Not starting, suspected starter motor solenoid

Technical Area Engine, Transmission, Exhaust etc
2

Hi everyone, having difficulties gettting my Mk1 1.8 Eunos started at the moment.

 

Problem started last Thursday. Started fine coming home from work, pulled into fill up with fuel. Went to start again and heard a clunk, then nothing. Bump started fine. Engine ran perfect. Got home (2mins away), shut engine off, then it restarted no problem. All Friday the car started fine. Went to start car saturday and no noise at all comes from starter, no attempt to turn the engine over. Main points when starting the car are:

  • All other electrics seem to operate normally. Tryed windows, lights, radio etc.

  • West co battery is only 4months old.

  • Terminals on battery seem ok.

  • Immobiliser seems to be working as normal, i.e when immobiliser is deactivated I can bump start, when activated no bump start.

  • When bump started the car will run perfect, no issues at all.

  • When key is turned fuel pump can be heard, but no noise at all from starter. The last time when I had a dead battery I remember I could always hear the solenoid click, and the first few attempts to start would always yeild at least an attempt at turnover from the starter. This is just silent.

My first suspicion is either starter solenoid / starter motor giving up the ghost, but apparently this is a reasonably rare occurance?

Pretty new to fixing cars, would appreciate some input on my diagnosis. Anyone had the same issue?

Thanks in advance, Tom

 

 

3

In the past I’ve had a similar sounding problem twice with two different relatively new Ford starter solenoids.

In each case it was where the thicker wire (two pull-in windings inside those solenoids) was only soldered on the cut end and not on any of the length of the wire; after time and heat cycles it only made intermittent connection when the body was cold and shrunken back onto the tip of the wire. But again in each case after removing the large solder blob and cleaning back the enamel insulation on the wire for a few millimetres and re-soldering it the starter then lasted for many years until the car was scrapped.

Fixing this sort of problem requires removing the starter motor, but it might be a cheap fix if it is merely a bad solder joint.

The first thing is to check with a multimeter if there is good continuity on the wires right through to the starter; both from the ignition system through the solenoid and then to ground, and from battery + to solenoid and again back to ground (battery -). This requires both being careful and good knowledge of the wiring diagram, and if you are new to this then it is essential to ask an auto electrician to look at it.

Good luck.

4

Hi Richard,

Thanks very much for the advice. I’ve gone ahead and ordered a used (but tested) starter motor assembly from autolink as it was only about 15 quid. I’m going to get it into the garage this week and hopefully it will be the starter! Really don’t want some hard to trace wiring issue!

5

I’ve known worn ignition switch electrical contacts to give similar symptoms. With the key in the start position when the engine doesn’t start, wiggle it slightly and it may fire into life. This may indicate an ignition switch problem.

6

Hi everyone,

Took it to the garage yesterday, turned out a lead had come off the starter. Who knows how it happened but atleast a cheap fix!

Thanks for everyones help, great to be back on the road!