Starter Motor p38 V8

[sotal]

Having put the top end back together on my 4.6 v8 (it had been stood for a year before I had it)

I came to turn the key just to spin it over quickly but all I get is a click from the starter motor.

Battery is fully charged, if I put the headlights on and try they don't dim at all.

When I had problems with my series starter motor I used to stick a spanner down and short two posts and it would kick in, can I do something siliar on the p38? If so what do I short?

Looking from underneath I can see a big fat red cable which goes to the solonoid direct from the battery, there is then a thinner but still heavy duty red lead which dissapears off with some other cables, and then the small cable with a spade terminal in the end which I presume is the live from the key. Then there is a braid between the starter and the solonoid.

If I short the big heavty cable to the spade then I guess it will just click like it has been doing? How do I actually try getting the motor to spin?

I have tried hitting it with a rubber malet.

Also do I need to prime the oil?

[zardos]

Not a 4.6 but a 3.9 but the starter should be the same.

Looking from the front of the vehicle, the left hand post is the main input wire to the starter motor, this is usually used as a high current + common, so other wires going off this post will usually supply the rest of the vehicle and probably connect the alternator (so acting just like a junction box).

The little spade is the 40Amp supply from the ignition switch start position to activate the starter (so big terminal to spade is just by passing the ignition switch), which is why it also just clicked.

The right hand post (nearest to the engine and motor body is the motor power supply.

From the description of the actions you solenoid is working and engaging the starter gear but this also should switch the on the high current output to the motor (but is not).

Things to try.

1. Bridge with thick wire the left hand post to the right hand post, the starter motor should turn but not engage (the motor takes a very high current).

If the motor runs then your solenoid electrical contacts are not probably not working.

2. If motor runs Bridge left hand post and right hand post and the spade, this should turn the engine (engage the gear and provide power to motor).

If the motor runs then you need a new solenoid (I think you can get it separately, if not you need a whole new starter motor).

If the motor does not run, try connecting to the other end of the wiring that joins the right hand post to the motor (this is usually a braided wire covered with a loose insulation sleeve).

If this does not work, you need a new starter motor.

Rubber mallet hitting is to free a stuck solenoid, usually there is no "click" sound with stuck solenoid (the click is the solenoid moving).

You could take the starter out and check the solenoid moves the gear fully in to position when powered (it is does not slide all the way along the shaft the electrical part of the solenoid won't engage to power the motor).

If you need pictures, I can supply them.

[sotal]

Thanks for that, excellent post, I'll lie underneath tonight with a bit of wire and see what I can do.

Just not looking forward to taking it out, as when the exhaust header was off and it was easy to get to I tried taking it off quickly and the top bolt wouldn't budge! Will probably be even harder from underneath.

Thanks again for the help

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Thanks for that, excellent post, I'll lie underneath tonight with a bit of wire and see what I can do.

Just not looking forward to taking it out, as when the exhaust header was off and it was easy to get to I tried taking it off quickly and the top bolt wouldn't budge! Will probably be even harder from underneath.

Thanks again for the help

I have had the iffy V8 starter motor syndrome ever since I have had V8s

Rubber mallet often doesn't have enough of a shock impact, I would suggest you belt the starter with a hammer/

lump hammer / 30mm ish lump of rod etc, the belt needs to give the unit a "Shock" impact, which a rubber mallet doesn't deliver

Worth a whack

Nige

[zardos]

Thanks for that, excellent post, I'll lie underneath tonight with a bit of wire and see what I can do.

Just not looking forward to taking it out, as when the exhaust header was off and it was easy to get to I tried taking it off quickly and the top bolt wouldn't budge! Will probably be even harder from underneath.

Thanks again for the help

Even with my very large tubular header it takes me less than 5 minute to get the starter out from underneath (with the right tools, as my starter uses allen key bolts and using the short end of the allen key does not provide enough leverage, so hex bit in a socket on an extension is needed).

[sotal]

The Starter Motor wasn't quite as described - they must have changed it later on.

There is just two terminals, the big bolt (with two wires attached) and the spade terminal.

I tried shorting the spade to the bolt but I just got a little spark, I think the bolt was too dirty.

I gave in and decided to take the starter motor out so I could have a proper look. There are two 8mm Hex bolts, one on top and one underneath. The heat sheild gets in the way of the top one, and I knew the top one would be tight as I tried to undo it when the heads where off. I resigned to having to take the rocker cover off, followed by the exhaust header pipe and heat sheild . Once removed I had to use a 2 foot breaker bar to undo the top allen bolt, which eventually undid with a large crack (replaced later with copper grease).

Once on the bench and in the vice I connected up the battery via jump leads, negative to the body and positive to the bolt, I then connected the spade to the jump lead and it whirred away quite happily at speed. Happy with this I gave it a quick clean and fitted it back in.

Once it was fitted back in I tested it by connecting the positive to the spade terminal and again it whirred away spinning the engine over nicely. Which was the goal of this. I jumped back in the car to try again with the key - and I just get a click

So the starter is working but something else isn't. Any ideas where to start tomorrow? Is the ECU clever enough to stop it activating the starter motor if something is disconnected? I've plugged just about everything in except the spark plugs, so the coil pack is connected but no spark plugs in.

There are no relevant warnings on the dash, just abs, airbags, suspension, windows & sunroof. Will start probing tomorrow but any clues would be appreciated, as I say there is a click when turning the key which I thought was the starter solonoid but it could be a relay.

[sotal]

Got the electrics working. I ended up stripping the fuse box down to look for damage after reassembling and reconnecting everything seems to work!

Not quite sure what the problem was but for now it's working!

Just got to finish building the engine up now!