Starter motor wireing

[mikel003003]

Hi everyone, I have been absent for a while, a couple of attempts to sell the s have proved fruitless, so I'm still struggling away on minimal time and resources to get it back on the road, at the moment it's the wireing that has got me scratching my head, can someone explain what the 3 connections on the starter motor do, obviously 1 is main feed from battery, a little spade connector takes care of earth, but what about the third one? I presume it distributes power to the rest of the car/ loom but mine seems reluctant, any input appreciated.

[HvdWeerden]

Wiring :-). The third one activates the starter solenoid, it's a kind of relay switching the big current from the battery

[mikel003003]

Hummmm then I wonder if the solenoid is broken.?

[HvdWeerden]

It can get stuck because it is close to the hot exhaust. Take the starter motor out and have it refurbed.

[phillpot]

What colour wires do you have (thick, thin, very thick?) and what shape connectors on the ends?

mikel003003 said:

a little spade connector takes care of earth,

There is no earth wire, it earths through the mounting bolts. You should have an earth strap either between engine and chassis or,as mine is, by the gearbox crossmember.


Big fat cable is live from battery, this goes on the 8mm stud (13mm nut), not the one with the bare braided cable.

Is one of the thinner cables red? this will be the main live feed to "everything else", goes on same terminal.

Is the other one white/red trace? this operates the solenoid, usually a smaller stud/nut.

If you have a little spade connection that is probably spare unless yours is an S1 (you've been away so long I can't remember), in which case it gives a 12 volt supply to the start resistor while the engine is being cranked

Edited by phillpot on Tuesday 7th July 09:22

[mikel003003]

Thanks that's helpful, I think my problem is I've misplaced the 'everything else ' wire it must be in there somewhere.