Starter motor solenoid bypass

Having intermittent trouble with my 300TDi starter motor (again) which sometimes just clicks but the starter does not engage. I have been told to bypass the solenoid by putting a lead straight from the battery to find out if this is at fault. Do I just run a jump lead from the positive terminal on the battery to the point on the solenoid that the other three wires are connected too?? There is one little thin wore connected to a spade connection (trigger wire??) and then three cables bolted to another connection - I presume it is this one I need to place the wire from the battery??

Cheers (again!!)

Connect the positive terminal on the back of the starter motor to the wee spade terminal with the ignition key at position 2

And the positive terminal on the back of the starter is the one with the three wires going to it on the solenoid?? Sorry, I got my thick head on today

Yeah

Thanks mate. It seems to be working again now but I know it is going to let me down at 6.00 in the morning when I want to get home from work!!

Mines had been doing the same. I just bought a new starter as it was getting worse and worse

I only put this one on there 9 months ago. Was hoping it would last a bit longer than that!! Bloody cheap rubbish

Who made it?

No idea its an unbranded one. Probably britpart!!

I made sure to get a manufacturer that wasn't britpart. Mine is made by eurocarparts or eurospares. Something like that anyway. Cost 135 including p&p and seems a good bit of kit

I cant see whats wrong with it to be honest. I took the solenoid apart the other day which was a little rusty and dirty inside so I cleaned it up a bit and put a smear of grease on it but it is still exactly the same. I have no idea how they work though or what I am looking for which dont help!! The battery is fine and the earth lead is new so that shouldn't be the problem.

Take it off and bench test it. It might work fine with no problems though because its not under load. You could try replacing the solenoid rather than the whole motor, they're not expensive

I have spoke to the company where I bought it from and it is still under warranty so i'm not gonna fiddle with it any more. Hopefully get it replaced with a new one.

I had the same with the starter on my 19j.

Replaced with one from Eurocarparts. It lasted 3 months. They replaced it under warrantee.

Apparently new starters are hellishly expensive, so most are reconditioned.

If you want to bench test the one you have, run a wire from the battery positive to the spade connection on the starter.
It may have failed internally, and be drawing massive power but doing nothing.

Have you tried a starter repair kit?

I did, essentially new contacts, easy to do if you dont mind the hassle, cost around 15 notes and a couple of hours work.

Still having problems here guys. Anyone help?? Took the starter off today and tried it while off the car.
When I put a power wire from the battery to the small plug on the solenoid (the one the spade connector connects to) the solenoid fires the little gear forward fine every time.
If I put a power wire directly to the main wire from the solenoid to the starter motor the motor spins fine every time.
If I put a power wire onto the main connector on the solenoid and then another onto the small spade connector the solenoid fires the gear forward but it no longer spins it. If I keep touching the contact on and off it does sometimes fire it forward and spin but mostly just fires it forward and does nothing, which is the same problem as I am having when it is on the car.

What causes the motor to not spin when the gear is fired forward???

Really skint at the mo and could do without having to buy a new one if possible.

thought it was being relaced under warranty?

Well it started working ok again for a while so I never bothered taking it back (I got lazy!!), and now the warranty has just ran out. Its just over 12months old.