Starter motor, symptoms and part No?

[Uncle Fester]

When my 500 serp is cold it starts perfectly.

It is fitted with the mod-wise hot start kit.

When its hot it sometimes behaves as though the battery is flat.

Ignition on, pump primes, volt meter to 12V.

Turn key to start.

Solenoid engages.

Volt meter plunges to the bottom of the scale.

Starter begins to crank at low speed just as though the battery were flat.

Fuel pump can be heard stuttering.

Car fails to start and cranking slows to a halt.

Release key, volt meter returns to 12V and fuel pump returns to normal.

battery is late 2004 and has been discharge tested.

Bump it at once, or let it cool down and it starts no problem.



Could this be anything other than the starter motor needing replacement?

I reason that it is siezing up when hot and putting a big enough electrical drain to stop the fuel pump opperating. Hence no start.



Now there are several makes available, Bosch, Land Rover original (who actually makes those for LR) and some cheap South African. Plus any others I don't know about.



I hear the cheap one is not robust enough, but which is the best available Bosch or LR?



Anyone know the Bosch part number?



TIA



Fester

Edited by Uncle Fester on Wednesday 23 May 22:31

[David Beer]

Mine would crank slowly when hot, fitted a short earth braid from battery neg to the engine block, sorted.

[Griff Boy]

David Beer said:

Mine would crank slowly when hot, fitted a short earth braid from battery neg to the engine block, sorted.

I had exactly the same problem, took Davids advice (and bought an earth cable from him) fitted it recently, all seems to be fine now. Good advice.

[Talkwrench]

David Beer said:

Mine would crank slowly when hot, fitted a short earth braid from battery neg to the engine block, sorted.

Yup!
Thats the cure.
Fit a secondary earth lead from the negative of the battery straight to the engine block.
It takes about 30 minutes and it works every time.

[Uncle Fester]

I popped along to auto electricians, Kings Auto's of Strood, Kent. Has anyone here used them?
The guy seemed to know his way around a TVR and talked about others he had worked on.

There are a couple of little bits that want sorting, so they are going to fit the extra earth, eliminate the 100A fuse and fix the air-con next week.

While it’s in there are there any other electrical modifications for reliability that I should get done? I just want to get them all done at once and make it as electrically reliable as possible.

So far I have fitted.

Mod-Wise two speed fan kit.
Hot start kit.
Temperature gauge sender adapter.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Fester