Non Starter - Starter Motor Solinoid

[happygoron 2]

First off, car is a standard 1.9 8V. Had the old clicking starter problem for a while now, but she wouldnb't spin at all this morning. Done plenty of searching and reading and all point to one of the following:

 

Earths:

Tried cleaning up a few earths but no effect. Multimeter between negative and engine shows pretty low resistivity (0.6Ohm or something) so I don't think that's the main issue.

 

Battery

Battery shows 12.5V across the terminals so I think that's healthy.

 

Wiring

Starter is a bit of a bugger to get to. Resistance from the battery positive terminal to the starter solinoid (?) is only 0.4Ohms so I don't think that is the issue. No brown multiplug as the previous owner removed it and sorted all the wiring. Is there an easy way to check with the multimeter that the circuit from the ignition switch and/or the solenoid is working correctly?

[welshpug 1,657]

look inside the car near the steering column by the bulkhead for the two brown plugs if it has them, find the blue starter wire which is wire 46 IIRC, you'll see if the switch is at fault there or not, IIRC it comes across from the fusebox.

 

If it doesn't have PAS it should be easy enough top reach in to the starter motor under the inlet manifold, look down from the top through the middle of the inlet manifold and you'll see the terminal.

 

try activating the solenoid with a metal object across from the main power terminal on the starter motor.

 

I'd imagine it still bumpstarts ok?

Edited April 19, 2010 by welshpug

[percypug 0]

hi,,

i had a similar problem with mine,,, every now and then starter wouldnt engage but car would always bump start. After a lot of searching found bad wiring to starter, cut back wiring, new terminal, been as good as good since and now 2 months on....

Maybe this will help.... good luck

[happygoron 2]

look inside the car near the steering column by the bulkhead for the two brown plugs if it has them, find the blue starter wire which is wire 46 IIRC, you'll see if the switch is at fault there or not, IIRC it comes across from the fusebox.

Will have a look for that, definately got those two brown plugs.

 

If it doesn't have PAS it should be easy enough top reach in to the starter motor under the inlet manifold, look down from the top through the middle of the inlet manifold and you'll see the terminal.

Can get to it. I've got 2 wires going there. One thick straight from the battery and another brown which I assume is from the old brown multiplug. Multimeter from earth to the end of the brown shows nothing when the key is turned.

 

try activating the solenoid with a metal object across from the main power terminal on the starter motor.

I'd imagine it still bumpstarts ok?

Not tried bumpstarting yet. Will dig out a safe screwdriver!

 

 

hi,,

i had a similar problem with mine,,, every now and then starter wouldnt engage but car would always bump start. After a lot of searching found bad wiring to starter, cut back wiring, new terminal, been as good as good since and now 2 months on....

Maybe this will help.... good luck

Think I'll do that asap to be honest. Not convinced it's the issue yet but the brown wire is looking a bit ropey.

[happygoron 2]

Small update, bridging it spins the starter so I assume that means the solenoid and starter are ok. Must be the wiring between ignition switch and the solenoid. Unfortunately all the crimping stuff is elsewhere at the moment so I can't go chopping!

[happygoron 2]

Had a fiddle and found a join in the brown wire that seemed a bit pointless and probably wan't helping the resistance. Chopped it out and recrimped a new connector on, though only as a temp fix as I didn't have a proper connector to crimp (used a slightly too small U connector). It now starts but I still have the clicking starter problem. Is this connection really that tempramental?!!

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Mine is struggling to start currently. I only get 5V to the starter motor solinoid on the key turn, so it is not even clicking. I have wired up a temporary switch from the battery direct to the starter solinoid wire and it springs into life. All my engine including the services has been reloomed so I don't think it is that.

 

I'll have a look at the steering column brown multiplugs (cheers Welshpug). Where does it run into the fusebox? Does anyone happen to know which pin wire 46 goes to? Otherwise it is out with the Haynes for a bit of detective work.

[Tesstuff 222]

Interestingly, my Gentry had this problem like they all seem to, while it was a 1.9, stupidly i thought all that would be past and forgotten with the change to a new engine, loom,starter, management etc with the conversion.

 

Nope!!

 

Still the same

Edited May 24, 2010 by Tesstuff

[happygoron 2]

Got around to cleaning up the wire and recrimping a proper connector onto it. Next 5 or so starts she fires first turn, giving me the hope that I've solved it. Obviously that was rediculous! Back to normal now.

 

At least it does start though, but never helps that "what's gonna happen next" mentality that you sometimes get with these cars when you jump in! Though to be fair it's been a pretty good car so far.

Edited May 24, 2010 by happygoron

[Guest mulletsrokk]

Got around to cleaning up the wire and recrimping a proper connector onto it. Next 5 or so starts she fires first turn, giving me the hope that I've solved it. Obviously that was rediculous! Back to normal now.

 

At least it does start though, but never helps that "what's gonna happen next" mentality that you sometimes get with these cars when you jump in! Though to be fair it's been a pretty good car so far.

 

I had a similar problem recently with my starter. It would click the solenoid or just not turn over, but fine when I whacked it with a hammer. It was the motor brushes in the end.