HELP Starting Problems

[Mudzuki]

Ok, as the topic says, i need help in sorting out some starting issues that my 88 sierra has. I have searched round this and other forums but i am still to find the answer. Story begins at toolangi where the little car performed faultlessly all day. Drove it to uni on monday, tuesday was a little slow to turn over, and would only crank about about 1/4 of a rev on wednesday.

Was suggested that it was the battery, so out came the jumper leads attached to my commodore (daily driver, 440 cca battery) and the motor happily spins into life. So off to autobarn to get a new battery. They slot in a new 280 cca century, and it turns the motor 1/4 of a rev on each new starting attempt. So the bloke runs inside grabs a bigger battery and gives it a jump and she starts first go.

So home i go to clean up all the associated connections, battery and starter, with WD-40, as suggested. Tryed hooking up a relay to provide the solinoid with more juice, but to no avail. Had a chat to a suzi owner at the local ultratune, and he said to go pick up new starter and solinoid. Off comes the starter assebly when i got home, and i opened up the started to be covered in dried up mud. Cleaned the rust off the magnets, dropped it back in and gave it another go, still no start.

Picked up a 2nd hand starter from the wreckers on wednesday and put it in last night expecting it to start. No good. So i gave it a jump and drove it round for a half hour, stoped the motor and tried to start it again, but it still only manages 1/4 of a revoloution. So i called on a mate, and it roll starts easier than any other car i have tried, first go no worries.

It just wont start under its own power. Help me before i drop it at the mechanics and look forwards to the bill that will be equal to the price of the vehicle.

Thanks in advance.

Richard

[Bad JuJu]

Check your earths, I had a similar problem once.
When another battery or car is hooked up to start, a better earth is created to the new power source. When you try with out the aid of this better earth link sfa is all you get.
A no cost option for this is to create a new earth temporarily with one of your jumper cables between the Neg (-) side of your battery and your engine somewhere that has a non insulated path to your starter.
Hope ths helps....

[nelligen]

have you tried shorting across the solinoid terminals with a large screw driver ,this will bypass the starting circut & ignition switch to help trouble shoot the problem, if it cranks ok look at the ignition switch and the wire going from it to the solinoid , If it still dosent crank and your earth checked out ok as Bad JuJu mentioned look at the starter motor again as the problem has to be there

[xtreem]

Have you checked the timing? If your timing is really out (advanced heaps) it wont crank over.

[02uke]

Ok, as the topic says, i need help in sorting out some starting issues that my 88 sierra has. I have searched round this and other forums but i am still to find the answer. Story begins at toolangi where the little car performed faultlessly all day. Drove it to uni on monday, tuesday was a little slow to turn over, and would only crank about about 1/4 of a rev on wednesday.

Was suggested that it was the battery, so out came the jumper leads attached to my commodore (daily driver, 440 cca battery) and the motor happily spins into life. So off to autobarn to get a new battery. They slot in a new 280 cca century, and it turns the motor 1/4 of a rev on each new starting attempt. So the bloke runs inside grabs a bigger battery and gives it a jump and she starts first go.

So home i go to clean up all the associated connections, battery and starter, with WD-40, as suggested. Tryed hooking up a relay to provide the solinoid with more juice, but to no avail. Had a chat to a suzi owner at the local ultratune, and he said to go pick up new starter and solinoid. Off comes the starter assebly when i got home, and i opened up the started to be covered in dried up mud. Cleaned the rust off the magnets, dropped it back in and gave it another go, still no start.

Picked up a 2nd hand starter from the wreckers on wednesday and put it in last night expecting it to start. No good. So i gave it a jump and drove it round for a half hour, stoped the motor and tried to start it again, but it still only manages 1/4 of a revoloution. So i called on a mate, and it roll starts easier than any other car i have tried, first go no worries.

It just wont start under its own power. Help me before i drop it at the mechanics and look forwards to the bill that will be equal to the price of the vehicle.

Thanks in advance.

Richard

Replace the cables first. Pos and neg. New terminals are no good if the cables have age related resistance.

[Mudzuki]

I have tried the earth with a jumper lead, it didn't work, but i will give it another go when i get home. Will also give it a go short it with a screwdriver. Not sure about the timing, but i will have to drop it at a mechanic to get that checked out.

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming.

[Mudzuki]

Ended up being an insufficient earth

$200 for new battery &starter that could have been spent elsewhere.

Thanks guys.

[greg]

How was the insufficient earth fixed? Did you replace a wire with a heavier gauge wire? Or were you missing some wiring somewhere?

[Bad JuJu]

At least you can keep them for spares or rig up a duel battery system or somthing...