How Do You Test A Starter Motor?

[Goliath 94]

for ages my car has had the problem where you have to turn the key to the 'crank' position several times for the starter to engage. Now however it has completely packed up and dosent start at all so I have changed the starter and guess what..... it dosent work, exactly the same problem, nothing happens when turning the key.

 

So my question is how can one test a starter motor to see if it works before fitting it? I have connected the negative spade connector to the negative on a battery and then connected the positive to one of the bolts on the solenoid, nothing, if I move the positive over to the other bolt on the starter (not the one that the loom connects to) then the starter cog fires out into position to engage the flywheel but dosent spin up. (same on both old and new (second hand) starters)

So what am I doing wrong? Any help would be great as i cant drive either cars atm because the mini has EXACTLY the same problem.

[Anthony 1,000]

Get a set of jump leads - starter body to the battery negative, and the 13mm nut/terminal to the battery positive.

 

Touch the spade connector to the battery positive and the starter should spin.

[Goliath 94]

thanks anthony, got the starter replqaced and running. If only i had a brain to work these things out! lols

[Veero 1]

I found a good way to test a starter motor is to flail around the positive terminal of the starter motor area with a metal tool of some kind without disconnecting the battery, generally a spanner (ie: Me) will make it spin up.

 

Nice shower of sparks and a spinning starter motor for a second.

 

 

FYI: This is NOT recommended.

[welshpug 1,626]

I sort of do that large flat bladed screwdriver works a treat, especially when it goes clicky clicky at a petrol station in the middle of nowhere....