jackmac Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hi all, Got a bit of an electrical gremlin at the moment. If I have the engine running with the heater on, when I go to turn it off with the key the starter motor kicks in just as the engine is stopping. Makes a horrendous noise, and isn't doing my starter / flywheel any good at all. It only happens when I have the heater on. Thus I've reasoned that the heater +ve must be in contact with the starter motor exciter wire somewhere. But I've got no idea where! I can't see the 2 wires anywhere near each other in the engine bay, they don't seem to be touching behind the instrument panel. Do they then just disappear into the bulkhead via the fuse panel, then out of the bulkhead as part of a massive bundle? 300TDi 90, used to be a 2.5N/A but the loom & fuse panel etc was changed as well as the engine. Is there a diagram somewhere that shows the actual route that the wires take? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Check the condition of the ignition switch - they don't last forever and overheating/burning of the contacts inside can cause some very odd effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackmac Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Fairly old, some of the contacts are quite corroded. I would sooner replace that than strip the dashboard to bits looking for 2 wires touching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Have you tried popping out the starter relay to see if it still tries to crank? Will narrow any short down to before or after relay...ie from ign barrel feed down or from relay to starter solenoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Have you tried popping out the starter relay to see if it still tries to crank? Will narrow any short down to before or after relay...ie from ign barrel feed down or from relay to starter solenoid. Does an 86 90 have a starter relay?? reason I ask is mine doesn't and I've a bizarre starter fault too. Sometimes my starter operates in the glow plug position, certainly couldn't find a relay when I was looking for the cause of that fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 My 87 with 200 tdi fitted never had one, just a straight feed from the ignition barrel to the starter solenoid. Your fault could be a worn barrel though, just making contact when held in the pre-heat position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 My 87 with 200 tdi fitted never had one, just a straight feed from the ignition barrel to the starter solenoid. Your fault could be a worn barrel though, just making contact when held in the pre-heat position. Hi Scott, that was my first thought too so I fitted a genuine ignition switch which seemed to cure it for a while but now the fault has returned :-( Fitting a Disco 200TDi over the weekend and hoping to find the wiring loom chaffed or damaged somewhere. Methinks that's possibly Jack's problem too. Cheers, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Don't mean to hijack this thread peeps but I've just pulled the engine out of the 'Old Girl' and found my intermittent fault and I think Jack's may be something similar. Mine was the thick white wire with red tracer rubbing on the thick yellow wire with black tracer that supplies the heater plugs. Just at the back of the cylinder head, they'd both had their insulation rubbed away and the copper strands were occasionally touching. Methinks the heater motor and starter wires will be doing something similar as the engine shakes to a stop. Good luck, Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackmac Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Cheers. I'll have to have a deeper look at whatever I can see of the relevant wires this weekend, failing that replace the ignition when time allows. In the mean time, I'll keep turning it off with the battery master switch instead of the ignition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red-dragon Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Sounds like the ignition switch wires are touching, on a diesel there is a heater inhibitor terminal next door to the exciter (or 'tickler'). Could be loose connection/insulation missing/ignition switch buggered. Look in that vicinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.