starter motor

[fraskin]

I have problem turning the starter on Mu 1994 model. There is click in the fuel solenoid and some relay on the drivers site but no power to the starter motor. How does this system work? Is there diagram on the net? how to check this please?Sometimes it starts

[Murderface0151]

make sure your Battery terminals are clean and tight, happens to me sometimes.. just pop the bonnet and twist them around a bit lol

[Captcol]

have you had your battery tested? or if you have a multimeter put it across the battery and get someone else to try to start the truck if the voltage drops very low it doesn't look good for your battery. Also check the leads to the starter and make sure they are clean and tight. As far as I know the only way to test a starter is to hot wire it with jumper leads, but I took the last one that was playing up out and took it down to the auto sparky who bench tested the starter. In my case the starter was sweet as but he ripped it apart and gave it a clean, I took it home, put it back in and then went back and bought a battery.

[geeves]

You need a multimeter to diagnose.
First check the voltage at the battery while trying to start. It should drop to around 10v while its trying to crank.
If it stays at 12 or above start checking wiring to the solenoid. Also check on both the battery terminal and the lead as corrosion inside the terminal can cause this.
Also try shorting the 2 large terminals on the solenoid to see if it cranks. Be very sure its out of gear when doing this. I have heard of a truck that lurched forwards under this test doing lots of damage. Its easier to get at from underneath but that puts your legs in the fireing line if it moves.
If these fail check the voltage at the starter motor. This answer will tell if its starter or wire.
If the voltage drops below 8v it doesnt look good for the battery but a very broken starter could be the cause. Hold it in the crank position for 10 or 15 seconds and see if the leads get hot. Hot leads means lots of current and a short in the starter

[timster]

I've got the same problem, when you turn the ignition switch there is a clicking noise on the drivers side engine bay.
There are 3 relays there.

If you put a wire across the connectors on one of the relays, the engine starts.

Does anyone know where to get new relays from, or are they the same part as jackaroo, rodeo etc?

94 MU 3.1

[geeves]

common relays your local auto sparky should be able to match them

[damo667]

hmmm..
Mines just started to do the same thing.. occasionally turning the key and nothing... just a clicking sound from the relays (drivers side back from the battery)
No clicking from Starter so I'm guessing its not that.. 6 month old battery so not that..
I wonder which is the relay in question?.
I guess I can replace myself if I can find out which one it is..

[geeves]

My money is on the solinoid on top of the starter. Mine played up a while ago but came right by itself. On the back of the solinoid there are 2 large connections and one small. First make sure car is out of gear and short the 2 big terminals. Use an old screwdriver and be very careful not to touch any other metal. If part of the screwdriver disappears reread that last warning. If that turns the car over then try running a lead from the battery to reach the small terminal but dont connect it. Touch this wire on the terminal and it should also start the car.
On mine I ended up connecting a test lamp to this connection but cant remember what it proved. I think the light came on but the car didnt start proving it to the solinoid but not sure. I do have a spare starter here but I havnt tested it yet.

[damo667]

Cheers Geeves
So.. if I short the large terminals and it starts then the solenoid is ok you reckon?

[geeves]

The large terminals override the solenoid so prove the starter not solenoid. The small terminal is the signal for the solenoid so if it works here the solenoid is ok.
When mine played up I put the test lamp in several places while trying to diagnose but on a problem that happened about 1 in 50 starts it took a while to get anywhere. From memory once I connected the lamp at the solenoid the problem went away probably pointing to a poor connection at this terminal. 5 or so years later the starter failed big time. First it looked like a bad battery with voltage dropping to 3v when trying to start. New battery all good for 2 weeks then the same thing. Leave battery on charge overnight even though it passed all other tests no improvment. Had a spare starter Tried it sounded like a concrete mixer. Tried to undo the bolts on my starter 3 foot breaker bar pulled with all my might. Nothing happened. Trip to auto sparky. He tests my spare starter says its **&^. Gets my starter out with a 6 foot breaker bar on the nuts. I must avoid driving in sea water. Tests it and described it as even worse. The bearing had gone with no parts of it found and the comutator had worn through the stator coils leaving not much except for a big short. Dont know what current it was pulling but the earth lead to the battery was hot to touch after holding the key 5 seconds and while doing this a voltage across the battery posts was 2.5v This is a 700cca battery.Second hand starter and it has never missed a beat in nearly 5 years.

