Knackered Starter Motor?

Well, my intermittent starting problem has got much worse. It satrted with every now and then when the key was turned you heard a loud click - the solenoid firing. Turn the key a few times and it would fire up.

Then the other day, it would not fire at all. I've had the starter motor to a local auto electrician, who has overhaulled the starter motor, fitted a new drive in it and it fired nocely on the test bench.

I installed it today, but it still will not work. The solenoid makes a loud click, but nothing else. I have checked that the battery is ok, the lead from the battery to the starter is reading 12v to the starter and only dips to 11v when the key is turned. I have tried starting the car with it attached to our Honda, with the live on the battery and also to the starter directly. The negative has been attached to the engine earth and also the starter earth as well.

I'm taking the starter back tomorrow to the electrician for them to test again.

Anyone got any ideas as to what has gone wrong? (it was wired up correctly - I took photos to make sure that everything was put back properly)

did you check the main earth from the body to chassis to battery. clean all and try again.LEE

Hi,

Yeah, I even tried earthing the car to our Honda!

dave-disco said:

Hi,

Yeah, I even tried earthing the car to our Honda!

Click to expand...

How the hell does that work?

It needs to earth to the neg on the battery of the Land Rover.

Because its showing 12V doesn't mean that it can get the required current along that cable - if you used a single strand of wire it would still read 12, but that wire will not let you draw huge current required to start the engine.

Is your battery OK?

I would disconnect all the earth straps and clean them all up, mating surface where they meet the chassis too.

Clean up the positive at the starter end and the battery end, make sure the little wire on the alternator is good and clean too, if this is not giving you a solid supply it could lead to the solenoid not being fully actuated - a test you can do if you begin to doubt this, is to take a little piece of cable from the main pos on the battery to the the little tag the starting wire connects and you can give it a feed directly, if it spins up no problem then the fault is infact starter switch/circuit related.

Take the terminals off the battery and make sure they are clean, and then use some petroleum jelly smeared over it to stop moisture and corrossion.

I would not take it back yet, if it has been overhauled and tested out OK then look deeper before taking it out again.

Well, this morning I've taken off all of the earth straps, cleaned them thoroughly, cleaned the mating surfaces and where possible fitted new nuts and bolts. Guess what? Nothing!

I took the starter to the auto electrician, along aith all of the earth straps and the positive lead from the battery and the battery itself. The cables and battery checked out ok, but when the starter was put on the test bench, there was a loud bang and smoke pured out of the solenoid!

I get the starter back tomorrow.....................

Just want to say a big thanks to all that offered advice. The solenoid was burnt out. It fires beautifully now that it has been replaced. I'd also like to say a big thank you to Sungold Auto Electrics in Newcastle who did the repair. Having paid for the drive on the starter, they waived the fee for the solenoid - top people indeed!