starter-motor acting funny

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 22 Jul 2005 04:45 am

Okey, it has it that i'v experienced some trouble starting my 340...
This other day i was at the store, and parked my car. When i came back and was supposed to start it, the starter-motor went off, everything seems to work fine, but the engine wouldnt start. I ended up pushing the car 50meters to a down hill, and put it in gear, this worked fine (exept people was looking funny at me

) This happend one more time, and i had to push it again. Then i chanched sparkplugs and thought it would help, but i was wrong. Same thing happend... but this time, in stead of pumping the gas-pedal (i usually do this a couple of time before i start the engine, while turning the key) i hold the gas-pedal down to the floor, and it started fine after some struggeling.

I'v changed the + battery-pole, and cleaned the wire to the starter-motor, but it dont seems to help. Think it could be that there is a bad connection somewhere in the wire to the startermotor? The startermotor couldn't be broken as the car startes normally most of the time (sounds a little as i'm starting on empty battery though, but i recently bought a new battery).

And, when chancing sparkplugs, there was some, not much, but a little oil on the old sparkplugs, should that be there?

Dont have start-problems every time i start the car, but they seems to come in the most unplesant times...

Thanks for any help

Post by **classicswede** » 24 Jul 2005 11:04 am

Have you cheacked the earth lead?
Is the starter turning slowly? If it is always sluggish It could need replacing, if you have a 1.7 engine you could fit a slim one from a 400'series, they do seem to turn over faster.
Hope something from here is of help

Dai

Post by **pettaw** » 24 Jul 2005 02:10 pm

The recon ones from the dealer turn a heck of a lot faster than the originals. Also, you shouldn't really be pumping the pedal when starting. When cold, just pull the choke and don't touch the gas. When hot, apply part gas and turn the key.

Cleaning the terminals on the battery and also the starter connections itself is a good idea, as is cleaning the engine and starter earth strap.

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 24 Jul 2005 02:53 pm

hehe, i do completly opposite, pumps the gas on cold engine, and just turn the key on hot engine

gets pretty cold up here.

but it seems to me as the starter is ok, but when turning the key its sounds like it struggeling (hard to explaine, but it got the same signs as when i try to start on flat battery. i hear the starter struggle, and the dash-lights (oil and battery) is flashing a bit).

Have a feeling it's the wire to the starter-motor, but i am not sure. as i'm moving at the moment i'm kind of short on cash, so to buy original parts is out of the question. going to the scrap tomorrow, gonna look for a wire and a starter. Can i use a starter from any car, or does it have to be a 300 ? (no, dont got any 400's on the scrap here in norway, only 200 and 300, and lots of german and japanese cars)

cheers

Post by **pettaw** » 24 Jul 2005 05:07 pm

If your lights are blinking like you've got a flat battery then you don't need a new starter, you need a can of electrical cleaner, clean every connection, right from the battery to the starter.

One question did you put a good battery on it with enough CCA to handle the car? It IS possible the battery is too low capacity to handle the load of the starter, particularly if you've got cold weather up there.

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 24 Jul 2005 09:34 pm

Brand new battery, 68ah. Cleaned everything up, even changhet the +pole on the battery, and bouth a new one whit a nice protection roof over.

Had the battery for about two months now, and it's just recently i'v had problems, so it would be strange that the battery suddenly wasn't good enough.

Post by **pettaw** » 24 Jul 2005 10:01 pm

I wonder if the alternator isn't charging the battery properly.

Once the cars up and running, put a Voltmeter across the battery terminals and check the voltage. Then turn on every single piece of electrical equipment you can think of.

Put the voltmeter back on the battery and check again, bring the revs up until the voltage stops rising and stays steady. Should be around 13.5-14Volts. If its much lower, then you need to check/clean the terminals coming from the alternator. You MIGHT need a new alternator, but check/clean everything up first.

Post by MJ » 24 Jul 2005 11:43 pm

I nearly always pump the pedal a little

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 25 Jul 2005 08:32 pm

The fat red cable from the + on the battery, this is the wire to the starter, right? Anyway, took it off (not from the battery, but from the place it goes in down on the engine) and cleaned it. Then, i saw a smaller wire who went in behind it, who had melted in seweral places. Replaced it and things seems to be fine. Not sure yet, but think i'v might found the problem and fixed it.

Thanks for all the tips

Post by **Chris_C** » 25 Jul 2005 11:08 pm

You might have sovled a sympton there mate, but wires shouldn't be melting!!! Try and find the cause, as if you replace wire like for like it might happen again, if you put bigger cable in it could move the problem elsewhere!

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 26 Jul 2005 03:36 am

the problem was not hard to find, the wires is fastened with a bolt to the chassie, this had broke off (dont know how, but this was strange). Some of the pipes and cables in this area gets pretty hot, and when the cable just is hanging around there... would not expect anything else...

Now the cables is fastened, and good isolated with strong tape. Should be allright.

Got a couple of weeks left before the summer is over, and is thinking of replacing the starter as i think it's a bit slow. Any tips what kind of starter i should use (from what car) ?

Also gonna replace the choke-wire (as it lock's itself when i pull it all the way out), and gonna change one of the frontsides (as it got some rust, and is mashed pretty badly), if i get a hold of the right tool to get the door off. So is probably gonna ask for some more help later

cheers

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 10 Aug 2005 02:53 pm

bringing this back up

did not solve the problem afterall.

now i have changed everything of wires related to the starter, and still the same problem.

but, the starter goes fine on cold engine, problem only seems to come up on a hot engine. dunno what this could be good for...

anyone know what the problem could be? was on the scrap today, but all the 300's is 1.4 or 2.0, none 1.7 as i have. and my starter is totally different from the 1.4 and 2.0, it's kind of on top of the motor facing backwards if you know what i mean.

thanks for any suggestions

Post by **morgan105** » 10 Aug 2005 08:00 pm

The starter motor solenoid may be breaking up as it gets hotter in the engine bay, new starter or getting it reconditioned should solve it if it is starter motor problems. Worse scenario is that it could be the engine partially seizing as it gets hot and the pistons are getting tight in their bores, check to make sure the oil pump is working correctly and the oil passageways are clear, including the oil pick up pipe, as the oil might not be circulating properly to lubricate all the moving parts.
The later may be evident if the car seems to struggle with speeds as the engine gets hotter. If there is no problems with overall running then you are more then likely just looking at a starter motor fault.

morgan105