Having a SH!T week - starter motor or earth??

Post by **mhanger** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:41 am

Im having a really sh1tty week, this is my third post for help this week - and its only thursday.

Thought for a long time the starter motor was on its way out. It just "clicks" sometimes when i try start her up. Other time i just give the gearbox or transfer a jiggle or kick the sill wil holding the ignition on "start" and she fires up. i had to roll sart last night and she didnt fire up this morning.

Is this my starter motor on its way out - or did i not secure my earth to the motor well enough when i rebuild the engine?

If it is the starter, is it as easy as replacing the internal contacts? has anyone done this?

Thanks in advance,

Mitch

Post by **smaddock** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:19 am

When I did my engine conversion, the engine was struggling to turn over, I replaced the battery coz thats what it sounded like, also did the clicking thing you talk about. Didn't help that much, then I realised I had forgotten to hook up the engine block earth! It may be that, its easy to check, just get some thick cable, straight from the neg battery terminal and to a decent bolt on the block and see how it goes. It its fine, check your earths, if it still struggles, check your starter.

Post by **mhanger** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:23 am

thanks mate, ill check the earths tonight. when i rebuilt it it could get it going for about a week because of a problem with the earth. It only seems to earth out on the passanger side (?) so i have to earth out off my deep cycle second battery.

Could a bad earth also be responsible for the "clicking" sound on the starter? i read on a different forum that it was the contacts inside that needed replacing?

I might just be having an even sh1ttier week and both the earth and starter are crook...

Thanks mate,

Mitch

Post by **Chucky** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:21 am

I had a similar problem with my 60.

Turned out to be the start solenoid.
It would start ok then next time click a few times before firing.

Only found out when it shorted internally and melted the cable that controls the solenoid.

Lucky for me the solenoid only cost $80 to be replaced by teh local sparky, I was worried I'd be up for a new reduction starter on the old girl.

Post by **RUFF** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:26 am

It could be either problem. Check your earth lead first. Otherwise pull the starter out. Undo the 3 screws that hold the cover on the rear of the solinoid(which is the larger section of the starter). You should find that the brass ring around the shaft will be all black and the 2 contacts will be worn away and black. You can sometimes get away with just turning them around. And cleaning everything up. Otherwise any auto electrician should have these in stock.

Post by **mhanger** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:36 am

thanks heaps Chunky anf RUFF, food for thought.

Ill check all the earths again, and ill difinitely take the starter apart, thanks RUFF.

Is it a PITA to get the starter of the block or pretty straight forward? its a 2.4TD (2LTE). Would hate to take it apart saturday and still be scrathing my head come monday morning when im expected at work lol

thanks again,

Mitch

Post by **stock.as.arock** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:40 pm

yer sounds like u just got a loose earth to me everytime your engine moves or u shake the car the clickin noice is the earth coming on and off

Post by **80's_delirious** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:53 pm

check both your battery leads too, make sure they have good connection to the battery posts, I have had a bad connection cause this

Post by **jaykabir6489** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:08 am

it could also be the positive cable from the battery to the starter, it could be poorly terminated on either end, the solenoid will still operate if this is the case, so it will still be thowing the gear out and trying to send power to the actual starter motor(so you will still hear the solenoid click) but there will be no positive power to actually send to it. hope this might help.

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