Do I need a new starter?

Hi all,
Having a problem with my 'ol girl starting. She's a Disco 2 with a 300 Tdi
Defender engine and auto box, and, of late, she is showing signs of being
a bit reluctant to start, with what seems to be a flat battery.
But have had the battery tested..........Fine.
Have removed the terminals from the battery and cleaned them up, removed the terminals from the starter motor and cleaned them up,
checked the earth strap to the chassis, tickety boo........
but after waiting for the glow plugs to finish the cycle, and turn the key,
it barely turns over, sometimes not at all. Go through the same thing again, and it still wont turn over, but the 3rd or 4th time, she'll spin over like a nutter, and start immediately! Have resorted to carrying a power-pack starter thingy if it gets bad, (and it does!) which fires it up straight away! would it be the starter?

hello yes sounds just like the starting motor. had the same on my 200tdi not long ago

Thanks LRM, guess i'll have to change it then...............

Now where did i put Paddock's phone number........................?

it starts with a jump? id get the battery tested again.

how long do you leave your glow plugs on for?

nobber said:

it starts with a jump? id get the battery tested again.

how long do you leave your glow plugs on for?

Click to expand...

Hi nobber, in regards to the glow-plugs, I leave them until I hear the relay
under the bonnet click off, and the interior light will shine a tad brighter, as I don't have a glow-plug indicator light on the dash, 'cos the disco was originally a V8, and had a "Wheezel" implant

Do you think it could be the battery then, 'cos when it does decide to turn over, it's like a new battery, just when the engine is warm, or have been driving for a while, then stop the car, and restart 1 or 2 mins later
it acts as though the battery is f****d, but after 2 or 3 goes, it will spin over and start like a good 'un....

but I have had the odd occaision where it wont play ball, and that extra bit of juice from the power pack seems to persuade it...........

so , are you saying its an intermittent fault regardless of how long the car has been sat for unstarted?

i dont think (i could be wrong though) its a broke starter.
you could try pulling it out , stripping it and cleaning it.

nobber said:

so , are you saying its an intermittent fault regardless of how long the car has been sat for unstarted?

i dont think (i could be wrong though) its a broke starter.
you could try pulling it out , stripping it and cleaning it.

Click to expand...

First thing in the morning, it will start, after waiting for the glow-plugs to finish their cycle, it's just that after it's been running for any length of time, and got up to temp. it will produce this b****y annoying glitch where it acts as though the battery is low on charge, and barely turns over, and would take 2, 3, or sometimes 4 goes to get the engine to spin over properly, and start.

It sat unused over xmas, for about 10 days, and the temperature here, in the Limousin, France, was frequently below zero, dropping to -10, and yet when I went out to use the car, it started first time, after turning over less than 2 strokes! so that makes me think that the battery seems OK...

GOD, it's frustrating!:scratching_chin:

check the connections everywhere - mine did this and it was a dirty connection. especially the link between the solenoid and the starter. Take it out, strip it down and service it.