Starter motor

[mickn]

Drove my 63 C2 on Friday and Saturday with no problems at all. Yesterday car started fine again, put petrol in and again car started ok, Went out and parked up for about 3 hours, when I came to start the car all I got was a clicking sound and eventually nothing, no sounds at all when turning the key. To cut a long story short, (would have been longer if I'd waited the 4-6 hours the RAC quoted me, I have them as part of my insurance deal) I had a loose wire on the starter plus a loose earth strap both of which the AA lad tightened. The car still would not turn over and eventually he got it back to the clicking sound. He then said the starter was either jammed or had had it, he towed me for about 20 yards and the car bump started immediately. I drove home, parked up, switched off and tried it again, half a turn and the car fired straight up. Would you knowledgeable people agree that the starter is perhaps on it's way out, someone else mentioned possible solenoid problem. Any help/advice much appreciated. I haven't tried it since. One good thing that came out of all this was that we found a switch under the dash on the centre console that operates an electric fan that I didn't know I even had , ideal in these temperatures.

 

[CaptainK]

Ages back my Vette started doing that. Occasionally would "tick" on start, then keep trying here and there and it would work eventually. It slowly got worse over time to the point where I needed to beat the solenoid with a hammer whilst someone else cranked it over to start it. That worked ok for a while until I received my new starter motor. Got a mobile chap to come fit it for me as by now the old motor was screwed. Alas, the motor that Summat Racing promised is the right one for my car was in fact not the right one and it wouldn't fit.
So got the original motor refurbed and its started on the button perfectly since.

I believe the reason for the "ticking" is because its the relay open and closing to activate the starter. Alas, because the starter solenoid is stuck, it doesn't actually do anything.

 

[62 C1]

What is the condition of the battery and is it charging or draining when the car is running? A poor condition or draining battery (which could be caused by a poor alternator or other things like trackers or new fan left on! etc) can leave you with insufficient current for the start motor. This might fit with it starting immediately starting after a good run or even if you have left it for a while if it was on a trickle charger. You local battery place this out for free on the hope of selling you a battery or a if you have or buy a multimeter is is easy to check. Set the MM to 20V range and test it straight after a run or coming off the trickle charger and you should 12.6v plus and then check it after 24hrs with no charger or running and see if you still have 12.6 plus.

If the starter motor was completely isolated from the power it probably wouldn't even click.

If you do get a jammed starter motor, it could mean the return spring is fatigued. A quick way to release them is (with ignition off!) if put the car in 4th and push it - usually frees it.

 

[mickn]

The battery in the car is good. We have a very local alternator and starter motor expert near me, if I decide to remove the starter motor and get him to check it out is it easy enough for a non mechanically minded idiot, ie me, to remove? Am I right in thinking it's disconnect battery, remove attached cables, undo bolts and remove? (The battery has an isolator, would this be good enough or should I completely disconnect?) I would photo everything first to make sure it went back as it came out, also would it be worth supporting the starter in some way as they are quite heavy when that final bolt comes out?

 

[62 C1]

so it does sounds like the starter motor then. If you know or check the isolator works that would be fine and your other steps are correct. Just check the torque settings for remounting the starter motor.

Good to go to the expert. My dad took clip of a starter motor spring without a spring compressor and the end of the starter motor went through the garage roof and we never found it! A near death experience that I recall well!

 

[mickn]

Cheers C261, perhaps that bit's still going

 

[Roscobbc]

I would firstly check out both ends of battery cable for frayed, squashed or otherwise damaged cables. Clean connections with wire brush, wire wool or emery paper. Now do the same with engine to frame and battery to frame. Any dodgy connections here will create a higher resistance than ideal and create starting issues. Perhaps check-out starter motor brushes. Is this only happening on hot weather days?

 

[Chuffer]

If everything else checks out ok as you say , ie . battery , connections etc. I would say it is the classic signs of starter motor on the way out . They suffer from heat soak from the engine block and exhaust manifold , plus Sunday was a MEGA HOT day ! I had the same problem on mine , it would start fine when cold but often just click and not turn over when hot . I replaced it with a mini high torque starter and I think several other members have too . They are much smaller and far lighter , spin over much more easily and hence have less drain on the battery . Being smaller they have a larger air gap around them to keep cooler and you can get heat shields for the too . Mine hasn`t missed a beat no matter how hot since I fitted it . Money well spent .

 

[mickn]

I would firstly check out both ends of battery cable for frayed, squashed or otherwise damaged cables. Clean connections with wire brush, wire wool or emery paper. Now do the same with engine to frame and battery to frame. Any dodgy connections here will create a higher resistance than ideal and create starting issues. Perhaps check-out starter motor brushes. Is this only happening on hot weather days?

The AA lad checked all the connections, leads etc and even re-made one wire connection, all seemed good. I was out in the car Friday and Saturday in similar temperatures with no problems. The car had been sat for about 3 hours so I presume would have cooled down, when I finally got home I switched the car off and tried to start it again immediately and it fired up with barely half a turn, would this rule out a heat issue?

 

[Chuffer]

Not necessarily as the heat effect on starter solenoid can be intermittent . If the AA guy remade a dodgy connector and you have cleaned up all connector faces as Mickn suggested then run with it for a while and see how you go , but remember the key factor that electrical resistance in a circuit increases with heat . A mini starter is a great upgrade for reasons already stated and worthwhile unless you want to keep your car totally stock under the hood .

 

[Corvetteville]

My 78 had an intermittent starter problem. It DIDN'T have the clicking, it either started, or totally nothing. The garage found a dodgy connection in a block connector on the firewall, on the wire between the key & solenoid. They fixed that, serviced the throwout on the solenoid & bingo!