Starter Motor Problem?

[feb 47]

Hello,

I got a text from the wife that the car won't start (it had a new battery a few weeks ago having the same problem). RAC man came to jump start it but it wouldn't start either. He said it sounds like a starter motor problem. Could it be a sticky solenoid? The car has only been used a couple of times since last August and has been sitting around most of the time.

How easy is it to replace the starter motor? The car will be towed back to Dorchester in the next couple of days and I was aiming of coming back to UK to drive it back to Greece but have no faith now.

Is there a fellow member near Dorchester that could help me have a look/replace the starter motor or point me to a good local garage where I could have it towed to be checked?

Thanks

Fivos

[Daxed 7]

Fivos,

 

Your inbox is full.

 

Got a PM for you,

 

Cheers

[philfingers 5]

easiest way to get to the starter motor is to drain and remove the radiator.

If you're palnning on driving it to Greece I think I'd buy a new one or recon one for state ot mind!

Would take me an hour on mine to replace it, knowing I won't have any problems with getting bolts undone or anything.

[madspikes 41 1 Cars]

I'm in Dorchester and willing to give you a hand.

 

It could just be the electrics to the solenoid... Mine gave me loads of stick.

 

 

Mad.

Edited December 5, 2007 by madspikes

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Is it for a 205 Gti?

They're aren't the easiest of starters to change as you need to remove either the inlet manifold, (Which will cost you a new inlet manifold gasket) or the radiator. It is possible to change the starter without removing either of these, but expect grazed knuckles and it's near damn impossible if you have a PAS as the reservoir bottle is in the way.

Removing the starter from any car is not an hard job, depending on the access to remove it.

They are all mostly bolted to the gearbox (which also uses that as an earth) and have two wires, Main feed and a switch wire.

Do a bench test if you can before you buy a new starter, chances are it's a dodgy connection.

[jackherer 543]

you need to remove either the inlet manifold, (Which will cost you a new inlet manifold gasket) or the radiator.

 

Some people have to remove them, not everyone

[feb 47]

I'm in Dorchester and willing to give you a hand.

 

It could just be the electrics to the solenoid... Mine gave me loads of stick.

Mad.

 

Hello Mad,

I appreciate this. I will probably contact you as I don't have much clue on where to start. I aim to come back to UK this month or by January latest.

I have had problems starting the car before and once it was the tachymetric relay, second time was the wiring to the tachymetric relay that one of the previous owners of the car must have bodged (5 different solderings within a distance of 5 cm! )

Where abouts are you based? You can PM me.

I am at Crossways.

Thanks a lot,

Fivos

[sorr 0]

Before you buy another starter and strip the car check it is not a wiring issue. Easy way to do this is long screw driver onto the starter solenoid terminial, attach jump lead to batter positive then touch jump lead on the screw driver shaft. Just be careful not touch the screw driver shaft against the inlet manifold or any other metalic bit of the engine.

 

Having quiet a bit of starter changing experience due to the evil brown multiplug , which no longer exists on my car , it can be changed without removing anything. But for the 10 minutes it takes to remove and replace the radiator leaving it in place is not worth it.

Edited December 5, 2007 by sorr

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

As Sorr said check the connections on the starter motor as they corrode and are normally the problem.

If you need to remove the starter you can remove it without removing the rad or inlet manifold. It drops down between the block and rad quite nicely although not easily. Took me about 30 minutes to swap out before.

[madspikes 41 1 Cars]

I think it all depends on if you have a big or small starter motor as there seems to be two sizes. I know when I went to change my motor (it was a bigg'en) there wasnt any way it was going to fit between the block and the rad, or come out any other way.

 

Mad.

[jackherer 543]

You can swap the big starters without removing anything, its tight and it needs to be rotated a few times to clear everything and I'm not claiming its easy but it CAN be done, I've done it several times. The worst thing about changing the starter is the bloody rear support bracket if it still has one fitted.

[feb 47]

UPDATE> After chatting with the wife in more detail about what happened a few weeks ago when the RAC came to jump start it, the car actually did start but there was a loud bang from the exhaust and it switched off. They tried again and the same thing happened until they were unable to start it again. I remember a few years ago having the same problem (when the car was not used regularly) that disappeared by itself. Could it be a leaky injector causing it to run rich and cause the bang on startup?