landsharklady

Hello

Ok, here's the deal.

Car starts fine from cold, 4 times now it's not started after being driven.
In each case, it's been off for maybe 15 minutes, but refused to restart.
Dash lights up, but starter motor does nothing.

We replaced the starter relay and checked fuses and battery, mechanic tried with no luck to recreate fault. We (at that time) thought the problem was with the CE board, as it was rather noisy. Mechanic focused on tidying it up- it's about 90% quieter now!

It did it today, got home after a fair drive, and no start.
We turned the key with the bonnet (hood) open, and we heard a click-click from what i'm 99% sure is the starter solenoid..

The ignition lead going to the solenoid/starter has some electrical tape on it.

Is it possibley as simple as the ignition lead being worn and bad when warm?

I can't get hold of my mechanic until after the weekend, but i'm feeling like we might be getting closer to solving this problem now. And yes, the battery is all good and we just cleaned grounds, nothing corroded there.

Also.. the fan decided to stop working on our way home

jpitman2

Ignition switch internal failure? I had similar problems, except didnt matter what the temp was. Replaced ign switch (pod out job), ok for a week or two, then failed again - replaced starter relay, finally OK. Best part was that she ran MUCH MUCH sweeter after replacing the ign switch, so there was some sort of poor contact in there anyway!
jp 83 EuroS AT 54k.

Glen McCartney

I had similar no start issue, fine when cold, but when hot, no starter action. Once cooled off typically about 1/2 hour later car would start. It is a typical symptom of a starter failing. Replaced starter, no problem since.

Kevin in Atlanta

Check the grounds and the connector in the spare tire well. Had the same issue with my old 86.5. When the car got hot it would not start. Traced the issue to the frayed wires on the connector.

Spun

check the engine to chasy ground. Also, might clean the the starter connections as well... I have seen this problem on a 79 and on a pickup I had once...

landsharklady

Thanks! Starter relay has been replaced, grounds in spare tyre well cleaned, all tidy.

When you say clean the stater connections, where do you mean? we popped off the starter lead and situated that with electrical cleaner. Didn't start it though :-( btw, it's started fine this morning, I'm really leaning towards failing starter exasperated by heat
Annoying thing is, doesn't do it often-buy that's the fun, intermittent part.
I pressume if we did nothing it would happen more and more until the starter failed completely?

I think we can count out ignition switch, it's heat related I'm almost certain, and mechanic had a good look and fiddle with the ce board and bits in the cab.
Thanks for your help everyone, I feel like I'm going to crack this!
Trying to recreate it today...

RET

A few comments and suggestions: the connections should be cleaned with a wire brush or Scotchbrite pad until shiny, contact cleaner does not help much to remove corrosion; the ground strap from the battery to the chassis is sometimes badly corroded under the plastic covering but will appear to be in good condition; and, FWIW, I do not understand about the CE board being noisy.

Goog luck. Fixing this kind of problem is usually simple... it is finding it in the first place that is time consuming....

landsharklady

I'm really leaning towards failing starter motor/solenoid.
When I say noisy ce board, it used to have a very audible electrical hum.
Not any more.
Battery strip is fine, bright and shiny. I'd like to get to the big ground point at the back/underside if Tyger engine, but we have no way of getting to it.

Btw, discovered cooling flaps had already been secured open, I think overheating yesterday was caused by us not knowing they were secured open and replacing the fuse, causing then to try to work and I can only surmise this messed with the fans and prevented then from working, as after reliving the cooling flaps fuse and relay, fans are both working perfectly and temperature has been fine.car has some odd wiring, drivers window won't work if passenger for is open or the sunroof fuse is removed!

landsharklady

Can tests detect a starter motor beginning to fail? The intermittent thing is very annoying, and I know it will just get worse.

tilac999

My friend just went through the same issue with his '83 euro. Cleaned ALL contacts, replaced battery ground strap, jumped relay, etc. Finally he jacked it up, had his 9 year old daughter turn the key to start, and hit the starter with a hammer. Started. New starter on order. Hope this helps.

landsharklady

Brad- awesome info, I'm on the right path
Got an electrician coming to double check my suspicions tomorrow, and I've got a refurbed motor on standby waiting for me to go "SHIP!"
We don't reckon ground strap as it's only when hot it plays up, and even then, not all the time, and electrician reckons if it was the ground strap it'd do it hot, cold, wet or dry!

tilac999

Also check the engine ground cable from engine to chassis. My friend EuroTrash said his was bad so it may not have been his starter after all.

landsharklady

The sparky has just been, he did all sorts of clever things (ground strap is fine btw) and tested current etc, and- luckily, the car actually was helpful and did it's no-start trick!
Now, I'd just been turning her on and off as instructed, so she wasn't hot, so guess it's just been coincidence when we've had the problem it's been when warm.
Anywho, starter is fine, he thinks the problem is the ignition switch.
He was able to get her started after one or two goes with the key, and he found there was a lot of play in the key in position 3, and if it moved to the left, dash dimmed and the dials went a bit silly.

Also, we've had an intermittent problem with the blower, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. We changed the relay on it and thought no more.
I just read that the blower not working is a sign of problems with the ignition, when it moves to the left, the blower is one of the things which loses current.
So, he's getting me a new ignition. Hope thats the end of it!
Looks like you may have been right Jpitman2!

jpitman2

Well, I hope you also get some other side benefits like I did- runs much better all around!
jp 83 Euro S AT 54k

landsharklady

The new ignition switch is in, so far, so good, but its only been a few days yet.
Everything on the dash is much more stable, there is no movement in the key now, hope this has solved the no-start!