Non-start issue away in France - LR110CSW 200Tdi

[jeremy996]

This will cause some of you a wry smile.

I'm away in France with my wife and sister. My Land Rover 110CSW 200Tdi is playing up by refusing to start on the key. There is a click from the solenoid but no starter spinning. This morning it started with a jump start from a fellow visitor, but even with the jump, most of the times it just clicked. After a load of attempts it just started and then was fine for the morning. This evening it failed to restart at Disneyland Paris, so we roll-started it across the car park in reverse, (to take advantage of the slope). 

The battery seems to be OK- i've no method of testing it, but when its working the starter spins quickly and the ammeter shows only the usual amount of charge. 

Any suggestions to sort a sticky solenoid or suggestions of what else might be wrong? Any suggestions on independents in the area who may be able to fix it? The nearest town is Coulommiers. I have 2 sets of combi-spanners and a set of screwdrivers.

[hurbie]

sounds to me the starter motor is on it's way out

[Retroanaconda]

Might be worth trying to remove and refit the battery and starter motor connections if you can reach them. This can be caused by an intermittent bad connection.

[smallfry]

Engine earth strap ? Loose or corroded connection ? If there even is one ?

Most likely solenoid on top of starter if its not a poor connection.

[Eightpot]

Put a jump lead from battery neg to engine block - if it starts you need to clean up your earths.

If it still clicks from the solenoid your starter is failing or not throwing out (gummed with mud/carbon)

[Snagger]

Eightpot’s recommendation is a very good one.  While the fault could be an internal solenoid issue, the earth straps on all land rovers are very common starter failure causes.  I now have two, one original strap in the standard location with copious amounts of Vaseline applied to prevent corrosion, and another from the aircon pump mountings direct to the battery (300Tdi RRC, so the battery is nearby).  Another symptom of this earth failure is a sticking hand brake - the cable acts as an alternate earth and gets hot, melting the Teflon coating and causing it to seize.

[jeremy996]

Being able to follow orders, I have tried the jump lead from the negative terminal to the engine block. No change, so I guess the solenoid/starter is duff. Bloody thing!

If I can get it rolling, I can start it within a metre or two, so I'm parking on a hill. Getting off at EuroTunnel Le Shuttle is likely to be fun.

[Snagger]

If you have a long piece of bar or wood (1”x1” would be ideal), place the end against the starter motor solenoid and give the top end a thump with a moderately heavy object (a shoe would suffice in the absence of a hammer or half brick) while someone else turns the key.  That may free the sticky solenoid to get you going each time until you can replace it.  Just be careful of making short circuits if you use a metal bar - there are several terminals on the end of the solenoid block.

 

 

[jeremy996]

Well, I'm back home and in one piece. The Land Rover is on my wife's hit list, so it needs to shape up or it will be scrapped/sold into slavery.

i've been roll-starting it all week, parking it on slight inclines, heating the glow plugs and dropping the clutch when it was rolling. Getting it running on Le Shuttle was a bit fraught, the train is on the level, so the initial push didn't start it, so we had to push it over the join between the two carriages and get some speed up before I clambered back in and engaged first and dropped the clutch.  

The train stewards who saw the whole pantomime on the monitors, waved and mimed a feat of great strength!

Suggestions for a decent starter motor? I'll pull this one off and see what is amiss; it's probably done 100k.

[western]

A Bosch or Valeo is the factory fit starter,  mine was replaced a few months ago. I will have a look at the box & post the details, when I get up & about, it came from a local auto electrics supplier.

Actual origin is Allmakes. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by western
Photo added

[Maverik]

On 9/29/2019 at 12:57 AM, jeremy996 said:

Well, I'm back home and in one piece. The Land Rover is on my wife's hit list, so it needs to shape up or it will be scrapped/sold into slavery.

i've been roll-starting it all week, parking it on slight inclines, heating the glow plugs and dropping the clutch when it was rolling. Getting it running on Le Shuttle was a bit fraught, the train is on the level, so the initial push didn't start it, so we had to push it over the join between the two carriages and get some speed up before I clambered back in and engaged first and dropped the clutch.  

The train stewards who saw the whole pantomime on the monitors, waved and mimed a feat of great strength!

Suggestions for a decent starter motor? I'll pull this one off and see what is amiss; it's probably done 100k.

Well done  

I've rebuilt a few starter motors now, there are a lot of Valeo parts to be found on ebay, less Bosch. I resorted to this after I kept finding stuff from china and they're just not up to the job imho.

If its just the solenoid thats gone, see of you can find a replacement. They're quite easily rebuild able.

[Escape]

I'd get the starter rebuild, if you can find a good place locally. A lot cheaper and will last just as long as a new one (possible longer given the poor quality of some current items).

Filip