Won't turn over

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by Bluebelle, May 22, 2017.

  1. Ok, so having replaced the starter motor less than a year ago, due to being sick of having to get underneath the camper to tap the starter with a hammer, and having also replaced the battery and ignition switch, I thought my 'not turning over' issues would be over, well for a while anyway. Not so! A few weeks after fitting the new stater motor, and for several months now, I found that sometimes when turning the key, I'd hear a click and nothing else. Turning the key again would result in the engine turning over and firing. I didn't think too much of it, until today. We had been out in the camper, towing our little Eriba caravan behind us, for the first time, and probably covered about 20-30 miles or so. On getting home we turned the engine off for a few minutes, then back on to manoeuvre the caravan. It fired straight away, no issues. Turned off again for a few minutes, then on again for a bit more manoeuvring the caravan again, and then parking up. On trying to start the engine again a couple of minutes later, just a click. Dash lights came on, and went dim when turning the key. I tried again, and just a click. Same as before. No wur wur wur, slow start type thing. Just a click. Battery connections all fine. I gave the starter a tap, just in case, and nothing. I tried jump starting from the family estate, and this made no difference. Tried jump starting from a neighbours jump pack and this also made no difference. However, my neighbour did see the alternator pulley turn a little. I am now charging the battery but I suspect this won't make any difference. The headlights still came on and the windscreen wipers worked ok, indicating power in the battery. My suspicions are that the solenoid has packed up, and perhaps was a duff anyway. I considered the ignition wire from the switch to the starter, but on reading the samba page, the fact that the dash lights were bright, but dimmed when turning the key, suggested the problem was more likely to do with the starter.

    Anyone else got any thoughts?

    Cheers

    Rob
     
  2. Can you turn the pulley by hand?
     
  3. put a lead direct from the starter spade to the battery pos ,EVERY vw I have had has this mod and I have never broke down because of the ignition...:hattip:

    :D I bet it never moved...
     
    Poptop2 and Flakey like this.
  4. When you changed the starter did you change the little brass bush in the gearbox housing? Only a £3 part but often overlooked.
    It assists with aligning the starter motor pinion on the flywheel and if yours is worn or missing it will make it fairly difficult to start with the symptoms you have described
    If you have replaced the bush sounds like you may have a dodgy "new" starter motor and if it was less than year ago should still be in warranty if you got it from GSF/ECP
     
    nicktuft likes this.
  5. Bhubesi

    Bhubesi Supporter

    My guess is the switch is dicky, followed by a bad connection to the solenoid or a bad earth on the engine.
    Have you tried a screw driver bridging the connections on the back of the solenoid?
    Make sure the bus is in neutral.
    Tony
     
  6. With a socket and wrench on the pulley nut, yes. I just did an oil change and valve clearence adjustment.
     
  7. Yep, changed the brass bush.
     
  8. Ignition switch is new, but was supplied from JK!
     
  9. No, the idea scares me. Sparks and welding the screwdriver to the contacts etc...
     
  10. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    Tony mentioned it earlier but have you replaced the earth strap from the chassis to the engine/gearbox?
     
    Gingerbus and alpha981 like this.
  11. It probably isnt but !!! Make sure the carb hasn't stuck open and flooded the cylinders and it is hydraulic locked. If it is and you keep trying it will bend a con rod. I am sure it probably isnt but worth a look, check the oil level !!
     
  12. No, I checked it though. Looks intact, but old. I may replace as a matter of course.
     
  13. 77 Westy

    77 Westy Supporter

    I’d replace it and make sure the contact points are clean and rust free.
     
    Gingerbus likes this.
  14. Oil level is fine, at the top mark, and it's nice and green.

    Not checked the carb. From memory, the engine did run on very slightly when I turned it off before then trying to start it again. Didn't think too much of it at the time. It's a twin throttle Webber carb. New 1776 engine and carb 550 miles ago.
     
  15. Mine does this sometimes - it gets a bit stuck.

    I find if you put it in gear with the engine off and then give the van a good push back and forth it frees off and then starts. Its free and doesn't involve rolling around underneath (yet) so worth a punt!
     
  16. Yeah, I tried that. It helped a little, as in I could here a faint wurrrr for a second or two, then nothing. Trying again after that and I just get a click as before.
     
  17. I called in the breakdown company , and after 30 mins of faffing around, whilst I was on a work call, he then declared the solenoid was kaput! I only bought it in August last year! Surely they should last longer than 10 months!!!!?
     
  18. sounds like a best guess from him - I'd put my money on a bad earth or dodgy contact. Check and clean the battery terminals, and earth points form the battery as well as the gearbox earth strap. Take off the connections on the starter and clean them up or replace with new ones.
     
  19. Ignition off and out of gear - disconnect spade connector at starter, make a lead up, short length of wire with spade on the end. touch this to the 8 mm stud connection from battery to starter (you can do this by shorting across with a screwdriver btw. If its a n external wiring issue then solenoid will throw in and starter will turn. If not - yep its goosed! - hit solenoid with bigger hammer!

    I had same issue and got another starter reconned - fitted a hot start relay though in the meantime and this cured it completely!
     
    Gingerbus likes this.
  20. He reported that the starter was getting really hot after repeated attempts to get it to turnover. He cleaned all the contacts on the starter, but they were already clean, and he did the screwdriver shorting thing and this didn't work either. I had checked all the battery connections and earths and all appear ok. The gearbox earth does look old, but was in tact and not frayed.
     

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