Poor Starting

[ScoobyJawa 22]

Hi all,

 

Been having trouble for a while but after having the old girl laid up for the last few months over the winter, I now want to get it sorted.

 

Basically what happens is when the car turns over it turns really slow, even on a fully charged battery. Now this I believe is most likely an earthing problem as a result of this thread here:

 

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?showtopic=18264

 

So I reckon I need to look at the earth to the passenger wing and also on the gearbox. Where abouts on the gearbox is the earth?

 

Do I also need to look at the wires to the starter or should I start with the above?

 

Also, the other issue I have is when I turn the key, 80% of the time nothing happens. I need to flip the key several times before the car will start turning over (when it does it is slow as above).

 

Any ideas what this could be - is it symptoms of a knackered ignition amplifier? I've had the starter motor replaced so thats only a few years old, and it made things slightly better but only just, and now its back to how it was before so I believe the fault is elsewhere.....

 

Would be grateful of any tips or tricks of what to try and where to look.......

 

Cheers

Neil

Edited March 28, 2009 by ScoobyJawa

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Your slow turning over is either a bad earth as you say, or a bad connection on the main lead from the battery that runs to the starter and the alternator. It is also possibly the starter, but shouldn't be if it has been replaced not so long ago.

 

The issue with it not turning over at all is the small signal wire to the starter, most likely it has either broken down or is high resistance. A likely culprit is the "brown multiplug" that a search will tell you about, but it could also be the wiring itself breaking down in its old age.

[ScoobyJawa 22]

Cheers Tom - I've ordered a multimeter to help me try and find out what sort of currents are flowing around so that should help me narrow it down, also look at the brown multiplug

[philfingers 5]

if you can get at it try pulling the starter solenoid wire (signal wire Tom's mentioned) off and replaceing it with another (will probably need a spade crimp on the end). Then with the ign on in the car touch the wire to the 12v on the battery. Obviously making sure it's not in gear when you stand in front! That'll rule out the starter. If it still does it then could be starter. You can bridge the earth wire out using a jump lead from the battery neg to somewhere on the engine. You can do the same for the positive but need to be very careful not to short it out on anything,

 

Phil

[ScoobyJawa 22]

if you can get at it try pulling the starter solenoid wire (signal wire Tom's mentioned) off and replaceing it with another (will probably need a spade crimp on the end). Then with the ign on in the car touch the wire to the 12v on the battery. Obviously making sure it's not in gear when you stand in front! That'll rule out the starter. If it still does it then could be starter. You can bridge the earth wire out using a jump lead from the battery neg to somewhere on the engine. You can do the same for the positive but need to be very careful not to short it out on anything,

 

Phil

 

Top tip, read a few posts on this but its not been put in laymans terms like that, cheers Phil, should get to the bottom of it with those plans, reckon I'll also solder up the multiplug to keep it out of the equation!! Cheers chaps!