Dear All,
I've had the starter motor clicking problem getting gradually worse for quite a while now. As with the other threads describing this, the key would turn, you'd hear a click from under the bonnet somewhere, and nothing would happen. Then, often if you keep turning the key over and over, eventually the starter would kick into life and everything would be good. Over the last couple of weeks this has gotten so bad that unless the battery was literally full (or on the charger), then no starting at all!
So, I decided to do a little rewiring work in the engine bay, and also add the relay booster circuit which is described in several of the other threads. I took the opportunity to do a few things at once, including new starter motor, new alternator, completely replace everything after the brown multiplug (previously replaced with superseals), and add the relay.
The relay circuit uses the starter feed from ignition, to energize a relay, before going to earth. The switched circuit of the relay goes from the large permanent live on the starter motor, through the relay and back to the solenoid start terminal which the starter feed would originally have been connected to, as shown in the below picture. Is this correct?
Testing this on the bench, it seemed to work perfectly. Starter would come on, and stop immediately on removal of the signal feed to the relay.
I then fitted it to the vehicle, and reassembled everything. When I came to start up for the first time, she fired immediately. Almost like she was on a hair trigger! Which I was delighted with, up until I noticed the engine noise was very different. I immediately switched off, and after the engine had stopped I could hear the starter winding down. i.e. the starter was remaining engaged (and powered) even though the ignition was not in the starting position. I tried starting several times, always with the same effect.
So I've neatly gone from no starter at all, to a starter which won't turn off! Great.
Does anyone have any ideas of what I've done wrong here? I've done quite a bit of work around the front end, so my relay mod might not be the only possible cause. I did notice that the starter is very twitchy on the key, and kicks in immediately if you so much as tickle the key past the ignition on position. Therefore, I was wondering if the ignition barrel might be making partial contact in ignition on, which isn't enough to cause a problem without the relay, but now is enough to be relevant? If that were the case you'd expect it to be permanently on whenever you've moved the key into the on position (but not as far as start).
Any suggestions would be gratefully received! Many thanks,
Mike