Club 80-90 Forums

When you connected batt direct to starter did you also connect direct to solenoid trigger?
i have read poor solenoid connection can also give poor starting as it does not properly connect the main current.

Thats right and some recommend another relay to get over any voltage drop although I can't help feeling its better to address the voltage drop (new or better cable) where possible rather than shunt the problem along. Both are perfectly valid solutions ofcourse and the relay (providing its kept dry) should perform ok but from my perspective, yet more connections to a starter just complicate things further. Theres nothing worse than laying in a puddle miles from home trying to suss out a starter problem - except perhaps an earhole full of grease when you're refitting CV joints.

Hi
no just direct to the starter + post and the body.

i am getting a loan of a battery - starter test kit so that should help pinpoint the problem.

could it be something in the engine causing too much drag, if so what?

Thanks

Andy

would love to know the answer to this too.

Had the same thing with my water cooled engine. Had one chance at starting...if it didn't go, not a hope in hell. Would bump fine. Once started the first time, would generally be ok the rest of the day.All indications of a flat battery, but the battery meter told me otherwise! Had dizzy out and oiled all the magnets in case the vacuum wasn't setting the timing right. Didn't matter if it was hot, cold, wet or dry. If you put the key in and got the blugrh sound, if you were very lucky and stopped cranking quick enough, it would occasionally go on the second turn. start, then stall and it was bump start time - exactly as if the one start had simply killed the battery!

changed battery, starter, cable from battery to starter, connections at starter and solenoid. Never fixed it. Its having a GTI engine now.

oh - and the starter motor concerned is now in hubby's van and it works fine.

Bloody van


Good luck with yours.

Hi everybody
not sure if this will work but it says more than words

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uwebca71hglb7 ... r.mp4?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

bench test of the new starter, let me know if the video wont run please and i will try again.

it seems i have a duff starter, but what would be wrong with it?

any ideas, the original starter is the same but at least it used to work and got gradually worse until it stopped as well.

cheers

Andy

Mmm, not sure if you can guarantee it's aligned properly like that.
also those wires are too thin and croc clips won't give enough contact for the 100+ amps required.

tested the old starter with the bench setup and it works intermittently, when fitted to the van and directly connected to a battery turns the engine over sometimes slowly then normally.
made up heavy duty earth strap and going to get the bits for a new positive lead.

brand new starter still wont turn when on the engine and when bench tested.

luck would have it a local ebay seller of a t25 spare parts has a starter so collecting it soon.

seems i have a worn starter, bad earths, probably a poor + connection and i bought a faulty new starter.

my fault as i have ignored the gradually worsening starting for a while, that will teach me.

Not to hijack thread.

Mine has started doing this, though mine doesnt even turn over. Still my daily drive, for pleasure and work, been having to park on hills everywhere I go, in the hope that I dont stall. Even had to fill the van with the engine running on the way home from a job in Oxford Sunday night (my heart was racing).

RAC bloke reckons it's the started motor, and not that I am too mechanical, I agree.

The vans in the Garage for an MOT provided they can get him started, Will let you know the outcome

Hi Finally got round to posting what i did to fix it on Saturday.
i got a second hand Bosch starter from a guy 3 miles away and fitted it along with a heaver earth cable from the lower starter fixing bolt to the earth strap point at the gearbox front mount.
engine burst into life the first time i tried it, no groaning and slow churning or just the click.
i got a refund for the new starter, sent it back as it was worse than the original old one even with the beefed up earth strap, it went from a slow turn with the plugs out to no turns at all.
don't know if a poor earth would over time knacker the starter but it cant have done it any good.

if you want a solution, first try the trick of connecting a battery directly to the starter, -ve on the lower fixing bolt +ve on the solenoid bolt and a jumper to the trigger connection. use the heaviest cable you can get and keep it as short as possible.
if you still get the slow churning try the nose bearing next
then a new starter try for a Bosch one if you can would be my advice, i paid £40 for a secondhand one and it works brilliant.

good luck

i spent Monday and tonight trying to free up a sticking brake caliper. its hasn't enjoyed its time sitting on the drive not moving.

oh well

Just goes to show that when all things causing a problem are eliminated the remaining conclusion is the answer...however ridiculous it might appear.

Re caliper.
It's quite possible that rust/debris under caliper bore seal is the culprit.

Hi
no caliper is a big rusty lump and the piston seals are crumbling, pistons look half chrome half rust

Time for new i think

Andy

acw....any chance of a pic of the cable you changed please....

want to make sure that is replaced in mine!

cheers

Em
xx

Hi no problem
i used as a temp fix 5 bits of 10mm sq earth cable, should be good for 200A

you will have to get a crimp fixing that can fit over a 10mm bolt http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-50mm-x-M10- ... 1e6f9d733c

this should do
photo later

Andy

This is where ebay can cost considerably more. You can buy packs of good quality lugs in all sizes really cheap from Toolstation based in branches of Wickes. Typically a couple of quid for 10 (about their worth frankly).

ermie571 wrote:acw....any chance of a pic of the cable you changed please....

want to make sure that is replaced in mine!

cheers

Em
xx

If you can't be ar$ed making one, this can be customised with one m8 and one m10, just message them after purchase
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UPTO-915-MM-3 ... 33a2282617" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pics here of it fitted..
http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... 5#p8061720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;