Club 80-90 Forums

Ok, there has been an intermittent starting problem over the past couple of years, whereby the starter will not operate when turning the key. Can't hear a click from the solenoid. The headlights go dim when turning the key.

Over the past few weeks I have replaced:-
Main battery to starter cable
Main feed to dash cable
Trigger cable from fusebox to solenoid
earth cables
as per photos here
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 0#p8169197" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and here
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 0#p8169198" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

After doing that it started! I was happy!

This morning, the fecker was back to it's old recalcitrant self, and was refusing to start. Tried a jump cable to the trigger spade, but I guess I knew if my new wiring was good (and it certainly worked very well on monday morning) then that was a useless thing to try.

My thoughts are remove the starter, clean up inside.
Get a new solenoid. (is this one any good - anyone else used it/got an alternative? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MONARK-magnet ... SwVupToGTM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

What else should I do? It's a pretty new battery, showing 12.22V.

Thanks in anticipation.

To begin with:

Right, I'll put a charger on it. Not surprising given how little it's been used. I'll also check it isn't a fault with the ignition switch.

Thanks OBG

Ok, so I charged it for 12 hrs, let it rest for 90 mins and was sitting at 12.96V, at about 7C temperature outside. Tried to start it- not a whisper from the starter, and didn't hear the solenoid click either. I'll check volts are getting to the trigger wire, and if so take off the starter and solenoid and check the solenoid. Any other ideas? I do hear a relay click at the front - I'm guessing x-contact relief relay?

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... =+solenoid" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Usual suspect
Repair it at your local repair shop

Sorry Kev, only just seen your post, not meaning to ignore you!

I saw that thread (indeed I posted on it ) and was kind of hoping that pulling apart and cleaning might do the business. No chance of a repair shop here in the remote wilderness. If I do get it apart I guess ensuring the pin travels smoothly ( I hear no click) and cleaning by the contacts with a dremel like tool might do the business. Just how to get it apart?

Which earth cables have you replaced?

RogerT wrote:Sorry Kev, only just seen your post, not meaning to ignore you!

I saw that thread (indeed I posted on it ) and was kind of hoping that pulling apart and cleaning might do the business. No chance of a repair shop here in the remote wilderness. If I do get it apart I guess ensuring the pin travels smoothly ( I hear no click) and cleaning by the contacts with a dremel like tool might do the business. Just how to get it apart?

It might sound daft but you can post it to me and my local shop will test it for free and if asked, take the solenoid apart with the special tooling and replace it.
Parts were £15 and a tenner labour.
The postage might be prohibitive though.

Wow, that's a very kind offer, thanks so much. Probably a better bet than buying a cheapo off the bay. Hopefully I'll get my spline bits delivered tomorrow and can then get the starter and solenoid off and checked and weighed. Xmas is coming so everything will slow down, but I'll be in touch.

Thanks again!

Hi MidLifeCrisis
I replaced what was a pretty weedy cable from the alternator bracket to the neg post, with a heavy cable from the bracket to the body, and a cable from there to the neg post.

Like so (only had red cable, but put black ends on it...)


The gearbox earth is thus redundant, and anyway it's pretty crumbly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Might move it to the starter mounting bolt when I get it off,shorter path for the leccy to take...

RogerT wrote:Might move it to the starter mounting bolt when I get it off,shorter path for the leccy to take...

Was just about to say the same - your ground at the starter may still be pretty poor if the only ground is via alternator

Yup.
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=156943" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-AK6214-8 ... Ciid%253A2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From what iv learned anything less than 13.5. Volts on a battery is not a lot of use?!?! Apparently any less than that can cause starter idleness,I'm no expert and we know what they say about experts?,an ex is a has been and a spurt is little more than a dribble!

leroiandjayne wrote:From what iv learned anything less than 13.5. Volts on a battery is not a lot of use?!?! Apparently any less than that can cause starter idleness,I'm no expert and we know what they say about experts?,an ex is a has been and a spurt is little more than a dribble!

A 'spurt' is a drip under pressure in my dictionary!