I have been having problems with starting my car. The engine turns over very slowly and gives a good impression of a dead battery (even when fully charged.

So yesterday I bought a new starter motor form the local motor factors. when taking the old one off, i did the cardinal sin and forgot to disconnect the battery before trying to undo the terminals shorting out soon reminded me. i fitted the new starter and turned the key

the new starter did not turn at all, the solnoid clicked but the motor was dead. took the starter off again and cleaned all the terminals and remounted the motor. again only the solnoid clicked. all the lights work so the battery is not dead.


its just a long shot but does anyone know if there are any other reasons for a started motor
A) turning over very slowly

B)not turning over at all.

i would be grateful for any comments lads???

regards

Ditch

Check and clean all the connections, including the battery and engine earths. Sometimes a bad connection will let enough current through to make it look like it's all OK, but won't let through the very high current needed for starting.

Note that the engine earth strap is a common failure point!

David

what engine is it (crossflow)?
have you checked the earth lead?
are all the conecctions clean?

sounds like a bad earth

quote:

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Originally posted by ditchlewis
I have been having problems with starting my car. The engine turns over very slowly and gives a good impression of a dead battery (even when fully charged.

So yesterday I bought a new starter motor form the local motor factors. when taking the old one off, i did the cardinal sin and forgot to disconnect the battery before trying to undo the terminals shorting out soon reminded me. i fitted the new starter and turned the key

the new starter did not turn at all, the solnoid clicked but the motor was dead. took the starter off again and cleaned all the terminals and remounted the motor. again only the solnoid clicked. all the lights work so the battery is not dead.


its just a long shot but does anyone know if there are any other reasons for a started motor
A) turning over very slowly

B)not turning over at all.

i would be grateful for any comments lads???

regards

Ditch

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check everything!
take a power supply straight from the battery and place it on the starter motor
if it spins up then you know its not the starter, and go back and check everything!!



[Edited on 4/12/05 by ch1ll1]

[Edited on 4/12/05 by ch1ll1]

Apart from the good advice on earth straps and connections.

Give the battery a decent charge then put a voltmeter across the battery - modern type battery in good condition should read over 12.5 volts with everything off. 12.2 is ok for a modern battery that has seen a lot of years use. Old fashioned batteries will read 11.8 volts if they have a half decent charge.

Keep the voltmeter accross battery and crank the engine -- it should read 10 to 11 volts if it drops to 6 volts the battery is goosed same applies if it drops to 6 volts then rises slowly to 9 volts. If you get a reading about 7 or 8 volts then suspect starter windings are shorting.

[Edited on 4/12/05 by britishtrident]

are yoou sure the gearing engages??

i thoug that the solenoid also is the switch for the motor, sow if the gear doesn't engage then there is now starter signal..

try to run the starter motor direct from the battery... if it turns then you know its not the engine..

also make sure car isn't in gear..

(a small joke)

Tks

Some of the big red wires on fords have fuse link wire in them, usualy at the alternator end. Check continuity of the starter cable. Over advanced ignition can slow turnover when trying to start.

I'm with the bad earth brigade as well although you could try a test bulb on the starter motor side of the solenoid just to make sure the things working.

Many thanks lads

i will try all the suggestions.

the engine is a "new" 2.1 pinto from Vulcan. at first i thought the engine too big for the battery to turn over. the earth on the engine is good, but the "new" starter motor had paint all over the connectors that i had to clean off. what i did not check was the face between the motor and the block, of this has paint on it there will be no electrical connection and hence no earth.

once again many thanks

Ditch

Check you have a good wire from a bellhousing bolt to your chassis earth, even from one of the starter bolt heads, just to be sure.

Little tip to anyone else using a pinto , if you have to change the starter get one for an automatic which has more turning power . Think this originaly came from David Vizard and CCC.