Classic Front restored, electrical systems working, engine not starting anymore...

Hi guys,

so I had a productive weekend. The front is now fully restored, even the electrics are working as they should. Except that the engine is not starting.

Car was a runner before, ignition control light is on, battery charged, fuel pump working, main fuses are ok. But the engine isn't turning. My best assumption is the starter motor. And that is where I need the Landyzone hive intelligence.

Potential root causes, and please add or correct:

- bad contact to starter motor (I missed the mass contact, I attached it Sunday but maybe all the protective paint is blocking contact, to be redone this weekend latest)

- Bad contact from starter motor to battery (I don't remember touching any of these, but that doesn't mean anything)

- bad contact from key lock to starter motor

Any hints, experience, or ideas are welcome. Especially where all the above mentioned cables and contacts are physically located.

Thanks already!

Bad earth from motor to chassis is a possibility.

Good point, didn't think of that. Stupid question, where do I find this earth?

Connect a good quality jump lead from the battery earth terminal to a good clean point on the engine block & see what happens. If it now works you have an earthing problem.
Earthing from engine/gearbox to body is usually via earth straps/cable from engine to body. Have you reconnected yours?
The plastic sheathed ones can corrode under the plastic & whilst the ends look fine there is little left in the middle.

I had the gearbox off mine last year & when all put together it wouldn't turn over. After trying the above I removed the starter motor & checked it with a battery. It turned slowly with little strength. Trip to the local reconditioner showed a fault in the solenoid internals. I don't remember bashing it so it appears to be coincidental.
ETA. Appreciate not a lot of help to you in Germany but for anyone in the Leicester area I've used these for years for alternator & starter motor repairs. He can test & repair your own.www.facebook.com/Greens-Starter-Motors-Alternators-413559548706814/

That's good advice. I found one earthing cable from the starter motor to the body that I connected but that might have bad contact. I'll try the jumper cable to battery earth. Any suggestions on where to attach it on the engine block?

Anywhere bare metal.

Presume it is not turning at all?

Does it click when you turn the key? Aswell as the fuses there is usually a relay In the system somewhere.

It doesn't turn at all, and I didn't hear a klick neither. I assume the relay should be somewhere between the key lock and the starter motor, right?

Sorry to ask, but I don't have the repair manual here at the moment nor am I in front of car. Which in itself is a pitty! ;-)

hef19898 said:

That's good advice. I found one earthing cable from the starter motor to the body that I connected but that might have bad contact. I'll try the jumper cable to battery earth. Any suggestions on where to attach it on the engine block?

Click to expand...

Try the engine lifting ring at the rocker cover or a bolt on the thermostat . Clean off to bare metal.

Ratae said:

After trying the above I removed the starter motor & checked it with a battery. It turned slowly with little strength. Trip to the local reconditioner showed a fault in the solenoid internals. I don't remember bashing it so it appears to be coincidental.

Click to expand...

This is what I would do.

hef19898 said:

It doesn't turn at all, and I didn't hear a klick neither. I assume the relay should be somewhere between the key lock and the starter motor, right?

Sorry to ask, but I don't have the repair manual here at the moment nor am I in front of car. Which in itself is a pitty! ;-)

Click to expand...

If there is no earth to the engine, it's quite possible that even the starter solenoid will not operate.
I would take the jump lead from the battery negative to one of the starter motor mounting bolts.

hef19898 said:

Good point, didn't think of that. Stupid question, where do I find this earth?

Click to expand...

Depending on year you'll find on the bulkhead near the body to chassis mounts

Datatek said:

If there is no earth to the engine, it's quite possible that even the starter solenoid will not operate.
I would take the jump lead from the battery negative to one of the starter motor mounting bolts.

Click to expand...

Me too.

ukadamwest said:

Depending on year you'll find on the bulkhead near the body to chassis mounts

Click to expand...

That's the earth I suspect to be the culprit.

Thanks everyone one for the great advice, now I have a list of things to test and check! Let's keep fingers crossed that it's just some earth somewhere. I'll keep you posted!

Ok, bad news. Just tried connecting the starter motor earth to the battery earth, engine block to battery earth and starter motor screw to battery earth. Still not turning, everything else except the right hand indicator lights is working (different issues I assume).

Good news is I do get a klick when turning the ignition, even when the starter motor isn't connected to the battery earth. But that's it. Slowly I develop the suspicion that I broke something when I tore out the compressor and speedometer...

Pulled out the multimeter and the spare starter motor. Connected the spare to the battery, it didn't turn yet the multimeter reads 12V between the two poles. Could the battery be dead despite having it recharged and all other electrics being running?

hef19898 said:

Pulled out the multimeter and the spare starter motor. Connected the spare to the battery, it didn't turn yet the multimeter reads 12V between the two poles. Could the battery be dead despite having it recharged and all other electrics being running?

Click to expand...

If your battery is only showing 12 volt's it is time for a replacement. A good battery would read about 12.7.

Well, it showed 12.5, give or take. But yeah, a new battery might be in order. In the mean while I re-read the repair manual for the hundreds time...

And then it struck me: The drawing of the starter motor relay looked awry familiar... Also the place behind the washer pumps I didn't have to connect last weekend... Guess what, the relay WASN'T F***** CONNECTED!!! Damn, this ruined my last two nights sleep. Well, that and the humid heat over here.

Stupid me... And it seems I managed to break the left front indicator lights and the interior lights and the instrument lights... Progress, right?

So, tomorrow I gonna take out the relay to properly connect the contacts. Stupid me didn't take pictures...

But thanks everyone for all the advice, I would never have thought of that myself and in the end it led me to the root cause! Have a nice evening everyone! I'll let you know if it started tomorrow!

Post #6

So true!

It’s finding the bu**er is hardest