[damo667]

Righto.. I'll do the solenoid and starter test and check all the connections while I'm there.. if they all seem fine I'll try replacing the relay as I've heard you can get them cheaply in Repco..
I guess if that doesn't work I'll head down to the Auto Sparky to test for a dodgy starter.. Let him deal with it!!

Cheers

[isuzurob]

if its the solenoid get someone to try start it and tap it with a hammer or somthing heavy on the solenoid, normally it will start

[damo667]

I'm having starter issues again.. seems like a running theme..
Went to start the truck and wouldn't fire up ..sounded like battery dying, I hadn't left anything turned on so thought that was odd..
Bump started it, gave it a run and parked it up.. next day battery sounds flat still.. jump start it with another car and it goes fine, then starts again after being turned off for 2 hours later in the day..
Charge battery over night and next day.. same scenario starts turning over and sounds like battery gots nothing.. start thinking battery kaput!!
Today tested battery with multimeter and its on 13v and only dropping slightly when ignition turned plus loud clicking coming from starter motor..
Shorted both terminals on the starter solenoid and slight spark but nothing else..

Off to clean battery terminals now but not hopeful..


So.. New Starter Motor you reckon?.. Rebuild old one? Whats cheapest?

Cheers Guys..

[geeves]

could be a bad batt connection. That is where my money is because its the easier option. If it proves to starter I would suspect brushes rather than a complete starter. If the starter was shot completely it would go hard short or at least thats what mine did. Mine was one week old battery charged overnight turn key volts drop to 3v 2 seconds later batt leads to hot to touch. This was a 750cca battery that is still going strong 8 years later. Dont want to know what current it was drawing. It might be a diss in a field or stator coil but thats rare. Much more likely dirty or worn brushes /comutator.

[damo667]

I was thinking brushes as it was turning slowly and then stopped like a really flat battery and now wont turn at all as if the brushes have just given up the ghost.. I tried cleaning up the terminals with a few grades of sandpaper, there was a nice healthy spark as I reconnected them but alas no difference, still only getting a loud clicking now.. how did you check battery leads? just turn the ignition on for a bit and feel them? Or do you use a multimeter?..

[geeves]

Only way I know to see whats going on is a volt meter and a clamp meter that can do dc current. The leads will read 0 on an ohm meter but could still be faulty. Measure voltage while trying to crank at the battery the top of the lead and the solinoid. Should be between 10 and 12 volts at all spots and the same voltage. Clamp meter will give a current reading and will be around 100 amps

[damo667]

Sweet, ran out of time tonight but I'll try that tomorrow
I also got advised to put a positive lead from jumper pack or jumper leads onto the positive terminal on starter and see if it fires if not then its stuffed..
going to shoot into bnt tomorrow see if they sell the replacement brushes or a refurb kit..

[iananita]

My 2c worth here, check the earth lead to the motor has a good connection.

[damo667]

Got a re-coned starter fitted late last week and she starts first pop now..
Getting the old one off proved to be the biggest battle, ended up cracking the bolts with a short ratchet a trolly jack and a lump of wood in-between.. she's not easy to get at!! doesn't help that all the plumbing for my oil catch can and my cooling system pre heater run right through there!!

[geeves]

On mine I gave up and let the local auto sparky do it. He spent an hour swinging on a 1 metre breaker bar worried the captive bolts would snap. The joys of old cars that get occasional dunkings in sea water