

[John E]

What engine is it. If its a crossflow you really have to follow all connections and clean all contacts before you can establish whether or not its the switch, the starter or the solenoid. Its a process of elimination. The switch can be isolated but you may have to get the starter looked at by an auto electriclal person. If its a crossflow does it turn over by pushing the switch on the solenoid.

[Andrew Dent]

Suggest you visit the reply from my posting about starting my Superlight. Suggestion states that the starter motor has been 'cooked' and needs a rebuild. Prevention occurs by using heat shield wrap from Demon Tweeks or the such like. a starter motor rebuild should be around £70, so I have been informed.

Andrew Dent

C7LOW

[Allan Haighton]

If you need a replacement starter for a crossflow, I suggest you go to the local scrappers. Make sure you get the smaller of the two starters for an early Sierra. Should cost about £20.

[tgracing]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, sorry for not mentioning that my Academy car is fited with the 8V Vauxhall unit.

 

The whole car is brand new so it shouldn't be a tired starter. How would it be cooked ? (I did connect the battery up to it wrong to begin with, but it's been fine since.) I changed over the engine earth from the right side to the left side. Could it be a dodgy contact there ?

 

Davebo

C7 CAR

[Slipper man]

I'd check the starter anyway. The quality control on these things can be quite poor (certainly on the Ford based engines) I once had a new starter fail on my Cosworth after it had been used only about half a dozen times. The symptoms you describe are exactly what I experienced.

[tgracing]

How do I go about checking the starter ?

 

Davebo

C7 CAR

[Slipper man]

Dunno - my solution is normally to take it to James Whiting who sucks teeth etc. and then comes up with the answer (and a bill...)

 

The only recommendation I can make is to remove said starter motor and try the pinion bearing for slack. It seems that generally the thing that fails is the bearings, causing the brushes to lose contact with the armature, causing a loss of power in the starter motor, resulting in a simulation of a flat battery. With mine, when I removed the motor, the problem was obvious.

 

 

[SLR No.77]

Dave your one of many! Click, click, nothing, nothing, click, brum. My cars a k-series and my starter problems began at only 2000 miles! The competition exhaust runs very very close to the starter solenoid, but this is only part of the problem. Last night I removed the exhaust/manifold to repair the solenoid, with the starter in situ (its easier to remove the starter with the solenoid off anyway). I cleaned out the solenoid body with some emery cloth (180 grade, quite course)_and also took a small amount off the solenoid plunger. Greased and reasembled.

 

Problem now improved. Click, click, click, click, brum (nb. no "nothings", imaginary brum as I've removed the HT lead from the coil. Didn't want to wake the kids). In frustration I then thought I checked the web. The idea about bearings seams a good one, so back the car. I then removed the starter and started stripping it (no Dave I've never done that before either!) The brushes were pretty battered, and the armature where the bushes run (if thats the correct term)looked pretty grim also, causing difficulty in turning the starter shaft. Cleaned the whole lot with 180s cloth. Reassembled. About 40 minutes work, which aint bad for a novice (acolytes work faster I believe), and the whole thing's back together. Now its Click brum. Click brum. Click brum. (Imagination again). I'll let you know how it goes when the engines hot, but I now know the problem was the starter itself and not the solenoid. nb. The bearings (if you can call them that) are fine.

 

Give it a try.

 

Stu.

Complete novice.