300 TDi starter motor problems

Seemed to have developed an intermittent fault with my starter motor. Quite often when I turn the key the solenoid clicks but the starter does not do anything. If I turn the key off and on again a few times (3 or 4) it does eventually spin up and start the engine.
Does this sound like a nackered starter or is there anything I can clean/check before buying a new one??

Cheers

it shows sonlenoid is poor or battery feed to it is (loose or corroded connection of lead etc)if clicking is the solenoid and not relay in passenger footwell

As James says, buty check battery condition, terminals and engine/gearboxx earth straps first

Not had time to look at this yet due to work but will have a good look over the weekend. It seems to start on the 4th turn of the key everytime, as in clicks for the first three times and then spins and starts on the 4th. Bit odd???

Could be sticking solonoid, or couild be current breaking through poor connections

If it does it every time suspect most likely to be solonoid, but always worth removing, wd40 and retightening earths and battery connections

Run a jump lead from the starter body or good earth point on engine back to negative on the battery. If it starts first time then your looking for a poor earth connection, or knackered earth strap.
If it doesn't then your looking for a fault from battery positive to starter.

Stripped all the starter motor connections and battery connections down and have given them a good clean. Plenty of mud and rust on them. Every where I read says to check all the earth connections but I can not find any anywhere. Where should they be on a 300TDi defender?? There is definately no earth connection anywhere near the starter motor.

Trace the negative lead from the battery to gearbox etc........

Remove and clean earth bolt on points 1 at a time - as said above use a jump lead from the negative on the battery to a good clean earth point on the engine and then try and start the engine

The starter motor earths through the engine so you need to check the engine earth strap too

DEFENDER90-DAZ said:

The starter motor earths through the engine so you need to check the engine earth strap too

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Thanks mate, but what earth strap?? There dont seem to be one anywhere??

usually goes from battery to chassis to t/box / g/box bolt

Ok found that one and gave it a good clean up. All seems to be ok with it. Is there anymore as some of the pics I have looked at seem to have an earth lead going from the bottom nut on the starter motor going somewhere or is that just on disco's??

if that is good its enough ,but sometimes cable itself can be not as conductive as needed ,its worth trying a jump lead etc as extra earth to somewhere on engine ,starter itself should be earthed by been bolted to engine as good an earth as you could get

Always worth having more than one earth from engine/gearbox to battery as if you have only one and it fails then the power will try and find another way back to the batt causing weird things to happen in the electrics and possible damage. A mate had this happen on the 100 inch he built and it started a fire! It was put out with a can of RedBull![dont know if it gives you wings,but it puts out fires]

Well I have cleaned and checked all cables, and ran a new earth from battery to bottom of starter but the symptoms are still the same. Try to start and the solenoid clicks but the starter does nothing. It always goes after 4-5 tries but I take it my starter is shafted

Could be the starter relay - one of the yellow ones under fuse box

DEFENDER90-DAZ said:

Could be the starter relay - one of the yellow ones under fuse box

Click to expand...

Just took the fuse cover off and checked the relay. There is two identical ones side by side. When I turn the ignition on and try to start the engine, the solenoid clicks and the relay nearest the clutch pedal flashes green (maybe yellow, im colourblind ) but the starter motor does not spin. I kept trying and it did eventually spin and start the engine but on the time that the engine started the relay did not flash. Is it supposed to flash and what does the relay that is next to it do as it is exactly the same???

no ,swap the relays and try it

jamesmartin said:

no ,swap the relays and try it

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I get the same results when I swap the relays around. Whichever one is closest to the clutch pedal flashes green when the car does not start but does not flash when the starter does finally go.

someone had this before as i recall it was the ignition switch that was at fault.

Steve