Starter Motor Problem?

[kippax]

Having problems with my starter motor clicking instead of starting (No not a hot start problem but a permanent problem) Just started this week. It Does eventually start up & then all is fine but once stopped will take a few attempts again before turning over.
Is there a quick fix to this as I can't get it into a garage for a couple of weeks & i'm too worried to travel far at the moment in case he decides not to start at all & sods law he does it when the sun is shining Grrrrrrrrr.
I have checked the bible but not too clear on what to do.

Thanks
Howard.

[hut49]

Since the battery seems to be OK maybe it's a dodgy earth? This is a fairly common problem - check the connection to the battery terminal and also the earthing points under the transmission tunnel cover. These can become loose or corroded giving intermittent earthing problems.

[chimyellow]

I have just suffered from a similar problem, which happened regardless of the temperature under the bonnet).
It would sometimes start OK, sometimes start after flicking the key a few times and other times not start until I had persuaded it a little (in my case tapped it with a 1 yard long socket set extension).
Over the last few months it slowly got worse until the other day when it would not start at all!

In the end I took it off the car and bench tested it. It turned out to be the solenoid jamming and therefore not engaging the starting pinion (and therefore not switching the starter motor on).
After some investigation I decided that this was not a DIY repair and replaced the starter motor.
Sorry that this is probably not what you wanted to hear.

I rang around and got prices (by quoting the Bosch part number and not mentioning that it was for a TVR!).
The highest that I was quoted was ~£140 (plus Vat and an exchange surcharge)
In the end I got a replacement from a supplier called MKS in Milton Keynes (number in the phone book). The price of £79.95 (inc Vat) also included delivery to the door in around one hour and a one year warranty. When the replacement arrived it happened to have a different size spade connector on it, so the delivery chap gave me one of the correct size, free!

[raceboy]

Does sound like a sticking solenoid
Carry a long stick in the boot to smack it with, (Basil Faulty styleee) when it sticks, I found trying the key a few times usually worked if it's not to stuck but they can be reconditioned for about £50-£60, the hardest bit is getting it off as it's right under the middle so unless you have a pit/ramps it's a bit of a bugger to get to, your very lucky if you get the right replacement part from the part number