12 replies to this topic

[danie garry]

if all i'm getting when starting my car is clicks could the starter be a bit jammed if so how do i go bout taking it out and cleaning it??? (1275spi auto 1996)

[RetroRay]

Is you car actually starting ? as it sounds like you have a flat battery

[danie garry]

battery shouldnt really be flat after a 100 mile run?!? the car barely started with the booster on it and i only used the booster once since i charged it! i think there may be a short somewhere along the lines, the cable along the floor looks fine to me tho, really tired of having to use the booster at this stage and very worried because i'm hoping she'l start for the test on sat week!!

Edited by danie garry, 25 November 2009 - 09:39 PM.

[RetroRay]

Have you tested your alternator to see if its charging the battery ?

[JD8891]

also if the booster is struggling you might have a bad earth, check the earths between the batt and the boot floor and bulkhead to the engine.

JD

[Jacques124]

had this problem the other day turned out to be the alternator was dead

[danie garry]

alternator(this 1. ) is an uprated 1 from minispares and is only a couple of months old, fitted a new belt with it. tested it the week end-at idle 13.9v at battery and 14.1 at alternator got rained out at that stage!! putting a new earth on the alternator bolt to the body the wkend and the battery cable is good

Edited by danie garry, 25 November 2009 - 10:01 PM.

[zrblue]

coincidentally, i was having the same problem this morning. An elderly man walking his dog noticed and came over for a chat while i was trying to start it. He told me to put it into fourth, and rock the car back and forward, fired right up afterwards. Im not sure of the logic behind it, but the guy said its quite a common problem on the a series.

[danie garry]

weird tip but i'l try it - count for autos?? mine can start off the booster without it being turned on so its sounding like an earth or a short

[zrblue]

weird tip but i'l try it - count for autos?? mine can start off the booster without it being turned on so its sounding like an earth or a short

Im not sure how it would work on an auto, i didnt think it would work myself but figured id give it a go. The guy said it can jam quite easily, and that some of the older silinoids on the starters had what he described as a rubber push button that you could press to sort the jamming. Unfortunately mine didnt have the button, but the rocking worked.

[taffy1967]

How old is your battery and have you tested that? Does it read 12V when the engine is off?

[danie garry]

battery is bout 8 months old and should be ok really, i'l test the battery the wkend(prob should bring a few bit to college with me to work on the mini!!!)

[IainR]

Putting the car in gear and rocking it back and forth will free the inertia part of the starter and free it up, you can also sometimes free it up by using a spanner to turn the square stud which sticks out of the end of the starter.

Can't see this working with an auto as the torque convertor won't transmit the motion from output to input, in the same way as you can't bump start an auto.