Ron's a lazy starter!

a15htn

a15htn

New Member
Hi all

I have always had this issue with Ron.
Turn key.
CLICK
Turn of and back on
Engine starts.

Lately.
Turn key
Click
Off and back on
Engine struggles to turn over, clicks and growls then after a lot of relay chattering starts.

This only happens from cold..... Once warmed up everything is ok..... Apart from the clicking thing!

Would I be right in saying starter relay?
Is this the oblong silver jobbie in the nearside footwell at the top? As I don't have anything on the inner wing?

Thanks
J
 
Sounds more like battery or battery connections to me.After 5 years or so , all batteries are suspect, but I would start by looking at the cables at the battery and starter.
 
herts2000 said:
sounds abit like a worn out ignition barrel?
Click to expand...
While all of the above are possible causes, when I read your response herts2000, I seem to recall someone else on the forum recently had similar symptoms and it turned out to be the ignition switch :?:
 
JVY said:
herts2000 said:
sounds abit like a worn out ignition barrel?
Click to expand...
While all of the above are possible causes, when I read your response herts2000, I seem to recall someone else on the forum recently had similar symptoms and it turned out to be the ignition switch :?:
Click to expand...

I haven't read that, just going by what happened to my father-inlaws 3500s it played up like how jim has described then one day it just went totally and when i took the barrel off the car it just fell to bits. :?
 
OrganDoctor said:
Sounds more like battery or battery connections to me.After 5 years or so , all batteries are suspect, but I would start by looking at the cables at the battery and starter.
Click to expand...


Give that man a cigar....... Wandered out this morning to shuffle some stuff out of the boot. No boot lamp :?
Checked earth, no problem. Checked +ve and it came off in my hand :roll:

Out with spanner...... Job done and we're back to:

Turn key.
CLICK.
Turn of and back on
Engine starts.

So, he starts on the button again after a minimum of one CLICK :roll:
 
Another location worth checking is the cable junction in the power lead from the battery to the front of the car. It lives under the drivers seat, usually close up against the sill. It's just two battery type lugs bolted together and is known to come loose.

I can't remember whether Ron is auto or manual. If auto, you could be looking at a badly adjusted inhibitor switch on the gearbox. An easy way to check this is to get someone to watch what happens with the reversing lights as you move the selector. Any hint of reversing lights on in drive, or not perfectly matching the selector movement, is the clue to a badly adjusted - or failing - switch. A little more wear or movement in the switch and it will start (doh!) to affect the starting circuit.

Chris
 
Chris,

My 69 V8 has been difficult to start of late and had similar conditions to J's car, in the end my brother and I ran a feed from the battery to the starter motor to bypass the gearbox switch for a test and the engine has never turned over so quick. Next is to check the switch and adjustment on the gearbox.

Martin P
 
chrisyork said:
Another location worth checking is the cable junction in the power lead from the battery to the front of the car. It lives under the drivers seat, usually close up against the sill. It's just two battery type lugs bolted together and is known to come loose.


Chris
Click to expand...
I think RON is a 4 cylinder, and hence the battery is up front
 
OrganDoctor said:
I think RON is a 4 cylinder, and hence the battery is up front
Click to expand...


It is a 4 pot, but a Series 2, so the battery is in the boot. (or Trunk as you chaps over there insist on calling it...)
 
It lives under the drivers seat, usually close up against the sill. It's just two battery type lugs bolted together and is known to come loose.
Click to expand...
- is this in addition to the ceramic insulator where the supply comes through the footwell ?
 
Mine has the insulator thingie where it comes through the driver's footwell. Then about 18" - 2 ' further back under the carpet on the right of the driver's seat (next to sill like Chris says) there is an an in-line connection. Mine is wrapped with insulating tape which I left alone - you learn to leave things like that alone :wink: . I guess this the "battery type lugs bolted together" connection that Chris refers to?
 
Then about 18" - 2 ' further back under the carpet on the right of the driver's seat (next to sill like Chris says) there is an an in-line connection. Mine is wrapped with insulating tape
Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like the best of designs - a joint only inches from a termination .Why ? And it's either very good insulating tape to last this long or an awful bodge
 
Although I assume the insulating tape is not an original feature (I left it alone as it seemed to be in good nick), the in-line connection is an unusual feature. I can understand the reasoning behind running the live +ve cable through the interior and existing into the engine bay at the footwell. However, the in-line connection seems a bit of a design bodge? No doubt there is a reason for it??
 
I think it's actually a production line bodge so as to avoid having to thread a single cable right through the car. A better solution might have been battery where the heater is now and heater tucked away behind the centre console / speaker.

Chris
 
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