I Think Ive Killed My Starter Motor!

[BusEngineer 7]

Bit of background first. . .

 

Slowly building up my 205 to put back on the road after 13months

 

Replaced the front to back fuel pipes the other day due to excessive corrosion, then today ive been out in the garage and given it a quick service (oil and filter change, plugs, gbox oil, new battery etc and replaced the knackered K&N filter adaptor) ready to start it up for the first time since fuel line replacement

 

So I cranked it over ...... and over ...... and over!!

 

Not even a glimmer of it firing then a bit more cranking, by which point the battery is going steadily flat, and my starter gives up

 

Made a horrible whirring noise and then stopped!!

 

So i left it a while to cool and tried again, all i got was the solenoid clicking, so i turned the crank pulley a bit incase it was stuck in (engaged) heard a click so assummed that was the problem but its no better still just solenoid click and no cranking

 

After a bit more fiddling and crank turning by hand i can now get it to click and then my a strange whizzing noise, if i hold it doing this i get smoke from around the starter area!

 

So im guessing the starter has had it??! Am i right to be thinking this?

 

When i try to start it, the solenoid clicks and all the dash lights go out

 

Also any ideas on why it wouldnt fire in the first place, i expected it to crank for a short while, while it refilled the empty fuel lines and filter but not for as long as i was cranking!!

 

Really frustrated as i was making good progress and this is a problem i could have done without (with a beam still to change, rollcage to fit and numerous other jobs to do)

Edited March 22, 2010 by BusEngineer

[welshpug 1,657]

sounds like a flat battery to me!

[quagmire 0]

Flat battery mate.

[BusEngineer 7]

I had it hooked up to my other car with jump leads for some of this investigation so im not sure thats the case

 

Also why would it smoke?

[AndyJ 1]

If the motor is stalled it'll be cooking the brushes, probably why its smoking.

[BusEngineer 7]

Sounds promising then

 

I'll charge the battery tomorrow and try again

 

Any ideas on how i can get it firing then after draing the pipework i.e. without cooking my starter again

[Peetypug 5]

Fuel lines wrong way round?

Have you tried giving the starter a good old fashioned smack?

[BusEngineer 7]

Come on, i work on buses!! I might be electrically inept but a big hammer came into play very quickly!!

 

I think the lines are the right way round

[Peetypug 5]

Is the pump priming?

If yes are you getting fuel at the injectors?

If yes are you getting spark?

If yes then I'm fecking stumped

[BusEngineer 7]

i tell you what

 

Thinking back i can recall the pump priming, its only a month since i last had it started and it primed and started then

 

Is it Tachy relay that sorts priming?

[Peetypug 5]

Yeah think so

That 205 mi that I had did the same to me, ran fine then when it came to sell the engine it wouldn't run.

Pump wouldn't prime, 12v straight to the pump will tell you

[welshpug 1,657]

ahh, I missed that it had started smoking!

 

last one I saw doing that was absolutely boiling and had to be left to cool before removal, a replacement fired it straight up

[BusEngineer 7]

Well ive come home from work this afternoon and removed the inlet manifold to get at the starter and properly check the wiring over

 

With the starter off and 12v to it, the solenoid fires , but the starter refuses to spin so its fubared!!

 

Ordered a new one today and inlet mani gasket, ill pick them up after work tomorrow

 

Did a bit more poking around on the not starting problem and i think ive somehow managed to get the fuel pipes on the wrong way round!! idiot!

 

When i took the hose off the regulator i have pressurised air escape is that right? As i thought it was the other side of the fuel rail that should be pressurised

[welshpug 1,657]

sounds like it, though not sure how you managed it as the feed pipe has a threaded union (and comes from the fuel filter) where the return is a barbed fitting and hose clip on the back end of the regulator.

[BusEngineer 7]

I replaced them from where they come from behind the fuel tank all the way up including a new olive and nut on the threaded union

 

Also both pipes had been joined with hose at the front of the floor so i think ive mixed things up there

 

Does it sound like they are the wrong way round because the hose to the regulator was pressurised? Just trying to get it straight in my head, i work on heavy diesel engines as my day job but for some reason its taking a little longer to get my head round this antiquated french fuel system!!

Edited March 23, 2010 by BusEngineer

[welshpug 1,657]

most of that French fuel system is actually Bosch....

 

think common rail diesel and you wont go far wrong

 

if the hose off the reg was pressurised then its either on the wrong way round or there's a blockage on the return.

[BusEngineer 7]

Sounds promising

 

Just got to work out why it doesnt sound like its priming when i turn the ignition on and i think (fingers crossed!!) i should be able to get it started . . . . . . Maybe!

[BusEngineer 7]

It lives!!

 

After a couple of days struggle with the local motor factors getting the right starter motor, i built it up last night

 

In the meantime i checked my fuel pipes over agin and realised id managed to pipe it up opposite

 

Also put 12v to the pump to check that and checked my Tachy relay

 

So finished putting it together last night, it turned over 3 times and kicked it what a great sound! Well apart from the hunting idle, but its always done that!

 

Really pleased and embarrassed at the same time as it was my cock up thats caused all the grief, but you live and learn

 

Can now get on with swapping my rear beam and fitting my cage

 

Thanks again for everyones help

[PVFCpug 6]

Looks like we may well be seeing the pug after a little lay-off then?

[BusEngineer 7]

Im getting there, front end all built up bar drop links (waiting for them from Miles)

 

Engine serviced and running

 

Finally finished my rear beam at work yesterday so will be fitting that this week, then its brake bleeding, final bits and bobs and MOT

 

Dont think ill make April meet but im convinced for May