Yep could be a big spade but still on the same post as the battery cable. Didn't have anything turned on when you reattached the solenoid did you -might have to check your fuses.
Starting Problems. Jump Starts Ok
Started by
Protarmic
, Aug 18 2007 03:22 PM
22 replies to this topic
#17
Protarmic
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Mini Mad
Posted 19 August 2007 - 08:17 PM
Yep could be a big spade but still on the same post as the battery cable. Didn't have anything turned on when you reattached the solenoid did you -might have to check your fuses.
I checked the fuses too, all are fine. The lights arent fused though, so they should work.. maybe i sprayed too much wd40 on it when i was cleaning poo off it! lol
#18
dklawson
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Posted 20 August 2007 - 12:59 AM
I know you said you bundled all the wire stuff together before removing the solenoid, but please double-check your work. Your new symptoms sound like the brown wire is on the wrong side of the solenoid.
As was stated previously, the fuse block should be getting its feed from a brown wire on a spade lug attached to the same solenoid post that has the battery cable connection. Make sure you haven't accidentally put the spade lug and brown wire on the cable going off to the starter motor. If it's on that side of the solenoid, the brown wire will be "cold" all the time. It needs to be on the side of the solenoid coming from the battery.
OK, no jumper cables? It's hard to bridge the contacts on a solenoid with a screwdriver. If you have a large pair of pliers (without insulated handles... must be bare metal handles) you can use the handles of the pliers to bridge the two LARGE lugs on the solenoid. Just make sure the car is in neutral when you do this so you don't run yourself over. Also, make your pliers touch the starter motor lug on the solenoid first (cold lug)... then carefully tap the other handle on the pliers to the lug coming from the battery. The key word is careful. Don't let the pliers touch the car chassis. If the starter motor spins the engine up OK, the problem is in your solenoid or its ground connection.
Regardless, don't spend a lot of time on this if you don't know that the engine ground strap is in place and in good order. If that cable is missing or damaged and you keep trying to use the starter, you stand a good chance of melting the throttle and choke cables as they are what's left to complete a ground connection.
As was stated previously, the fuse block should be getting its feed from a brown wire on a spade lug attached to the same solenoid post that has the battery cable connection. Make sure you haven't accidentally put the spade lug and brown wire on the cable going off to the starter motor. If it's on that side of the solenoid, the brown wire will be "cold" all the time. It needs to be on the side of the solenoid coming from the battery.
OK, no jumper cables? It's hard to bridge the contacts on a solenoid with a screwdriver. If you have a large pair of pliers (without insulated handles... must be bare metal handles) you can use the handles of the pliers to bridge the two LARGE lugs on the solenoid. Just make sure the car is in neutral when you do this so you don't run yourself over. Also, make your pliers touch the starter motor lug on the solenoid first (cold lug)... then carefully tap the other handle on the pliers to the lug coming from the battery. The key word is careful. Don't let the pliers touch the car chassis. If the starter motor spins the engine up OK, the problem is in your solenoid or its ground connection.
Regardless, don't spend a lot of time on this if you don't know that the engine ground strap is in place and in good order. If that cable is missing or damaged and you keep trying to use the starter, you stand a good chance of melting the throttle and choke cables as they are what's left to complete a ground connection.
#19
Protarmic
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Mini Mad
Posted 20 August 2007 - 01:44 PM
I know you said you bundled all the wire stuff together before removing the solenoid, but please double-check your work. Your new symptoms sound like the brown wire is on the wrong side of the solenoid.
As was stated previously, the fuse block should be getting its feed from a brown wire on a spade lug attached to the same solenoid post that has the battery cable connection. Make sure you haven't accidentally put the spade lug and brown wire on the cable going off to the starter motor. If it's on that side of the solenoid, the brown wire will be "cold" all the time. It needs to be on the side of the solenoid coming from the battery.
OK, no jumper cables? It's hard to bridge the contacts on a solenoid with a screwdriver. If you have a large pair of pliers (without insulated handles... must be bare metal handles) you can use the handles of the pliers to bridge the two LARGE lugs on the solenoid. Just make sure the car is in neutral when you do this so you don't run yourself over. Also, make your pliers touch the starter motor lug on the solenoid first (cold lug)... then carefully tap the other handle on the pliers to the lug coming from the battery. The key word is careful. Don't let the pliers touch the car chassis. If the starter motor spins the engine up OK, the problem is in your solenoid or its ground connection.
Regardless, don't spend a lot of time on this if you don't know that the engine ground strap is in place and in good order. If that cable is missing or damaged and you keep trying to use the starter, you stand a good chance of melting the throttle and choke cables as they are what's left to complete a ground connection.
I bridged the solonoid with a spanner and got nothing, So my problems is after that? I got a chassis strap today, i will try it on it in a bit. I'll have to ind somewhere else to bolt it to the chassis though, i cant get the bolt out for the engine steady..
#20
dklawson
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Posted 20 August 2007 - 02:11 PM
First get the ground strap in place. If there is not a good ground for the starter, any tests you perform on the solenoid are meaningless.
On the earlier cars the ground strap didn't run from steady to the block or gearbox. If you're having trouble routing the strap as described in previous posts, you can always do like you'll find on Mk1/2/3 cars. Find or drill a hole through the right front inner wing. Around the hole, clean off the paint on the engine side of the wing exposing bare metal. Coat this with grease or Vaseline for corrosion protection and attach one end of the ground strap to the inner wing using a heavy bolt with lock-washer and nut. Connect the other end of the ground strap to the clutch cover at any convenient point (motor mount hole, etc). Make sure the engine/gearbox end of the cable is also against bare metal and coated with grease for corrosion protection.
Repeat your solenoid test after the strap is in place. If the starter still fails to work and you're sure you have voltage coming from the battery, focus your attention on the starter itself.
On the earlier cars the ground strap didn't run from steady to the block or gearbox. If you're having trouble routing the strap as described in previous posts, you can always do like you'll find on Mk1/2/3 cars. Find or drill a hole through the right front inner wing. Around the hole, clean off the paint on the engine side of the wing exposing bare metal. Coat this with grease or Vaseline for corrosion protection and attach one end of the ground strap to the inner wing using a heavy bolt with lock-washer and nut. Connect the other end of the ground strap to the clutch cover at any convenient point (motor mount hole, etc). Make sure the engine/gearbox end of the cable is also against bare metal and coated with grease for corrosion protection.
Repeat your solenoid test after the strap is in place. If the starter still fails to work and you're sure you have voltage coming from the battery, focus your attention on the starter itself.
#21
Protarmic
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Mini Mad
Posted 20 August 2007 - 04:30 PM
I added the strap - no luck. BUT i took the starter motor out (i wish i had a clubman...), and borrowed some jump leads from the garage across the road to check the starter. And it doesnt work... Well thats assuming The body of the starter is the earth.. like most things?
#22
Ethel
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Posted 20 August 2007 - 05:07 PM
It is, if it did nothing you have a dead starter.
#23
dklawson
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Posted 20 August 2007 - 08:07 PM
While you've got the jumper cables, take the starter out. Connect the black lead to the battery (-), connect the other lead to battery (+). Connect the free end of the black lead to a bare metal spot on the starter's mounting flange. Put your foot on the starter to hold it down and "tap" the free end of the other jumper cable lead to the post on the starter motor (we are talking inertia starter aren't we?). If the starter motor is good it will jump quickly up to speed under your foot. If it doesn't move or moves slowly, this indicates problems with the starter. (Assuming the battery is fully charged).
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