Typsey Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Need help guys and gals, went offroading yesterday then parked her up at home for a couple of hours before taking her to the jet wash. When I went to take her, she wouldn't start. Electrics all seem fine, but when I turn her over it just clicks. Any ideas and how to fix it? Typsey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 First check your connections to the starter motor especially the earth. Try tapping the starter motor with a stick and hammer and see if that works. I'm sure someone with much more knowledge than me will be along shortly. Cheers Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 clicky solenoid often = flat battery... have you checked the voltage? often if the alternator fails it will work fine on a run but discharging the battery all the time, get in to it a short time later and you just get a click other than that - starter solenoid as described above though it depends on where the click is - the other possibility is the immobiliser spider but leave that until after you have checked the 2 things above see my post in the Tech Archive forum if you need more info on this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typsey Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 Saw your article on the Spider but mine is a 95 300 Tdi and your article says 96 and above. Have tried knocking it with a hammer but no joy. Haven't got a volt meter so can't check the voltage. Thanks for the advice. Will get back to you when I have any news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartle9 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I had a very similar sounding experience with my 300 tdi 90. It would power up, interior lights and stereo would work fine, but just clicked when cranking. Turned out to be oxidation in the battery earth lead, a good wiggle of the cable would bring it ok again. This has happened a few times since then - I really ought to change the cable! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco_Dunk Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I've had exactly the same thing - poor earths....... a good way to check is stick a jump-lead from the -ve battery terminal onto the engine block (preferably somewhere near the starter motor - or even onto the starter motor itself). Dunk I had a very similar sounding experience with my 300 tdi 90. It would power up, interior lights and stereo would work fine, but just clicked when cranking.Turned out to be oxidation in the battery earth lead, a good wiggle of the cable would bring it ok again. This has happened a few times since then - I really ought to change the cable! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typsey Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 Okay, here's an update for you. Had the recovery guy out earlier and we tow-started it. We also tried starting it from his battery to check whether the alternator is duff. I took the starter motor off (you have to remove the inlet manifold unless you have hands of a child or patience of a saint) and gave it a good clean out, dried it out, put some grease in the cogs and bearings then put it back on. I now have the starter motor spinning, but that's it. It does not start the engine. Does this mean the starter motor is okay and that something else if wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 If the starter motor is whirring but not engaging then I would say either the bendix mechanism (the bit that throws the starter gear into engagement with the flywheel) is knackered/seized or you are missing some teeth off the starter ring on the flywheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typsey Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 No gear teeth missing. Am going to check it out tomorrow. Thanks for the advice so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddyplugger Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 It definatley needs a clout with a hammer now! That will/may free the mechanism to engage. The poor starter motor on my old series III had some many dents in the side I wondered how it continued for so many years!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Won't this be a pre-engage starter motor. Selenoid needs to throw the gear fwd to engage before it makes the contacts to turn the motor? You say the engine is not starting but is it turning when the starter is spinning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typsey Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Won't this be a pre-engage starter motor. Selenoid needs to throw the gear fwd to engage before it makes the contacts to turn the motor?You say the engine is not starting but is it turning when the starter is spinning? No, engine isn't turning at all, just the starter motor. Will dig around in it today and see what I come up with. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Bench test the starter again and check the gear is being thrown fwd but I still think this has to happen to energise the motor. It may be its not being thrown far enough fwd though. Then with a torch check the flywheel gear ring. Can you leverage the ring witha pri bar to make the engine turn? If you can get someone to turn the engine using the crank pully bolt is the gear ring intect all the way round? Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typsey Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Hi guys, thanks for all the information. Took the starter motor apart again today and jiggled around with it all until the cog could be thrown forward enough. Put it back together and at all works. Only problem was.............after I put it all together I realised that I had not replaced the metal sheild inside the starter motor, so it all had to come out again! Barsteward! Anyway back together again and working now so alls good in love and land rovers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERY OLD DISCO Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 For those who cannot afford a multimeter, or are to mean to buy one, a stop or tail lamp with two wires soldered on is a good indication of volts. Sometimes the modern high impedance meters will show volts but when any load is put on it drops to 0v, the bulb gives a load and avoids this, and as a bonus, if you have ever tried reading a LCD display in sunlight while lying on your back, the bulb is much easier to see. Now, if you put a 12v sounder (beeper, horn, whatever) in circuit you also get an audible signal. Not much use for testing ECU s though. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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