Starter Problem

[mikesr]

I fitted a new starter which seems to be intermittently faulty. I would appreciate the PH knowledge base on starter problems to confirm or otherwise

Sometimes it fires up OK. Other times there is a loud click from the starter solenoid but it doesn't spin.

I took it off and hooked it up to the battery with jump leads. 12V applied to the appropriate wire fires it up every time - gear flies out and motor spins.

Thinking it might be a low voltage on the starter feed I've wired in a relay with a feed direct from the battery.

But after refitting it I still get the same problem - sometimes OK, sometimes loud click from stater but nothing else.

Battery is fully charged and I didn't have this problem with the previous starter (it has a worn gearbox that won't engage - just makes a nasty grating noise)

I am presuming this has nothing to do with the mythical immobiliser issue since I am getting power to the starter feed wire every time (I have a voltmeter wired in sat on the windscreen to confirm this)

I think the starter solenoid is sticking.

Any comments welcome

[JensenA]

I'd say you have been supplied with a faulty Starter Motor, some firms are supplying the wrong ones.
Last month I drove up to Euphoria Racing to have a new starter motor fitted. After he had fitted it, we started the car up, and it worked first time. Tried it again, and it just clicked, then clicked, then started, then just clicked, so on and so on. He checked for wiring problems, votlage drops everything, amd couldn't fins any reason why the Motor was just clicking. Steve Howard rang Racing Green (who had supplied the new motor) and told them the Motor was faulty, they told him they had another one in stock, if I could get down there they would exchange it and fit it FOC. Drove down and had the new one fitted, it was physically different to the original 'new' one they had supplied, it had a bigger solenoid housing. When they had fitted the replacement one, it started first time, and started every time, never had any problems with it in 2 months.
If you can fins nothing wrong with your car, then get back to the suppliers and tell them the motor is faulty/incorrect, and give them the above information. Bear in mind that 99% of these so called new starter motors that are on sale are actually refurbished ones, and are not always to original spec.

[mikesr]

Thanks JensenA. Good to know the intermittent 'fault' has happened before.
I'm going get another starter FOC this week. I just hope its from a different manufacturer. If its identical it will no doubt have the same problem.

mikesr