200tdi disco starter motor problems

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4x4madness

Active Member
Posts
138
Location
Cornwall, UK
well it was going to happen at some point... my starter motor has gone, but just trying to keep costs down as everything else broke this month and has already emptied my bank account, so i just want to try and identify the problem.

i drive a 1989 110 county with a 200tdi disco conversion and i've been off roading a couple times in muddy water but all was fine until a couple weeks ago when i parked it up to do both my cv joints, wheel bearings and stub axles .... it ended up standing for a week while i fixed it. then when i finally turned the key for the first time nothing... so thinking it needed a jump, i trying that and... nothing, just a hot battery!
all connections are fine and for the past 2 weeks i've just been push starting it in the mornings which isn't ideal.

so, it is a new starter motor or could i get away with just changing the solenoid?
would appreciate any input and responses :)
 
Get someone to turn the engine over while you clout the starter with a long pole. If it fires up then take out the starter and clean everything up.
The solenoid is part of the starter casing, so the whole thing has to come out as one unit.
 
i tried hitting it with a pole on my own and then turning the key but i havent tried it with 2 people lol maybe i'll try that. yeah that was my original plan to strip it down clean it and put it back on, but is it a tricky thing to do? is there a thread with pictures if i need it?
 
First, does the voltage drop when you try to start it? Does the internal light dim?
If not then the starter solenoid is probably not engaging.
Undo and clean up all the Live and Ground points and try again.
If it still fails then it is time to remove the starter motor.
 
my battery terminals are very clean and covered in white grease and wd40 for extra protection. but quite worryingly, i just poped the seat off and had a look at the battery and theres a red melted wire which has completely burnt in half and a small fuse that looks like it melted? not sure if it's related i will have a look at it tomorrow and update you all. thanks for all your help so far :)
 
my battery terminals are very clean and covered in white grease and wd40 for extra protection. but quite worryingly, i just poped the seat off and had a look at the battery and theres a red melted wire which has completely burnt in half and a small fuse that looks like it melted? not sure if it's related i will have a look at it tomorrow and update you all. thanks for all your help so far :)

Terminals are one thing, follow the main battery earth to where it terminates on the transmission. Take it off and clean up both faces with a wire brush ;)
 
okay, here's the update. i've taken all the connections off from both ends and given them a good scrub and clean put them back on and.... nothing. i just got a pole and hit it while someone turned the key and it wasn't fully engaging but it was trying to but kept shuddering and stopping? so i guess this means i'm going to be taking it off and stripping it down now right? or is there anything else i could try?
 
okay my starter motor is out and it's on the bench. i've started stripping it down but i can't seem to split it? do i have to undo the torque bolts. would really help if someone had a link to a thread with pictures as i've never done this before :s
 
had to take the starter motor out. tested it on the bench and.... nothing, so i stripped it down cleaned it up put it back together and tested it again... it worked but the gear didn't engage far enough or spring back like it should, so i stripped the solenoid down and that was fine. so in the end i tested my dads old one that was in the shed and that one didn't work either so i switched my solenoid with that one and tested it and works perfectly so i put that in my car and it started on the button :)
 
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