22 replies to this topic

[brivinci]

My original start from 1994 started to give up the ghost recently. It was grinding away at my lovely MED lightweight flywheels ring gear. I replaced the ring gear and starter with a new one from Mini Spares. Their standard replacement (GXE4527) and reinstalled everything. Within the first few 100 miles, the starter started acting up. You turn the key and only get a humming sound. Try again, and it starts. I wrote spares about this but never heard back. This has been happening for months now (still no reply) until something else happened. I started noticing my clock was off. It has never been before. It's getting on in years so maybe that's that. Well, went to go start my car after it was sitting during work and got nothing. ZERO sound or action. I had to push-start the car. Once it was running. I tested it and the start was fine. Got to where I was going and dead again when I go to start. I assume this is a faulty starter. All the power wires are attached and tight. I haven't heard the humming recently since the no-crank issue. Is this a common way these starters give up? Assume I got yet another faulty part?

After 4 emails, I finally heard back from Spares. Their one guy was on holiday for a month and the other told a tech to contact me...which never happened. They are usually much better at taking care of things.

Edited by brivinci, 19 June 2025 - 06:36 PM.

[68+86auto]

These are three places you should measure the voltage when trying to crank:

1. Battery posts
2. Starter main terminal
3. starter trigger terminal

Nothing should be below 9.6v. There should be no difference greater than 0.5v between the battery and other points.

 

A commonly missed issue is the third one. Even measuring the voltage may not show the issue. When the solenoid is energised, it takes a high current to move itself into the energised position. Once it is in position, the current drops significantly. This high current is why the factory fitted a relay to power the solenoid. Without the relay, the ignition switches don't last long and cause starting issues. With the relay fitted, the relay could be bad or the wiring. The quickest way to test is to touch a test lead between the starter main terminal and the trigger terminal to see if it cranks.

Edited by 68+86auto, 19 June 2025 - 10:59 PM.

[brivinci]

The issue is this is intermittent. If I went out right now it would crank perfectly. If I turned it off right away, it would crank and again. When I drive it for a bit and park, THEN it seems to be dead. Bump-start it to get home and it cranks again in the morning. 

When it cranks, it cranks perfectly and the car fires up really instantly. When it would make the humming noise only (no cranking) and now when it does nothing, the car itself has power. Dash lights appear and all. 

I finally got through to Spares and they will have an answer for me on next steps tomorrow. They suggested sending the starter back for testing. If they would have gotten back to me when I first wrote them, fine, but I would really not want to lay my car up for however long it will take them to inspect it, given that I am in the US. 

[68+86auto]

I would try jumping the trigger terminal to the main terminal when it happens. When I find this problem, it has always been intermittent. It will usually work for many cranks and then suddenly not work.

[brivinci]

Well this is embarrassing! After making a bit of a stink with Spares, and getting my new starter in yesterday, and testing today, I have the SAME problem!! Now, I am not super confident on new quality but there is no way this is the same issue. It is VERY intermittent. I drove it about 20 minutes, parked, and came out about 45 minutes later and it was doing the dead thing again. I bumped started it and drove home. When I could see my house, I switched it off and it was dead again. Bumped it on the move and parked in my garage. Turned it off and it restarted 3 times in a row!!

https://flic.kr/p/2rer1tf

[stuart bowes]

kinda sounds like a dodgy wiring connection somewhere to me

[brivinci]

Yeah, wiring is original and very clean but giving me the same idea. I removed the signal wire, which is a large female spade, and crimped down a bit as the male spade on the new starters is a smaller size. Reinstalled, after checking that the motor was grounded, and it did the humming thing again. It did that on repeated tried till I put it 4th, rocked it back and forth to try and move things, and it cranked. Retested about 8 times. It cranked on 7 of the 8, with the 5th time it hummed only. 

[stuart bowes]

I was thinking more about the main power and earth leads to the starter, are they damaged in any way or any of the crimped ends loose, etc

 

just a thought, you could get the battery out of the boot (or use another) round to the front, and use jump leads to provide the power directly (known good leads), see if that starts every time

Edited by stuart bowes, 03 July 2025 - 06:47 PM.

[brivinci]

There are several power leads that tab into the starter, but only the positive cable from the battery would affect the starter...and the ground. That battery cable is perfect but worth another inspection to rule it out. The starter is grounded to the motor. I test and the motor is sufficiently grounded. Trick thing is this trouble seemed to only be happening after drive. I going to test again after work to see what happens after another drive.

 

Ideally, I should remove the grill before I got so I have better access. Might try wiggling the signal wire to ensure that's not the issue. 

Edited by brivinci, 03 July 2025 - 07:02 PM.

[stuart bowes]

yes so that point there, where all the positive leads come together, put the + jump lead on that, and the negative on where your earth is

 

it's just a real easy 5 min job to try, from another car even, just so you can either rule it out or know to investigate further

 

also did you check any voltages, across battery / when cranking / when running?

Edited by stuart bowes, 03 July 2025 - 07:10 PM.

[brivinci]

I will try that but give the intermittences of this, not that easy. If I can replicate this when I get home after a drive, I will give this a shot. 

[68+86auto]

This definitely sounds like a signal wire issue. When it plays up, get a piece of wire and touch it between the main terminal and the signal terminal to see if it cranks.

[brivinci]

I crimped the signal wire on the terminal tighter and also opened up the relay box and cleaned the starter relay contact points to be safe.

Was out the other day and the car started about 3 times prior. On the 4th...just as was getting confident, it was totally dead again. Something else we noticed was that the horn was not working as well and the clock is never on time now. After we got it going and were off a few miles, the horn worked. I killed the car while rolling and it started up fine. I am wondering if its something under the steering cowl??

[68+86auto]

I don't know how the horn is wired on an SPI but on earlier minis the horn has no wiring connected to the ignition switch. The only place these are related is by the brown wires in the engine bay that power everything.

[stuart bowes]

I'd disconnect the battery and just go over the whole thing doing continuity tests while wriggling connectors and so on

Pretty sure you'll find something major somewhere is loose or damaged or corroded