Club 80-90 Forums

Yesterday my t3 wouldn't start when the motor was hot. It started fine once it had cooled down. When I got home it wouldn't start again. I put it in gear and rocked it and it went. when I turned it off and tried to restart it without rocking it it wouldn't start? go figure!. It has a new starter motor, less than a year old so hopefully it's not that. The motor is brand new(remanufactured and imported from the UK, only just run in) Any ideas would be appreciated as I know just enough about these things to be dangerous.
Another interesting thing it does is, if you power through a right hand corner, it starves for fuel, but only once it gets below half a tank. It doesn't do it turning left.

Engine type?

g'day Kev, Its a 2.1L water cooled. It started this morning and got me to work but would not start this arvo. when the key is turned in the ignition it just made a sound like the starter had died, just a sort of clunk. Anyway it wouldn't turn over.

Sounds like your oilite bush (end of the starter) could have disintegrated. Mine only lasted a year before failing again.

thanks danmetallic, The stupid thing decided to start today so I took it straight around to the workshop. I'll pop in tomorrow and see what they've found if they've gotten around to looking yet. Any thoughts on why it only lasted a year. Is it a design fault? or could it be a manufacturing ploy to ensure we have to keep spending money to keep these things on the road. Seriously though, have you fitted a drop down regulator so the starter doesn't get a full 12v hit when you turn the key? I wrote Gullibles travels and someone once told me that these T25s needed to have one fitted to stop the starters from burning out. Should I keep this thought or send it to the recycle bin?

More than likely it's the bush that's gone and not the starter. They are only soft so disintegrate. Most starters are refurbs (because of the castings) or from out east so not always that reliable. Wouldn't fit a regulator. If anything you want to check the wiring and fit a hard start relay so it gets the full voltage hit.

obiwan wrote:Seriously though, have you fitted a drop down regulator so the starter doesn't get a full 12v hit when you turn the key? I wrote Gullibles travels and someone once told me that these T25s needed to have one fitted to stop the starters from burning out. Should I keep this thought or send it to the recycle bin?

Most definitely bin that idea !!!! (crazy and don't exist as far as I know )

My take on the standard bushes is that they last a LONG time if the correct fitting procedure is followed, ie soaking it overnight in oil and drifting it in nice and straight. Did mine about 8 years ago and still fine.

This "rocking" a vehicle to get the starter motor to work has always puzzled me (and others). If you consider how a starter motor works, it is not in contact with any moving parts when at rest, so "rocking" a vehicle should not have any effect at all (unless the starter's gear is somehow jammed into the ring gear).

First thing to do is, when it won't start, just clunks, is check the battery voltage (whilst NOT cranking). It should be above about 12.5 Volts. Let "us" know if it's below that.

If it's above that, you need to check the condition of ALL the big heavy cable connections. That is battery live to starter ends, battery to body (earth) ends, gearbox to chassis ends (on the front on the gearbox = braided cable).

There is a VERY short connector from the solenoid to the starter (2" long) that often corrodes away and can cause the starter to not work, but that is hard to check without removing the starter motor (1/2 hour job under the right conditions and with the right tools).

By the way, even reconditioned starter motors can fail early. You wouldn't be the first on here it's happened to.

Let us know how you get on.

E D I T = punctuation

thanks for that info, i'm going to the w/shop on my way to work so I'll speak with them about your suggestions.

Many thanks to one and all for the info regarding starters on 2.1 wbx. It turns out that the issue was a badly corroded relay. New relay and all is well!! Thanks again

Do you know which relay?
(They don't normally have a relay in the starter circuit).

Solenoid I should think (which is a relay in case anyone doesn't know)

Sorry I don't, my mechanic just said it was a relay and showed me this thing that had a bunch of rust/corrosion on it, and his bill.
Thanks for your interest

Was it round, this rusty thing?

no, it was a little square box 1"x1"x1" approx with about 5 prongs on it.

obiwan wrote:no, it was a little square box 1"x1"x1" approx with about 5 prongs on it.

This sounds strange to me.