Starter, solenoid, battery???

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T

Tyson

New Member
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16
Hi all,

I have a 69 shorty (2.25l, 4 cyl, petrol). Since the day I bought it my starter motor sometimes would "slip" -- when I turn the ignition, i would just get a grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. When I turn it again it would be ok and start just fine. This happened maybe every 20 starts.

Recently, the starter / engine would turn over very-very slowly - almost as if the battery was flat. It would however always have enough power/turn to actually get the engine going.

Now, I cannot get the starter to turn at all. When I turn the ignition, I just get a single click from the solenoid - in fact the click is so hard that you can actually see movement (dust etc) on the solenoid!! My connections to the battery seem to be tight and clean. My battery shows 13+ volts. All lights, horn etc work fine.

I turned the ignition key as if to start it and kept it there for a while to see if any connections get hot, but I could not find any! It does however seem as if my battery loses a hell of a lot of power when I do this. The battery might be at 13v and after playing around with the ignition once or twice it drops to 12.3V and stays there!!

Last night I tried to check everything with a multimeter. Battery at about 13v. Power at solenoid, +-13v. Power to starter, +-13v (dont know whether I tested this correctly..... I put the positve of the multimeter on the solenoid and the negative on the earth of the starter???). I also checked all fuses and they are fine.

I am thinking that the starter has gone, but do not want to spend the money to buy a new one just to find that its not the starter. How can one test the starter motor without taking it out??

Any ideas?? The only definite I can give you is the click sound - no other sounds or smells or heat or anything like that!!

Thanks,
Andre.

ps.
 
morning!

my 68 series does exactly the same! i've cleaned all the contacts, replaced the starter solenoid (it died half way through the repair work) and charged the battery lots. I've put it down to the battery loosing charge, it's got a reasonably new battery (maybe 3years old) but it has a hard life lots of starting after sitting for weeks in the cold. I keep the battery in my warm shed if i'm not going to use the beast and then charge it for 12hours on trickle or an hours full boost charge before use. depending on what sort of mood the beast is in I'll sometimes jump start it also just to take the strain of the battery. so far this plan works!! :D
 
Hi doobie,

She push starts just fine, but that is not going to work for me - always having to park on a slope!!!

I tried jump starting her, but nothing. I have wondered whether my jump cables aren't to thin and thus does not get enough power to the battery. Maybe I should get a pair of GOOD, heavy duty cables and try again. But as I've said before, my battery shows a good charge on the multimeter!!

How do I test the starter?? There are two connections on my starter motor - one goes to the solenoid and the other is a earth from the starter motor to the body. Do I just short these two connections with a screw driver of what??
 
yep just short those and it should work, i had to start my diesel by shorting it for about 2 months!!! until i bought new starter and solenoid! just be careful when doing it p.s. i take no responsibility if you do hurt yourself lol
 
tyson take the starter off the landy and strip it down, in fact you should be able to check the brushes inside with out stripping it also if its a 69 landy and its the original the chances are the amature shaft is worn or badly pitted, you said also the starter trys to move when starting this indicates it could be the shaft is seizing you will see all of this when you strip it down, its a novice job you can do just take note how it comes apart.
 
Thanks for the reply brnocz. It used to turn slowly, sometimes, but now does not turn at all. Problem is I dont know for sure whether it is the starter motor or not. I'm hoping to figure that out (whether it is indeed the starter motor or perhaps something else) BEFORE taking it out!!
 
OK,

So last night I did the following:

1.) My book says to short the solenoid to check the starter, so I took a screwdriver and shorted over the two electrical connecting posts --- NOTHING, not even sparks. I tried this a few times with different screwdrivers and eventually even clipped the one end of my jumper cable to the one connecting post and the other end to the other - NOTHING!!

2.) I then tried to connect the starter motor directly to the battery, using my jumper cables. My starter motor has one lead going to the solenoid and another braided lead going directly to the chassis. I connected my jumpers to the battery and the other end to the starter motor - NOTHING. No sparks, no movement, nothing.

I can understand that if my starter motor is broken, that it would not turn, but surely I would have seen sparks when connecting the leads. Same with the solenoid - no sign of electricity when connecting the jumpers.

I tested both the solenoid and the starter motor with my multimeter and both show 12+ V.

I must be missing something!!
 
i'd go and buy a nice new battery, your old one may show 12-13V (mine does as well) but its got no juice to whirl the starter motor. After a good charge and kept warm its good to go.

you'd probably be as well looking at the starter motor as well as brnocz says. I'm adding that to my list of things to do! :D
 
You could try using your multimeter to check the starter motor resistance. Undo the lead to the starter at the solenoid and measure the resistance from the starter lead to earth. Anything more than an ohm and the starter is buggered or the starter earth is very poor.
 
If you connected the starter to the battery with black and red jump leads and the motor didnt go then you can be fairly sure the starters at fault.
The brushes could well be so badly worn that they've gone right down to the copper strap that connects them to the terminals, this would make the motor open circuit and would explain why nowt happens when you put power to the starter.
I suggest taking the starter out of the car and trying the jump lead test on the ground, if your lucky the brushes might be stuck and a strip and soak in wd will sort it, unlikely though usually if something goes wrong with the brushgear unless you fix it right away it fecks up the armature.
 
HI, we used to get quite a few batteries that would read 12 -13 v but when we went to put them on plant they used to refuse to start, I have always remembered a way to check the battery that and old (and very very expericend plant fitter) told me was to connect up your multimeter to the battery and try to start the engine, it the meter reads below 9v when trying to turn over the engine then your battery has seen better days, and i have used this method lots over the last 20 yrs and found it to be a good tip.
 
Top tip mick,

Mi dads a time gone by diesel fitter, and the prescribed method in those days was to short the battery with a bar, and the size of the shower of sparks was the indication of the state of charge, personally I think thats a good way to end up wearing the battery.
 
the slip you describe is the starter pinion not sliding up the bendix. (skew gear on starter shaft. as starter spins, the inertia sends pinion up skew into flywheel ring gear)
lubrication only answer, if not worn out. mud plugging does tend to cak these up.

lack of turning is probably brushes if all other connections have been ruled out. give the starter a wallop with a...cranking handle! (these just fit easy between wing an exhaust manifold). idea being stuck brushes (again due to mud pluggin) are knocked back into contact with commutator (the bit they should be touching)
if brushes are worn, this might work one or twice, but there gonna need changing.

fraid starters gonna have to come out!
least its not the heavy 2.25 diesel starter!
 
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