Starter motor question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 49
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From: UCKFIELD EAST SUSSEX
Starter motor question
My 1991 due to the high cost of gas spends most of her time in the garage. When I do go to start her after a couple of days sitting in the garage the starter engages with a clunk but the engine does not turn over. If I switch off and try again the starter will spin and start the engine. If I restart her on the same day as she was running there is no problem. Only seems to affect her if she has not run for a few days. She always starts but is there a problem looming ?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Measure the battery voltage when you have someone hit crank position. It should not fall below 9.0 volts or the battery is discharged, battery at the end of its life, or you have poor cable connections to the battery (you can't see this, you have to remove the cables). You can tell if the battery is discharged by measuring the battery voltage under no load. The dash voltmeter reads low when the engine isn't running, so use a separate voltmeter. 12.0 volts and below, discharged, charge the battery up overnight with a battery charger, the alternator wasn't designed to charge up dead batteries. 12.9 volts and above fully charged and linear in between.
Also, you might have a worn starter solenoid. At the end of the starter solenoid stroke two large copper contacts are forced together to switch current to the starter motor. These contacts get burned and pitted over time and eventually don't make a low enough resistance connection to pass the 100+ amps the starter motor requires. These contacts are replaceable. One way to tell if its the contacts, you can repeatedly hit crank position on the ign sw and finally the engine will crank and start. Repeated crank attempts bangs the contacts together and cleans the contacts enough to make a good connection for the starter motor current.
Also, you might have a worn starter solenoid. At the end of the starter solenoid stroke two large copper contacts are forced together to switch current to the starter motor. These contacts get burned and pitted over time and eventually don't make a low enough resistance connection to pass the 100+ amps the starter motor requires. These contacts are replaceable. One way to tell if its the contacts, you can repeatedly hit crank position on the ign sw and finally the engine will crank and start. Repeated crank attempts bangs the contacts together and cleans the contacts enough to make a good connection for the starter motor current.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 385
Likes: 1
From: Olalla Wa
Had about the same thing happen to my 91.How old is your battery? and check the connections on the starter. Mine has no problems since I REALLY cleaned up the connections,and tightened up the nuts. Hope this helps..
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 49
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From: UCKFIELD EAST SUSSEX
Thanks for all your help. I charged up the battery, removed the Ecklers master switch, and she seems fine. I have ordered a new solenoid but I think the master switch, probably made in China, was not helping matters.
