Club 80-90 Forums

My T25 Diesel from 90 always starts very easily but all of a sudden it’s dead. When turning the key the starter engine starts but the typical sound of the solenoid don’t. Can I assume that the problem is mechanical and not a contact problem (since the starter is actually running).

The reason why I’m a bit hesitant is that this first happened a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden it wouldn’t start, nothing at all (but the starter could well have been turning then as well without me hearing it) when I turned the key. Then 10 minutes later it started fine.

Hence my question, could it be a contact problem that makes the starter running but not the solenoid (could explain both occasions above)?


Or is it a mechanical problem with the solenoid (first time and now different problems)?

Is your battery old, i had one that would play up like it was the starter ,it would turn the engine ok sometimes then nothing other times,   i put a recon starter on and still had the same problem, a new battery sorted it.

Is the wire at the back of the solenoid loose or damaged?

The small cable going to the ignition seems ok and I have changed the cable lug. The big cable going to the battery seems fine.

multisi wrote: ↑31 Aug 2025, 15:13 Is your battery old, i had one that would play up like it was the starter ,it would turn the engine ok sometimes then nothing other times,   i put a recon starter on and still had the same problem, a new battery sorted it.

The battery is quite old. But also tried with jumper cables from another car without success.

I would get a new battery, colder months ahead will affect an old battery and let you down, it will also rule out the battery as the cause of the starting problem.

Get under the van and look at the starter motor. (Or you might even see if through the engine bay) Make sure the cable with the spade terminal hasn't come off the solenoid. Also make sure the ground strap on the nose of the gearbox is in one piece and its actually there.

Can you clarify what your hearing.

Do you get the

thunk and no whirrrr
or whirr and no thunk ( whish should not be possible )

Or thunkand whir but no turnove.

The solenoid has two purposes, one is to throw out the gear to mesh with the flywheel and the secodn is to engage the main contats so if there is no thunk but a whirr something si very odd.

Rob
 

TwinTurbo wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025, 11:58 Can you clarify what your hearing.

Do you get the

thunk and no whirrrr
or whirr and no thunk ( whish should not be possible )

Or thunkand whir but no turnove.

The solenoid has two purposes, one is to throw out the gear to mesh with the flywheel and the secodn is to engage the main contats so if there is no thunk but a whirr something si very odd.

Rob
 

Absolutely no thunk whatsoever. Just a whirr.. like the sound of a fan. But from the starter of course.

if the starter motor is turning then the solenoid is working as that is completing the connection to the motor, but it should also simultaneously be thrusting the drive cog forward into the ring gear to turn the engine, so it may be the fork or the connection between the solenoid and the fork is broken

Starter motor out and inspect, remove the solenoid and see if the solenoid is coupled to the fork - the solenoid moves forward and has a shaft with a hole in it that hooks over the end of the fork - if the end of the shaft has broken on the solenoid then you just replace that, if the fork is broken then that's a bit more of a strip down iirc it can't be done without removing the end of the starter

Many thanks for the answers! Will take it out and inspect the solenoid connection