starter problems

espguitarist33 · 10-06-2009, 07:22 PM

okay....so my car has been starting fine all week...absolutly dandy. I just took it for its maiden voyage out of the garage after the st swap.

I brought it back and turned it off. Now i want it back in the garage and it wont start.

The starter relay clicks and then it turns for half a second and then nothing at all...i even have a battery charger jumper attatched. The starter power wire isnt loose because i just tightened it!...cant imagine what it could be?

espguitarist33 · 10-06-2009, 07:35 PM

and if i leave the key down it cranks VERY VERY slowly like swish 1 2 4 5 6 tiny movement 1 2 3 4 5

dirocyn · 10-08-2009, 12:40 PM

You've probably got corrosion in a connection somewhere, your starter isn't getting 12V. I had this issue with an MG Midget I'm also working on, checked with a voltmeter and found 12.5v between battery posts, but only 3.5v between the + terminal and ground post. Check inside the positive battery terminal first. Those things oxidize surprisingly fast when they're not hooked up to anything.

If the battery terminal's ok, get somebody to try and crank your car while you're holding the voltmeter to the big post on the starter. If you're getting 12.5V at the starter and it won't turn the engine, it's probably a bad starter.

espguitarist33 · 10-08-2009, 01:24 PM

i havnt tryed it out but mr220v has led me to believe its because for hwatever reason i grounded the engine block instead of the trans on the drivers side...and i noticed that the passengers side ground had complelty disconnected havnt tryed it yet htough

dirocyn · 10-08-2009, 02:08 PM

That's possible too. You have to have a good ground path for the starter. If you don't have a path to ground, your electrics won't work. Here's a real quick test--take your jumper cables, attach one from the negative post to something metal on the transmission. If it starts you've found the issue plus made a temporary fix.

espguitarist33 · 10-08-2009, 02:17 PM

well i know for a fact the starter grounds through the transmission and for a fact that currently the transmission has no ground to it..and the engine had two when it worked and 1 when it didnt....i'm gunna go on a 95% or more chance that if i fix the grounds it'l work

10-06-2009, 07:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 528 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	starter problems okay....so my car has been starting fine all week...absolutly dandy. I just took it for its maiden voyage out of the garage after the st swap. I brought it back and turned it off. Now i want it back in the garage and it wont start. The starter relay clicks and then it turns for half a second and then nothing at all...i even have a battery charger jumper attatched. The starter power wire isnt loose because i just tightened it!...cant imagine what it could be?

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10-06-2009, 07:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 528 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	and if i leave the key down it cranks VERY VERY slowly like swish 1 2 4 5 6 tiny movement 1 2 3 4 5

10-08-2009, 12:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
dirocyn Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 1,181 Thanks: 14 Thanked 110 Times in 108 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	You've probably got corrosion in a connection somewhere, your starter isn't getting 12V. I had this issue with an MG Midget I'm also working on, checked with a voltmeter and found 12.5v between battery posts, but only 3.5v between the + terminal and ground post. Check inside the positive battery terminal first. Those things oxidize surprisingly fast when they're not hooked up to anything. If the battery terminal's ok, get somebody to try and crank your car while you're holding the voltmeter to the big post on the starter. If you're getting 12.5V at the starter and it won't turn the engine, it's probably a bad starter.

10-08-2009, 01:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 528 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	i havnt tryed it out but mr220v has led me to believe its because for hwatever reason i grounded the engine block instead of the trans on the drivers side...and i noticed that the passengers side ground had complelty disconnected havnt tryed it yet htough

10-08-2009, 02:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
dirocyn Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 1,181 Thanks: 14 Thanked 110 Times in 108 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	That's possible too. You have to have a good ground path for the starter. If you don't have a path to ground, your electrics won't work. Here's a real quick test--take your jumper cables, attach one from the negative post to something metal on the transmission. If it starts you've found the issue plus made a temporary fix.

10-08-2009, 02:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 528 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	well i know for a fact the starter grounds through the transmission and for a fact that currently the transmission has no ground to it..and the engine had two when it worked and 1 when it didnt....i'm gunna go on a 95% or more chance that if i fix the grounds it'l work