Starter motor playing up on 1.9 DG

[ScienceBoy]

CK. I have got a chunky red cable going directly between the starter and the alternator. There's a second wire from the same terminal on the alternator that goes to the JB as per the wiki. The wire on that post them goes to a relay in that same JB.

[ScienceBoy]

Have you checked/seen the starter bush in the bellhousing ?

I have not Ian, but I have bought a replacement. As above, I'm being to hand off to the garage rather than DIY. Can a worn bush cause intermittency, as opposed to general failure?

[CovKid]

Worn bush causes sluggishness and should ALWAYS be replaced when fitting a new starter.

Well worth fitting a chunkier cable between alternator, starter and battery (all in the WIKI). Not just for good starting but to provide a better supply with minimal voltage drop for headlights, fan and blower unit. Stock is only just adequate.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Get rid of those corrosion causing crimp terminals and also there appears to be corrosion on the link between the solenoid and starter.

[ScienceBoy]

Worn bush causes sluggishness and should ALWAYS be replaced when fitting a new starter.

Got that already as above

Well worth fitting a chunkier cable between alternator, starter and battery (all in the WIKI). Not just for good starting but to provide a better supply with minimal voltage drop for headlights, fan and blower unit. Stock is only just adequate.

Have you seen how chunky that alternator cable is? That's not stock.
I have all the parts and chunky wire for the headlight upgrade, plus DLRs.

[ScienceBoy]

Get rid of those corrosion causing crimp terminals and also there appears to be corrosion on the link between the solenoid and starter.

What/how does one replace them?
I had a poke and that appears to be dirt. The braid appears pretty good.

[CovKid]

He's right. The red and black one shouldn't be a spade terminal. The only one should be the trigger wire otherwise it should be a ring terminal under nut.

[itchyfeet]

He's right. The red and black one shouldn't be a spade terminal. The only one should be the trigger wire otherwise it should be a ring terminal under nut.

Red and black is trigger and is spade, looks right to me except not origional crimp, if thats crimped onto black copper oxide on the multistrand wire it won't make a good connection I'd remake it to be sure, copper oxide can be taken off with fine wet and dry, or cut cable back to fresh copper and join a new section on.

Personally I would not solder but lots of people on here love solder.

Exrta wire on trigger may be a cut off relay for something, like the x relay when starting.


Connection to post in back box feeds the carb heater relay in black box.

[Ian Hulley]

Red and black is trigger and is spade, looks right to me except not origional crimp, if thats crimped onto black copper oxide on the multistrand wire it won't make a good connection I'd remake it to be sure, copper oxide can be taken off with fine wet and dry, or cut cable back to fresh copper and join a new section on.

Exactly what I was saying (but better put) I had to chase ours back about a foot to find bright copper, I crimp joined it and put heatshrink along the whole section, including the crimped 6 mm female spade terminal on the end. No problem ever since.

Ian

[CovKid]

Often difficult to find any shiney copper on the thicker cables. Green yes, shiney no

[Oldiebut goodie]

I soldered a wire directly to the spade terminal on the solenoid for the trigger wire (then adhesive heat sealed) and bought the actual disconnectable connection into the engine bay out of of the exposure zone. Prevents all this faffing about wiggling a corroded spade and wire.
Use flux to remove copper oxide - abrasive paper removes copper also! A little flux on your fingers rubbed into the strands soon cleans it up. But my view is that the strands are no longer in good contact with each other throughout and must have some effect on the overall current carrying capacity of the cable so I will always replace if at all possible.
As soon as I see those plastic pieces on terminals out come the wire cutters! Crimps are fine internally but are very prone to corrosion externally - it should be illegal to use them in external situations. I see it a lot on Webastos - a full volt could be lost on some that I have had in!

[itchyfeet]

Loading crimps with vaseline before crimping keeps water out.
VW fitted crimps and most lasted 10 or 20 years before failing but I see your point.

Good tip with flux I will try that suppose gloves are needed

[Oldiebut goodie]

I never have used gloves and still have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs after 50 years using it! (Or is it 8 thumbs and 2 fingers sometimes)
Crimps were designed more for speed and cost effectiveness, everyone uses them for that reason primarily.

[itchyfeet]

Your solderd stranded wire may crack in 20 years of vibration and movement.
Remaking crimps is something everybody can do, soldering large copper conductors needs a high power iron and some skill many people don't have.
Having said that those crappy crimpers you buy for a few pounds are no good, really need to buy a better crimp tool

like this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RATCHET-CRIMP ... 1148504013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Oldiebut goodie]

Going back to the first posts - the second wire is for a fuel pump?
I can't see how that is working other than to give power to a pump whilst cranking only.If this is so, how is the power for the pump maintained afterwards? If there is another power supply to the fuel pump for post starting this will feed the solenoid trigger again - unless that spare trigger terminal wire is feeding a relay? Or am I reading the posts incorrectly?

E D I T - that is going to knock the voltage down some on the trigger leading to problems - especially if it is low to begin with.