ravingfool
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 03:00 PM |
|
|
daft starting issue
I've been rewiring my striker as a number of the electrical systems weren't working when I picked it up.
Spent a long time unwrapping electrical tape and then rerouting things so it is connected correctly now.
Previously the lights only worked when an additional switch was also 'on' but turned out that was providing a secondary earth to the
lights when it should have been earthing the cooling fan. Cooling fan and horn had no power. Indicators also weren't working but that's
mainly some wires having been damaged and the hazard switch being wired incorrectly.
Everything else was working correctly so I've taken the approach of fixing what was there and stripping out what wasnt being used.
All corrected now but I'm getting a strange symptom with the starter! Suspect it's just a poor earth or similar but would appreciate your
views in case renewing those doesn't fix my problem (took some time off to finish this and am just waiting for my battery to charge).
When attempting to start the motor is just clicking as if the battery were dead. Does this with the battery fully charged too (and it's a brand
new battery).
I took the starter out and tested it and everything works out of the car.
I can get it working in car by jumping a positive feed directly to the starter relay output but wiring up a better positive feed to the relay
didn't seem to do it?
What would you do?
1. I'm going to clean the main earth and refit.
2. Replace the cable between the starter relay and starter motor in case that has deteriorated (runs past the exhaust).
Any other suggestions?
[Edited on 3/6/15 by ravingfool]
|
|
|
|
|
HowardB
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 03:20 PM |
|
|
have you checked to make sure that it is not just a stuck bendix,....
this can be acheived by using a special stick, and a hammer, and a co-pilot
Convince the co-pilot to turn the key, rest the stick on the starter motor, and give the other end a sharp tap.....
If the bendix is stuck it will all suddenly leap into life, hence the use of the stick,... 
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
|
|
|
coozer
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 03:29 PM |
|
|
Mate of mine had the same symptoms, fully charged battery and click click ...
Turned out the thick starter cable was breaking down under load. Took a lonnnnnngggg time to find it...
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 04:50 PM |
|
|
I'd go for a bad connection somewhere, either live or earth.
|
|
|
Norfolkluegojnr
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 05:32 PM |
|
|
Bad earth. Check your connections, or shortcut by earthi g the block with an extra strap :-)
Had this on all three kit cars!
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 07:48 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by HowardB
have you checked to make sure that it is not just a stuck bendix,....
this can be acheived by using a special stick, and a hammer, and a co-pilot
Convince the co-pilot to turn the key, rest the stick on the starter motor, and give the other end a sharp tap.....
If the bendix is stuck it will all suddenly leap into life, hence the use of the stick,...
This may often work with an stuck pre-engage starter, but it won't free a stuck Bendix drive starter.
Bendix held the patent for the old style the inertia drive, to free a jammed inertia starter you put the car in a high gear and rock it back and
forward with the hand brake off if starter is jammed it will usually free with a loud clunk.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 07:55 PM |
|
|
Basic stuff check the main battery +ve and earth order connections -- battery to engine and battery to body and in good order.
However are you sure you haven't flattened the battery testing the lights? what voltage is showing across the battery when you operate the
starter If not then the most likely cause on an engine pre-engage style starter is the the starter needs cleaned and overhauled.
To test the earth cable just connect a good pro-garage quality jump lead between the battery negative and a good clean point on the engine block or
cylinder head. Alternatively you can test by measuring the voltage between the cylinder block when trying to start the engine it should be just a few
millivolt.
The starter cable just being near the exhaust won't harm it as long as the insulation is intact.
When main battery cables give problems it is nearly always the end terminations deteriorating and either giving a high resistance or the terminal
corroding or breaking.
[Edited on 3/6/15 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
ravingfool
|
| posted on 3/6/15 at 10:35 PM |
|
|
Thanks everyone for your input.
With the lovely weather this evening I went out for a bike ride with the other half rather than back out to the garage but pleased to see I'm
planning on checking the right things.
It's definitely not a problem with the starter as without knocking it or rocking the car I could get it to turn over when shorting a feed from
the battery to the second starter feed but not just on the ignition.
Just using the ignition switch I only get clicking! Swapped the relay and made a new positive feed for the relay from the battery but this made no
difference.
I will use the jump leads to try and pinpoint the problem at the weekend. coozer's suggestion certainly fits the symptoms but could just be a
problem with the earth strap.
I'll update once I've fixed it, thanks again. I'm glad no one came up with something exotic as a potential cause!
|
|
|
