Clicking and intermittent starter motor turning

[Bremar 7]

Just a quick question maybe. The car always starts but the irregular click but no starter turning remains.  
Surely the Click is from the solenoid trying to engage the starter motor and so the problem is never with the Brown connector or indeed with the connection of the black wire to the starter solenoid (unless the car just won’t start). Not really thinking I originally launched into finding and cleaning the brown plug, but the issue persists. Surely the single click  is actually the starter solenoid kicking in so the problem must be elsewhere - say the connections inside the solenoid or the starter motor main connections or  the starter motor? Or am I misdirecting myself? 
thank you Bremar 

Edited August 14 by Bremar

[PhilNW 67]

The red wire from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid has been a common reported problem.

 

Try running a jumper wire from the small solenoid terminal to the battery to check it turning over every time you touch it to the battery terminal 

[welshpug 1,736]

it absolutely can be the brown connetor, or red wire on the ignition switch, every joint or wire that has more resistance than intended will lead to a voltage drop, a voltage drop will prevent the solenoid from travelling its full sweep and making contact completing the circuit and firing up the starter motor.

 

dont forget the solenoid also does the task of throwing out the gear into mesh with the flywheel.

[Leslie green 165]

Having the same issue now click no start but if I cycle the key back and forth about the 3rd go it spins over fine , had brand new valeo starter during restoration and the battery is also brand new , infact it only started when the battery was swapped but that could well be a coincidence as it wasn't used for approx 6 weeks . I currently suspect the original style clamp on the negative of the battery as I couldn't get a new one at a sensible price !

[DamirGTI 364]

Even slight oxidation on the starter solenoid terminal was enough to cause similar issue i found on various other cars .. same thing on battery terminals , a lot of new batteries tend to have porous areas around the +/- terminals which leak acid vapour and that just makes things worse .. 

 

Just cleaning that crap and tightening the connection at times does the trick , and vaseline/silicone spray protect over .. 

 

Can be worn ignition barrel too , common on 205's and other older PSA cars , as well as copper wire strands going bad considerable lenght underneath the insulation making funky stuff with current flow ..

Try to wiggle the key a bit whilst turning ..

[welshpug 1,736]

probably the simplest way to resolve the issue is to add a relay and a fresh fused power supply, using the original trigger wire to pull in a Relay coil is far less demanding on the original wiring.

[ATK 158 2 Cars]

Mine occasionally clicks and doesn’t start until a couple of tries, quite keen to do the relay mod I’ve read about, as a fix and forget - is there a guide about exactly how to do it?  

[Bremar 7]

Thanks PhilNW, in my case  as the engine and all ancillaries are still in place and the wire to the solenoid is bolted on I didn’t think it was a safe option to do temporarily.
1. Taking up your idea and Leslie Greens. I had forgot that the solenoid has 2 functions 1. is to make the connection for power to operate the starter motor and 2. to actually throw the starter motor into gear, so it does  need a a fair bit of current which can be lost between the ignition switch and the solenoid because there is no “relay” to provide full power to the solenoid. It all has to go through the ignition switch which wears.

2. As DamirGTI  says like everyone else is saying the ignition switch and everything else in the circuit wears, so I’m going to put in a relay as  Welshpug and others suggest. 

3. I am going to put the relay by the dash taking the feed from the ignition switch to operate the switching side of the relay. Just need to consider which wires do what. 

4. Welshpug you suggest it is a red wire tho I was going to look for a blue wire as suggested in this French wiring diagram for the 205 ( be = blue).
5. I’ll do a YouTube vid just because I’ll never remember what I’ve done when I next look at the car otherwise 

Thanks everone , Bremar .  

[PhilNW 67]

I was not suggesting doing it as a temporary option but just enough to test/prove it was the red wire from ignition switch to the solenoid that was the problem. In my case I ran a new wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid, not had a problem since.

[ATK 158 2 Cars]

On 8/19/2026 at 7:45 AM, PhilNW said:

I was not suggesting doing it as a temporary option but just enough to test/prove it was the red wire from ignition switch to the solenoid that was the problem. In my case I ran a new wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid, not had a problem since.

Hi Phil I’m considering doing the same on my 1.9 phase 1.5 - do you mind explaining exactly how you did it? Cheers!

[ALEX 104 1 Cars]

The problem seemed to come from the contacts in the ignition barrel for me. I by-passed everything else and still had the click... click..  

It  seems as if enough current isn't getting though.

Relay mod worked for me. Really simple idea by using the ignition wire from the ignition barrel to activate a relay instead of going direct to the starter

To do the mod you'll need to find that wire going from the ignition barrel to the fuse board I think its wire 46 (I could be wrong but I'll use it to reference). 

Pin 30 - Fresh 12V positive feed directly from the battery terminal (use thick gauge wire and an inline 20A or 25A fuse close to the battery).

Pin 85 - Relay Coil (Trigger Input) - Original ignition wire (46) should be 12v with ignition switch held on.

Pin 87 - Original ignition wire (46) the same wire going to the starter  

Pin 86 -  Connect to a clean chassis ground or the negative battery terminal.

 

I think the above is correct. I'm sure one pin 85 isn't used. I'm hoping another forum member will double check

as mentioned elsewhere you need to use the trigger input before the fuse box, as the circuit after (inside the engine bay) shares a positive feed for the SAD and will cause the trigger to stay activated. 

something like this will do the trick :-

12V Automotive Relay - 5 Pin - NO/NC Changeover Contacts (SPDT) + Mount + Socket | eBay UK

shop around I bought a pack of 5 for not much more. 

 

 

 

[bacardincoke 48 1 Cars]

Just done this on the MK2 Golf... principle's identical, though the execution will be different I'd image, because of space constraints / location of starter and such.

 

The rest of the system needs to be up to scratch, it'll not remedy a failing ignition switch / poor pos. and neg. cables / bad earths etc., merely protect / give longevity to what's good and already there.

 

12v can be got direct from the starter instead of running a longer cable from the battery, if it suits.

 

,Relay size and wire gauge / fuse size will have to be calculated, the Golf was 40A and 12 AWG / 20a fuse, but a 205's needs may well differ..

 

Interesting about the SAD complicating things, good that you mentioned it... no where near thinking of doing this on the Peugeot, but will be ultimately.