Starter motors

[RASCAL]

Question ? I'm thinking my starter motor may be on its way out but I'm not too sure ! Every now and then I can park car and come back and only every nos and then sometimes it's like the battery is flat like it will run over maybe once or sometimes it clicks not continuous just a click and sometimes if I play with wiring around battery and starter it just fires up .... weirded it is the starter motor yeah it only happens in a blue moon but is starting to happen more and more . I reckon it's not the battery as if I try jump start it or use a jump pack nothing happens nothing changes

 

[RASCAL]

If I roll start it won't happen for weeks or more

 

[DeanFoldi]

I would tighten your battery terminals. See how it goes. I had a similar thing and it was my battery earth cable was loose.

 

[Brett 76]

Same thing happened to me, would only click over once, would turn over when I tapped the solenoid with a bar, so changed the starter motor and all good.

Brett

 

[Old.Tony]

It may be the starter solenoid rather than the motor. There might be some arcing in the solenoid contacts that don't let it make a clean contact every time.

However, it's more likely a connection issue - especially the notorious earth cable attachment to the side of the engine.

Don't just tighten the connections - remove them, clean them very well, reinstall them and then see how it goes. That's the cheapest step that makes a lot of sense to do first.

If you're still having issues, try (borrow) another battery before you start ripping the solenoid/starter apart. A battery with sulphation crystals floating around the bottom will be erratic.

 

[d22dave]

Do The starter solonoid cables as well, especially The push on ignition wire

 

[Gekko]

I have just stuffed around with the starter motor on my 3.2L. Warning you now, it is a pain in the arse to get out and in. And so ya know, all the part numbers for the qd32 starter motor are the same as the zd30 starter motor but they are a different starter motor. The zd30 starter doesn't fit coz it is stopped by the oil dipstick. You have to make sure it doesn't have external bolts running down the length of the starter motor. The qd32 starter has a sort of cut out to wrap around the oil dipstick. If you sit the 2 next to eachother you can see it is a huge difference, but still the same part number. As for your problem, start at battery terminals, loosen them, give 'em a wiggle and tighten them back up. Still doing it? I'd say its ya solenoid. If you turn the key and it just goes click, bend down and reach over the drivers wheel and hit the solenoid with something solid and then try start it again. (I used the breaker bar from my socket set) but that will only work for so long. These starters don't have a earth lead, they are earthed by the 2 mounting bolts to the bell housing.

 

[Gekko]

Mine in the end pushed the armature out but didn't spin. There is 2 cables on the starter, the big thick one attached with the bolt come straight from the battery so is constant 12v. And the second little wire with the push on plug is the switch from the ignition and only has 12v when key is turned.

 

[d22dave]

And the second little wire with the push on plug is the switch from the ignition and only has 12v when key is turned.

And this one can cause people problems, dirty or loose contact on this wire can cause low voltage, in turn not enough volts to kick in the solonoid,

 

[RASCAL]

Guys you are awesome , gunna go find my self a hoist get underneath and check it all out maybe just for the hell off it change the battery clamps and then see what happens

 

[Gekko]

Don't need a hoist to do stuff with the starter. I did it all on the ground. The only time I layed on the ground was to undo the bottom bolt. Starter pulls out from the top. Warning, HUGE pain in the arse. You have to turn it one way then flip end to end then twist it the other way again and so on. Be prepared to loose some skin off ya knuckles.

 

[RASCAL]

So I cleaned the little wire to the starter today with no joy , now really stuck as last night I went to lock the girl by remote and nothing happened . Weirded so checked battery and it not had 10.2 volts so I'm now thinking its all to do with the battery . I chucked it on charge and see how we go

 

[RASCAL]

So battery charged hit the key and off she goes awesome , turn it off and were back to nothing . I did notice over the time I was out side turning the keyon and off was if it didn't start I'd hold the key all the way on and after a bit it goes , ..... Doing my head in ! Starter motor or ingition ?

 

[Old.Tony]

Hard to say - it could be a failing battery (high possibility) or a faulty alternator (low possibility - they're good alternators and your battery light should have warned you).

I'd borrow a (good) battery and just try starting it. Don't charge it first - just throw it in and crank it over.

If it starts without hesitation then your battery is most likely the culprit. It certainly smells like it, since you charged it and had success and shortly after it failed again. Sounds to me like a badly sulphated battery.

 

[RASCAL]

Sorry tony battery seems fine holding charge nicelly now must of been just a flat . But yeah could be

 

[RASCAL]

But just to be sure ill grab a battery from work tomorrow and just test that anyway

 

[Gekko]

How old is ya battery mate. If its over 2 years old its had a good run and coulda dropped a cell. Yeh it will hold charge for a little while but you will find it to be flat again after a few starts/ days sitting. Also there is 4 big blue relays in the fuse box under the dash, ya can check they are switching and not sticking.

 

[RASCAL]

After pulling the starter motor out its all good , cleaned all posts and earths and terminals and every thing is all good , my main starter battery was over 5 years old so I replaced this as well .

 

[Gekko]

Glad to hear ya back in business. It's a pain in the arse getting it in and out aye. Wow 5 yrs old, that had a great run. I'd say that battery was the root of ya problem mate by the sounds of it.

 

[RASCAL]

I ended up jacking the inlet manifold of , 12 or so bolts and out she come , I could nt see Andy other way just couldn't get it out no matter what I tried