Starter motor trouble

You may remember that my starter acts up occassionally. I now know that it must be a ground issue. Why? Because I can start it with jump leads. Here is what happens: I try to start the car but the starter will not crank. There is a faint click but nothing else. There is no hot or cold difference. When this happens, there is juice in the battery, I have checked that. Once, a RAC guy managed to hammer the starter and thus get the car started but hammering has not worked since. The only thing that works is jump starting.

I had a 1986 740 GLE auto with B230E once with the same problem. A local electrical shop fixed that by replacing some ground somewhere but I cannot remember where. Any ideas?

George

[link:www.ttsservices.co.uk/my%20volvos.htm|http://www.ttsservices.co.uk/Signature.JPG]

'95 940 Polar LPT estate (B230FK/AW71)
'87 740 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler estate (D24TIC/ZF22)
'79 262C (B27E/BW55)

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL188/...8/23744414.jpg



George,
When you jump start it are you connecting the negative lead to the engine block ( the safe way to do it) or to the battery lead terminal.

If you are connecting to the block your idea of a bad earth is correct, you are by-passing the fault with the jump lead.

Try it without the other car, just connect one jump lead from the negative battery cable clamp on your car to the block.

The problem could also be in the positive line and you can apply the same test procedure but connecting from the positive clamp on the battery to the battery terminal on the starter motor. (Be very careful how you position the lead at the starter to aviod shorting).

Before you do any of this however make sure both the battery terminals and the clamp terminals are cleaned back to bare shiny metal, even a new battery can have an invisible oxide coating that can cause a poor connection.

Another problem can be inside the joint where the battery cables are crimped into the terminal clamps, although you can`t see it there can be internal corrosion causing a high resistance connection.

Colin.

1990 740SE B200E/M47, remote C/Locking.

I should have been more specific. I have never tried it with another car, only with my starter pack which is one of those units that you charge up at home and then you can jump start the car with this. I connect this the way the instructions tell me to, that is negative lead to negative pole and positive lead to positive pole.

I should also say that this fault occurs perhaps once every fortnight, usually, the car starts up fine.

George

[link:www.ttsservices.co.uk/my%20volvos.htm|http://www.ttsservices.co.uk/Signature.JPG]

'95 940 Polar LPT estate (B230FK/AW71)
'87 740 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler estate (D24TIC/ZF22)
'79 262C (B27E/BW55)

[Peter Milnes]

There is a possibility that the starer motor itself may be the problem. This could be caused by the brushes sticking in their holders causing momentary lack of contact. If this proves to be the case it would be worthwhile taking the starter motor off and inspecting the brush gear for excess grease and road dirt which may be causing the brushes to lose contact with the commutator. The commutator is usually of the face-plate variety with all four brushes being held in the end-plate odf the motor. It is of course also possible that the solenoid connector may have an intermittent contact with it's terminal. The third possibility is that the ignition switch may be having a bad contact inside it ir in the wiring loom. The wires connect to the switch through a circular connector.

All the best, Peter

Things to look at, thanks Peter.

George

[link:www.ttsservices.co.uk/my%20volvos.htm|http://www.ttsservices.co.uk/Signature.JPG]

'95 940 Polar LPT estate (B230FK/AW71)
'87 740 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler estate (D24TIC/ZF22)
'79 262C (B27E/BW55)