12 replies to this topic

[anotherrick]

So I'm back n a bit lost this time. Just before Xmas I had flat battery issues which with the help of the search, a few how to threads, and a few posted suggestions was narrowed down to the alternator which was replaced. Next between Xmas and new year I the issues with the new alt as it neede a bit of jiggery pokery to align the pulley/ fan (now sorted) thought that was the end of it until I went to get fuel and it wouldn't start after I filled it so had to bump start it. That was a couple of days ago, all I was getting was a single click from what I think was the starter relay on the inner wing.

Anyway went to it today and it started first time, went for a short drive just to warm it up and make sure everything was ok. Only thing I noticed was it was idling a bit fast without the choke but I think that's just a sticky cable and it was running a little lumpy too.

Went back home n left it running turned everything on lights on full beam, heater, de mister and checked battery and it was charging at 14.36v

Turned ignition off and battery read 12.76v

Turned all other stuff off and tried to restart the car and click?!?!....

Tried this with multi meter connected and voltage drops from 12.76 to 12.35v when relay clicks!

When tried with the lights on they no not go dimmer.

So where do I look? I'm guessing feed between alt and starter maybe but unsure.

The mini is a bit of a bitsa the engine is a mid 90's 998cc no mods n carb

[Stevie W]

It sounds very much like a duff solenoid. The actuator (coil/moving core) seem to work correctly as heard with the click when you turn the key.

Inside the solenoid and attached to the moving core is the high current contact plate which joins the battery cable terminal to the starter motor terminal. These can burn out, so even if the coil part of the solenoid is ok the solenoid won't pass the necessary high current to spin the starter motor....new solenoid required I think!!!

Cheers, Steve.

[anotherrick]

Cheers Steve, I'll look into that unless anyone else has any other ideas

[Stevie W]

No worries!!

[Dan]

Sounds like a bad earth at the battery to me. Usually the solenoid just clicking points to the battery earth, but given the way it died spontaneously and the fact you have been running a bad alternator there may be a dead cell in the battery. Did it drop to zero volts and then take about 10 minutes to drift back up to 12v all by itself?

Look at the battery earth for fraying and damage, broken cores don't carry current. The fixing into the boot floor is a loose nut under the floor that floats in a cage, the cage fills with road dirt which ruins the contact. Release the screw a little to allow you to shake it around and spray the cage with electrical contact cleaner or carb cleaner. Get it clean, tighten back up and cover the underside with Vaseline.

Or:

As above it could just be the solenoid.

[grumpy dad]

Hi

next time you get a click

to test the solenoid

you can do this get a spanner or screwdriver

and touch it on the 2 terminals that go on the battery and starter 

there will be sparks but not that big 

DO NOT touch the body

or you will have a dead short

and the sparks will be very big

not good for you or the battery 

[anotherrick]

Since I charged the battery it's maintained 12+ volts and it's also a relatively new battery. The earths front and rear have also recently been renewed. I did check for continuity of the earths with the multi meter and all "seemed" fine. I will go through all the connections one by one and for the sake of a tenner will try a new solenoid too.

Although I'm sure as soon as I sort this problem another one will crop up lol.

Cheers for the advice dan

[anotherrick]

Cheers grumpy dad, I'll give that a try too when it's light n not raining just to rule that out n maybe save a few quid.

[KernowCooper]

Check the volts through the solenoid with a meter and see what the difference in/out

[anotherrick]

How would I check the solenoid?

[KernowCooper]

If its wing or starter mounter one put the voltmeter on the connection which will be live all the time and take a reading, then put the voltmeter probe on the other terminal and get someone to hold the key in the crank position, if it clicks in and shows no volts, its faulty, or check the small wire into the solenoid from the ign switch this should have 12v+ when the ign switch is held over in the crank position, if it does not you have a issue in the wiring or ignition switch.

Edited by KernowCooper, 09 January 2014 - 05:34 PM.

[Ethel]

The other probe of your meter goes to earth, a big difference in voltage, with the ignition key turned for testing both terminals indicates a lot of resistance across the solenoid itself.

 

Another option is worn motor brushes, there's a square peg on the back of the motor that you could turn, moving the rotor may find a better contact to kick it in to life. DON'T do it with the solenoid powered up, or it's likely to try putting your spanner through your teeth!

[anotherrick]

Cheers guys, been doing bits to it today. Pulled apart all the connections I could find on the ign and cleaned up also had the earths off n cleaned ect. Give everything a squirt of wd40 ect .
There was a crappy joint on the +terminal of the solenoid. Wasn't till I was doing this that I noticed I have two solenoids, the one on the inner wing and the piggy backed one on the starter. Been staring me in the face all this time lol.

Anyway tried to do the above tests suggested by kernowcooper and Ethel (thanks) but started each time. So can only assume a bad earth or dodgy connection.
Hopefully that will be the end of it.

Thanks again to all who took the time to help.