25 replies to this topic

[mini danny]

Guyyyys please help me ive ran out of ideas now. The engines a 1293 running pre verto clutch so has the older type starter (solenoid on the inner wing) now Basically lately my mini just wont turn over fast enough, like the battery is flat, so of course ive put a brand new battery on and the same thing. So checked all connections earths ect. Still the same so I tried a new starter and no diffrence. The wierd thing is as I run jump leads from my other my car it will turn over perfectly. Ive also tried running a thick cable staright from the battery to the block incase of a bad earth and this was exactly the same. Also tried the old trick of wires straight from the battery the the posstive on the starter and youll never quess what no diffrence still turns over slow. Ive ran outta ideas now guys. What makes it even weirder once I get it running from the jump leads it will run fine have 14v at the battery so its all charging fine, if I turn the engine off and try restart it will be slow and wont start, but if i just leave it off without trying to restart go have a cuppa and come back it will start perfectly, but leave it more than a couple of hours and it will just be slow again.

Bloody mini is doing my head in help me guys ???

Dan

[Jakemorrismini]

Mine does the exact same thing!

[rally1380]

Could your starter motor be on it's way out???

[mini danny]

Ive put a brand new one in

Dan

[Jakemorrismini]

I tried putting a new style starter motor and this solved the problem for a good few months but the problem came back with the cold weather :/

[Stu.]

I know they normally fail with a clicking noise, but could it be the solenoid ?

[mini danny]

Ive bypassed the solenoid by going from the live on the battery straight to the starter and still the same


Dan

[Stu.]

Oh right, it's just that this below is on the Minispares web site for replacement solenoids.

 

The activation of the starter motor starts with the key (or push button in the early cars), but the most important function is carried out by the solenoid. The current used by the starter motor as it cranks on the engine is very high and the function of the solenoid is to act as a very heavy duty switch. The key or pushbutton is very low current and only sends a voltage to the solenoid that turns on the real voltage to the starter. The solenoid is mounted in the engine compartment and typically either works or doesn't. But we have often seen that the high current part of the solenoid begins to draw toomuch current internally and thus robs the needed current to the starter. The starter thus doesn't turn fast enough! Cooper S variants had the solenoid in a 12 o clock position and the mini, plus coopers is in the 12.10 position.

[mini danny]

Ohhh ok I might try a new solenoid then thanks. Or ill disconnect the solenoid completly and then try run from the battery to the starter


Thanks danny

[Stu.]

Would be interested to know how you get on. Will you let us know mate ?

[mini danny]

Yes ill let you know ill drive the old girl to work monday and get her on the ramp there would do it tomorrow but didnt bring my tools home


Dan

[KernowCooper]

I would be watching the battery voltage on cranking, your 14v means the alternators charging but you could have a faulty cell which under load collapses under load so you have a 10v battery.

 

Then if that passes the tests work your way forward, but as you say with a additional battery it starts as normal

 

I would then be connecting a multimeter direct to the starter terminal and taking a voltage reading at that point while someone cranks it over, then if a low reading there of below 10v work your way back and do the in and out of the solenoid. repeat with the jump leads attached.

 

I suspect your going to see a low cranking voltage on the battery caused by volt drop somewhere in the circuit.

 

Multimeter time .

Edited by KernowCooper, 08 March 2014 - 10:36 PM.

[carbon]

As well as the checks outlined by Kernow Cooper, what capacity of battery do you have fitted?

 

Even a brand new battery will struggle with a tuned 1275 lump on a cold morning if it does not have enough capacity / cold crank current. In my experience you really need a good quality battery of at least 44Amphr capacity.

[mini danny]

i will check the voltage on cranking tomorrow and the battery is a 075 if I remember rightly and has a 700amp cold start and is used on 2.0tdi Audi a3's so can turn a mini engine over im sure

 

 

dan

[mini danny]

Ok guys ive had the multi meter out and theres 12v at the battery and when it cranks the multimeter goes all wierd haha so I dont know what the volts are at cranking :/. I did bypass the solenoid completly took the battery live off and the live to the starter connected them together and still very slow. The one thing I did notice is the wire to the starter got very very hot. Im quessing that its knackered and has to much resistance causing the slow turning over but it that was at fault why when I run a wire from the battery to the starter its still slow ???


Dan