Intermittent Starting Issue

[Snakes]

Weird problem this. I've had my engine rebuilt and reinstalled and ever since, whilst the engine starts properly from cold, when hot and trying to restart, only sometimes, the starter motor just about turns over (i.e. all the symptoms of a flat battery) and then the engine catches and fires. This happens 70 - 80% of the time.

The car has been back to the dealer after the first 1k miles to check gaps, etc. and whilst there they checked all the starter motor connections and earths. But today, fired up from cold well, as usual, did 15 miles, locked car, came back and turned on ignition, car went through the starting sequence, turned the key to start - nothing, not even the usual very slow starter motor turning experience. Pressed the fob to lock the car (whilst still in the car), pressed again to unlock and then started fine.

Got home, didn't lock the car and then tried to restart and got the very slow starter symptom. Turned off and tried a restart and fine.

Any ideas?

[snmvaio]

Hi

I had this on mine although i have only owned it for a few wks, my TVR dealer reckons the starter motor needs replacing, sounds like a similar problem but could be wrong.

Stephen

[Targarama]

Sounds like a hot starting problem, and if they have really checked the connections are tight then it is probably the starter or solenoid.

[Snakes]

Thanks Guys. Dealer - next stop!

[g.beeton]

cured mine by sorting out the battery leads and cleaning all the earths, i even added extra earth straps....not had single problem since

[Snakes]

Thanks Gary. You may be right but you'd think it would show as a sluggish start up sequence prior to cranking the starter - especially on the occasion when the starter did not crank at all?

[G_Sleigh]

That happened to me once chap.. Only ever once mind..

Runs perfectly. starts fine in most conditions but then 1 day symptoms of flat battery without 1 and wouldnt start for love nor money. 3 hours later.. started. strange.

[ropey]

I had something similar on my car - turned out to be a knackered battery. Does yours tend to do it more if you've had more things switched on in the car (ie, light, a/c, radio)? Using the car would drain the battery so if I tried to start again straight after a long run, it would have trouble turning over. But if I left the car 30 mins, all would be fine again, as the battery would regenerate itself.

Replaced the battery and all 100% fine now - car turns over the same whether hot or cold.

Give it a go before replacing the starter motor - certainly much cheaper!

Ropey