I give up.. help needed! (RV8 problem)
Discussion
I don't really know where to post this but as I frequent here most often...
The Dax wont start.. well its 50/50..
It has a JE rover v8, i can here the solenoid firing on the starter.. but the motor wont turn over?!..
It now has a new battery (showing 12.75 V).. a recon starter.. and has been working fine for 2 years!.. cant find any problems with wiring.. earth seems (block to chassis) ok?
Any ideas?.. I dont know where to go now..
(also want to go to stoneliegh sat?)!
help very much appreciated!
The Dax wont start.. well its 50/50..
It has a JE rover v8, i can here the solenoid firing on the starter.. but the motor wont turn over?!..
It now has a new battery (showing 12.75 V).. a recon starter.. and has been working fine for 2 years!.. cant find any problems with wiring.. earth seems (block to chassis) ok?
Any ideas?.. I dont know where to go now..
(also want to go to stoneliegh sat?)!
help very much appreciated!
Can you turn the engine over by hand? Well OK, by using a big spanner on the crank pulley...
If it turns over OK then the engine should be OK. If not, then there could be something seriously wrong inside the engine or maybe the starter's jammed on the ring gear. In the latter case try rocking the car backwards and forwards with it in gear, which can often free it - though a spanner on the crank pulley can have the same effect.
If that doesn't work then take the starter off and try turning the engine by hand again. If it turns OK now, put the starter back on and try it again.
If the engine turns over OK by hand fist time you try it, next thing is, you say you can hear the starter solenoid, but is the starter motor itself actually turning? You might have to take it off and 'bench test' it if you can by clamping it a vice and connecting it direct to a battery (hand held connection only to battery obviously). If you can't check it yourself, check Yellow Pages for local auto electricians etc.
Good luck.
Edited to add - don't go the Stoneleigh Saturday because the kit car show's on Sunday and Monday.
If it turns over OK then the engine should be OK. If not, then there could be something seriously wrong inside the engine or maybe the starter's jammed on the ring gear. In the latter case try rocking the car backwards and forwards with it in gear, which can often free it - though a spanner on the crank pulley can have the same effect.
If that doesn't work then take the starter off and try turning the engine by hand again. If it turns OK now, put the starter back on and try it again.
If the engine turns over OK by hand fist time you try it, next thing is, you say you can hear the starter solenoid, but is the starter motor itself actually turning? You might have to take it off and 'bench test' it if you can by clamping it a vice and connecting it direct to a battery (hand held connection only to battery obviously). If you can't check it yourself, check Yellow Pages for local auto electricians etc.
Good luck.
Edited to add - don't go the Stoneleigh Saturday because the kit car show's on Sunday and Monday.
Edited by grahambell on Tuesday 1st May 21:02
grahambell said:
Can you turn the engine over by hand? Well OK, by using a big spanner on the crank pulley...
If it turns over OK then the engine should be OK. If not, then there could be something seriously wrong inside the engine or maybe the starter's jammed on the ring gear. In the latter case try rocking the car backwards and forwards with it in gear, which can often free it - though a spanner on the crank pulley can have the same effect.
If that doesn't work then take the starter off and try turning the engine by hand again. If it turns OK now, put the starter back on and try it again.
If the engine turns over OK by hand fist time you try it, next thing is, you say you can hear the starter solenoid, but is the starter motor itself actually turning? You might have to take it off and 'bench test' it if you can by clamping it a vice and connecting it direct to a battery (hand held connection only to battery obviously). If you can't check it yourself, check Yellow Pages for local auto electricians etc.
Good luck.
Edited to add - don't go the Stoneleigh Saturday because the kit car show's on Sunday and Monday.
If it turns over OK then the engine should be OK. If not, then there could be something seriously wrong inside the engine or maybe the starter's jammed on the ring gear. In the latter case try rocking the car backwards and forwards with it in gear, which can often free it - though a spanner on the crank pulley can have the same effect.
If that doesn't work then take the starter off and try turning the engine by hand again. If it turns OK now, put the starter back on and try it again.
If the engine turns over OK by hand fist time you try it, next thing is, you say you can hear the starter solenoid, but is the starter motor itself actually turning? You might have to take it off and 'bench test' it if you can by clamping it a vice and connecting it direct to a battery (hand held connection only to battery obviously). If you can't check it yourself, check Yellow Pages for local auto electricians etc.
Good luck.
Edited to add - don't go the Stoneleigh Saturday because the kit car show's on Sunday and Monday.
cheers guys.. still no luck.. and no im not going sat! hehe..
the engine turns over and will even run 50% of the time when the starter works.. its the 50/50 chance I dont like..!
The starter is already a recon.. 1 week old cos of the trouble I was having. I havent bench tested it yet will try that this evening....
thanks again
This may sound stupid , but put another earth to the block from a cleaned chassis point , then do the same for the heads,and the g/box some times this works, it did for me with another strange start problem along the same lines.It drove me mad for over 6 months till I dropped a spanner on the block and over to a clean section of chassis and the bloody thing just started straight away .
Dave
Dave
ozzie dave said:
This may sound stupid , but put another earth to the block from a cleaned chassis point , then do the same for the heads,and the g/box some times this works, it did for me with another strange start problem along the same lines.It drove me mad for over 6 months till I dropped a spanner on the block and over to a clean section of chassis and the bloody thing just started straight away .
Dave
Dave
Dave.. ive earthed everything.. seems to be ok at the mo!! has started every time so far..
Thanks for you help/advice peeps..
When the solenoid fires (the click) it also engages a pair of heavy duty contacts at the back which the spins the motor. These contacts can corode and fail to spin the motor (especially if you drown the motor going off-roading! - or that was your starters previos life..)
Easy way to test that theory is to find a chunky bit of steel (or a 3/8 socket) and short out the two bolts on the back of the solenoid (one will have your red battery lead, the other goes into the motor) - and it will spin everytime.
hth
eliot.
Easy way to test that theory is to find a chunky bit of steel (or a 3/8 socket) and short out the two bolts on the back of the solenoid (one will have your red battery lead, the other goes into the motor) - and it will spin everytime.
hth
eliot.
Check the voltage between the battery +ve and -ve terminals when you're trying to start. It should not go lower than 9-10V.
Check the voltage between the starter motor main 12v terminal and the starter motor casing when you are trying to start. It should be close to the battery voltage.
If there's a significant difference (> 1V) then measure the voltage difference difference between the battery 12v and the starter motor main +ve terminal, and between the body of the starter and battery earth, when you are trying to start. They should both be very small (< 0.5V).
If all this seems OK then I would say you have a duff starter motor.
Check the voltage between the starter motor main 12v terminal and the starter motor casing when you are trying to start. It should be close to the battery voltage.
If there's a significant difference (> 1V) then measure the voltage difference difference between the battery 12v and the starter motor main +ve terminal, and between the body of the starter and battery earth, when you are trying to start. They should both be very small (< 0.5V).
If all this seems OK then I would say you have a duff starter motor.
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