30 replies to this topic

[Adam]

Hey guys, car is struggling to turn over since yesterday.

Would a starter cause this? I replaced the battery like 6 months ago, and I cleaned the starter back then, noticed one of the brushes was pretty worn, but put it back together and seemed fine!

I haven't checked voltages yet. Will be doing that in a sec.

Where is it possible to get brush plates from? Or should I just source a s/h starter?

[Scuba-Roo]

From my experience the started either work or they dont, if the car is struggling to turn over i'd suspect a low voltage from the battery.

I would have atleast checked the battery voltage before starting a thread


With them plates in the starter motor, from what ive seen. One side will wear and the other is fine, so i just put some thin cardboard under the work side and that got me out of trouble for about a year or so

[Adam]

I would have atleast checked the battery voltage before starting a thread

Sorry, i'm new here!

Battery seems fine.

12.75v on standby.
14v on idle.

With them plates in the starter motor, from what ive seen. One side will wear and the other is fine, so i just put some thin cardboard under the work side and that got me out of trouble for about a year or so

Yeah, thats how my plates were worn. I've sourced a s/h starter. I wanna take the tmic off as little as possible

[Scuba-Roo]

them figures seem close enough

sick, so when you'd turn the key did the starter motor just click a few times then crank the engine normally? or was it slow to just engine

[Cam.]

Check starter voltage when you crank.

[Matt]

Check starter voltage when you crank.

Beat me to it lol

[RX25SE]

As above.
If thats OK check votage drop between batt positive and stater solenoid.

If thats OK check voltage drop across solenoid and motor. (you should see the motor connection disappearing inside the motor)
All these tests are done under crank, pull the fuel pump fuse or relay to stop if from starting.

Make sure you don't run yourself over.


Standby voltage really means SFA.

[Adam]

sick, so when you'd turn the key did the starter motor just click a few times then crank the engine normally? or was it slow to just engine

It still starts, but very slowly to begin with!

Check starter voltage when you crank.

How do I do this? Multimeter over the battery terminals still?

As above.
If thats OK check votage drop between batt positive and stater solenoid.
If thats OK check voltage drop across solenoid and motor. (you should see the motor connection disappearing inside the motor)

Again, How do I check the voltage drop? Just record the volt before cranking compared to when cranking?


These symptoms aver very similar to the problem that caused me to change the battery, which turned out to not be the battery, and once I pulled the starter off and cleaned and replaced, it started strong as! BUT a couple of the brushes were close to dead!

[BigWillieStyles]

Battery seems fine.

12.75v on standby.
14v on idle.

In my dd pulsar, the car would sometimes not start. The battery tester showed the same as you had. After replacing the starter motor, it ended up being a dead cell in the battery. Can you swap battery with another car for a day or so?

[RX25SE]

Again, How do I check the voltage drop? Just record the volt before cranking compared to when cranking?


These symptoms aver very similar to the problem that caused me to change the battery, which turned out to not be the battery, and once I pulled the starter off and cleaned and replaced, it started strong as! BUT a couple of the brushes were close to dead!

Voltage drop across the terminal:

• Place + lead of voltmeter on battery post
• Place - lead of voltmeter on battery terminal
• Crank egine (no start)
• Read drop (this picks up resistance between post and terminal, such as dirty or loose terminals)
• Sould be less than 0.1v

Voltage drop across starter cable:

• Place + lead of voltmeter on battery terminal
• Place - lead of voltmeter on battery side of starter solenoid
• Crank egine (no start)
• Read drop (this picks up resistance between terminal and solenoid)
• Sould be less than 0.2v

Voltage drop across starter solenoid:

• Place + lead of voltmeter on motor side of solenoid
• Place - lead of voltmeter on battery side of starter solenoid
• Crank egine (no start)
• Read drop (this picks up resistance across the high current switch contacts)
• Sould be less than 0.2v

How many brushes are in the motor?


This mob should sell brushes
http://www.ashdown-ingram.com.au/

or try Bursons or Repco


Depending on the voltage readings I would perhaps focus on the solenoid contacts (high current)




Just found this
http://www.crookedri...op-testing.html

[Adam]

Across terminals I get a drop from 12.75 down to about 11

All the others I need to take off TMIC. Poo

[Matt]

Across terminals I get a drop from 12.75 down to about 11

All the others I need to take off TMIC. Poo

FMIC would fix this

[Adam]

Yep I know hahaha

[Matt]

Its amazing how much room it creates really...checking gearbox oil levels, starter, heater hoses, PCV etc etc etc is so easy now lol

[ADZY7]

Across terminals I get a drop from 12.75 down to about 11

All the others I need to take off TMIC. Poo

Wats the reading when idling

[Adam]

Scroll up doofus!

[allpaw4]

If you have a volt drop from terminal to post of 1.75 volts you need to clean your battery terminals. That is a huge amount. If you have 11 volts on crank, thats actually reasonable.

[RX25SE]

Across terminals I get a drop from 12.75 down to about 11

You had one lead on the pos and the other lead on the neg didn't you??

I would have expected less than 2 volts.




Re-read what I wrote.........








........doofus.

[Morgan]

Dodgy fuel? I had some starting issues in the Outback changed with a new batch of fuel...

[Scuba-Roo]

Dodgy fuel? I had some starting issues in the Outback changed with a new batch of fuel...

How does dodgy fuel affect the cars lack of 'cranking' on start up?