intermittent starter issue

[Midge]

Just to update on my own electrical woes...

Thoroughly tested every-which-way with the new starter still on the van, and the old starter on the deck.

Tried the trigger, the main lead, the solenoid and the starter all in isolation and combination and with the van battery and a standalone one...

End result is I have 2 starter motors, old & new, each with a different fault

The old one is most likely the usual commutator/brush being worn out - will try to strip it myself and have a play
The new one is most likely a manufacturer QC issue relating to the braided jumper twixt solenoid and motor internals

A WORD OF WARNING TO ALL (just a statement of unembellished fact):

1. I purchased a new starter on t'bay auction site for about £65 delivered from Germany with 3 years warranty.
2. It don't work right.
3. They expect me to front-up the return postage - to be refunded on acceptance of fault.
4. If it's a manufacturer fault rather than their own (eg 100% of returns, as they just sell-on parts) it might take 30 days to confirm.
5. You have to confirm ridiculous things like odometer reading and chassis number and if you have ABS.

Their suggestion: buy another, it's there in 3 days, yay!
My plan: take this one to a refurb specialist and get it pimped up with more effective connections...

Hopefully back on the road soon...

[bobswais]

got my old starter refurbed to find out what was going wrong, and it was a cooked solenoid. my new one is still on the van but will be coming off soon ! original starter motors refurbed cab be better than the cheap pattern parts.... if you got hot wires, either solenoid is shot or wired it backwards somewhere, check earths.

[Midge]

Just to close-off on this one, I've now refitted the 'fettled' cheapo starter, along with a new oil-soaked bush
and... still the same will-she-won't-she malarkey on the key turn.

Sometimes perfecto, sometimes just a click, sometimes silence...

Pulled off the steering column shroud for a look-see and found a hacked-up trigger wire where the alarm system has been chopped into it!

I ended up removing a good chunk of wire and a relay that were all in the path of the trigger wire. Hey Ho she starts every time now...

Thanks to all of you that gave good advice on this one, I've really found it incredibly supporting! Happy Days

[CovKid]

Aye, I'm always saying this but when I read someone has spent £200 to get their starter fixed, my stomach churns. Really its down to confidence in what you're doing rather than expertise and I really don't see how a refurbed starter is worth anywhere near the typical £150+ places charge for them. I even haggled with GSF and got a marked reduction. Unless the case is rusted out and it resists all attempts to get it open, most faults are actually very simple to find and cheap/easy to fix. Even brushes (which present a soldering challenge) are nothing compared to the cost of another starter.

More to the point its not about being a cheapskate so much as not being turned over.

got my old starter refurbed to find out what was going wrong, and it was a cooked solenoid. my new one is still on the van but will be coming off soon ! original starter motors refurbed cab be better than the cheap pattern parts.... if you got hot wires, either solenoid is shot or wired it backwards somewhere, check earths.

[bobswais]

now fitted my original starter, after refurb, and starts on the button every time......refurb, was new solenoid, cleaned brushes, had already put ob all nice new connectors. but my van is now 100%

[bobswais]

Thanks to everyone that helped out with there advice's and experiences , had quite a learning curve, and found and fixed a few other issues on the way , im ready for the summer now..... next job, barring anything new!....body work,