intermittent starting! can anyone help!

[scirrocker]

having an annoying little problem with my 1.6 gt which is driving me crazy! and im not sure what to do. the car seems to start and run fine, i can do distances without problems, stop start most everywhere, everyday but now and then, for whatever reason, i turn the ignition switch and absolutely nothing happens. the dash lights come on, all electrical equipment inside the car works perfectly fine, but the starter motor dosent budge. theres a kind of clunking noise that ive been told might be the solenoid, but other than that nothing happens.

the strangest part of this is that is i leave the car for 30mins or so and come back to it, without moving or changing a thing, it will suddenly spring to life and start like theres nothing wrong. also sometimes i can start the car by asking for a jump start from someone, or off of a jump pack, although this does not always work. its driving me mad having a car that just dies for no reason, then jumps into life randomly! looking online about similar problems i have decided to replace:

battery
starter motor (including new solenoid)
and ignition switch

ive also cleaned up the earth on the body and the gearbox

i thought it might have cured it, but no it seems that this strange problem just keeps coming back. i was wondering whether there is a relay for the starter? or something that might cause this like a bad connection or short circuit? does anyone have any ideas? id be so grateful if anyone could help!

[ianaudia4]

Has the car got an immobiliser? Have you checked the alternator performance?

[ianaudia4]

Also check and clean the earth from the coil to the rocker cover, these can cause all sorts of weird problems!

[scirrocker]

nope, no immobiliser, and yeah the alternator is working fine, ive checked it charging over the battery and alls fine there.

ooh i didnt know there was an earth there, but ive seen the one you mean! ill give it a clean. the car stopped on me again today and its driving me mad not knowing what it is!

one idea i do have, is that it is an automatic, and the car is effectively immobilised when you try to start, unless your in park or neutral. i looked up in the wiring diagram and there is a switch that connects the power to the starter when its in P or N. is there a relay for this? would this switch fail? is there a starter relay at all? it would give these problems i think, but i still couldnt explain how it could be jump started, ive tried rocking the lever when trying to start and that dosent do anything. its the only idea i have left though

[mark1gls]

You can try giving the starter motor a tap with a hammer, used to work wonders on an old mini I used to have! Try taking the starter motor off and cleaning up all the electical connections and while it's off clean the shaft which the cog spins on to engage the fly wheel.
Also try wiggling the key in the ignition barrel as sometimes there can wear in the barrel and ignition switch if someone has had a big bunch of keys hanging in there.

[Nate]

When it's playing up, you need someone to trim the key while you feel the starter to see if the solenoid is doing anything. I suspect it is.

Try removing, cleaning abd tightening the small trigger wire on the solenoid.

[Lukeh17]

I have had a similar problem with mine. However my problem is that I will be driving and the car just simply dies. No warning but again all the electrics work. After a few minutes you can start it again but it dies shortly after. I have had a new earth strap and it has been re soldered. The alternator has been checked and come back as fine and also the battery is new. I am thinking it could be a PCB fault. That's the next thing cross off the list. Mine is a 1.6 GT too.

[scirocco-monkey]

I got a 1.6 GT too and mine used to do it when I first bought it, Engine cuts out but all electrics worked. When I bought the car I dont think it had been serviced for a long long time, I gave it a full service and it's never done it since. Maybe im just lucky

[RossWP]

Did you get to the bottom of this?
I have the same problem, sometimes my car starts fine, sometimes it doesn't even turn over. Last time it didn't turn over I waited a couple of hours and ten it started fine again. Mine is also an Auto.

I've had the starter motor off and it seems to be fine, is it worth trying a new one anyway?

[go-for-it1]

Don't autos have some sort of switch on the gear selector so that unless it is in park the engine start is immobilised?

[bengould]

Don't autos have some sort of switch on the gear selector so that unless it is in park the engine start is immobilised?

Yes they do. Basically 2 big fat red wires that are bridged only when it's in park.

Ben.

[RossWP]

I've only ever tried to start it In park though or are you suggesting something could be wrong with that switch?

[go-for-it1]

Yes, a simple check and probably quite cheap to replace but as a check can you bridge the cables and see if it starts ok then? Ben may be better able to advise on the location of the switch to do this.

[bengould]

It is under the plate that indicates which gear you are in next to the gear stick. You will see two red wires that are about 4/5mm diameter. Unplug these from the switch and hold the two ends together while you try and turn the car over.

Ben.

[RossWP]

Apparently that switch is fine.

My friend has disconnected the plug in the following picture and run a wire from it, touching this to the battery positive with the ignition on starts the car every time.



Where do I need to look next for the problem?