Click click, click click

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Peter-S
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Click click, click click

Post by Peter-S »

I like to think I know enough about Capris to sort this but no!
Clicking starter solenoid.
Tried diffrent starter motors, new and s/h.
Different live cables. Different earth cables and different earthing points. cleaned all contacts.
Diffrent ignition switch and new battery - uprated Transit item
And different engine.
Still been doing it. Try three or four times and then the engine will spin. Sometimes it will work first turn of the key. Symptoms can be when hot or cold.
I figured it must be the flywheel as there was a definite mark on the teeth in one spot. I've had a lightened item in but over Christmas I whipped the box out and put the old standard flywheel in. The problem is still there and I really have no idea why. I even charged the battery last night in case it was that but the problem is still there tonight.
Have I missed anything?
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Supercharged Nat »

Next time it goes click click, turn the engine over by hand a little then see if it goes click click again. not sure what the problem cound be really as you have ruled out most electrical parts.....
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Matty28i »

Pete,

Try cutting back the thinner cables to the starter motor solenoid and fit new terminals.

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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Matty28i »

Don't forget that little black wire on the positive side of the battery.

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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Peter-S »

Supercharged Nat wrote:Next time it goes click click, turn the engine over by hand a little then see if it goes click click again. not sure what the problem cound be really as you have ruled out most electrical parts.....

The connections that Matty mentions are pretty new - been that route as well! - so just spent a few minutes cranking with the king lead off. Whenever it clicks I've rolled it in gear and tried again and then it spins, without fail. This is why I swapped the flywheel so what now?
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by nigecapri »

Bolt a loose bellhousing up so you can fit the starter and see what's happening ? ?
But if she's just clicking I would look towards the solenoid not flowing enough juice to spin the starter making it throw the pinion gear out under inertia which strangely rules out anything to do with the flywheel. I had to do the hand-cranking myself :whistle: due to it not meshing bit the starter did spin and a 2nd hand starter off No2Lurch from summer camp cured it :D
Usually one cylinder will have slightly higher compression than the others making the crank stop in the same position offering the same few teeth for the starter to mesh into and they wear more, either causing the starter pinion teeth to slip or not mesh properly- (this for the benefit of our more inexperienced members) but this will give the horrible whirring grating noise without the engine cranking.
Have you recently painted the starter or the block where it mounts?
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by standard_Man »

Have you tried a lead from the battery to the starter motor as opposed to the key ? Faulty Ignition lock ??

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Re: Click click, click click

Post by mgentry90 »

as he says, small jump wire across the starter motor batt pos term to the small trigger wire will rule out the key etc.. if it just clicks and doesnt crank it could be battery not having enough juice (have you voltage checked?) and if thats ok not being an expert i would say its the actual engine struggling to turn. but if you say you tried another engine.. buy another car??

or.. make sure the starter motor is the right amount of teeth and size. maybe its throwing in but not sync with the flywheel teeth?
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Supercharged Nat »

you say youve swapped startes but its still the same, so to me it sounds like for some reason youve got a tight spot- wehther it be on the crank journals/ bearings, cam shaft or front pulleys or something like that. maybe remove all the plus and turn it over by hand, see if you can feel it tightening up?- could be hard though with the cam doing what it does....

OR maybe a wobbly flywheel/ crank and its pintching up somewhere?
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by dixy1949 »

know it,s a long shot peter, but you could have 3 duff starter motors. have you tried bench testing before fitting.
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Peter-S »

mgentry90 wrote:.. buy another car??

Done that too :lol: :lol:


OK, thanks guys, a couple of things to look at when I get the preverbial 5 minutes!
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Peter-S »

So, ten months on and I still hadn't resolved this - until today!
Had the usual click then start this morning but a few minutes later in the petrol garage I didn't think it was going to start at all. Same again outside the newsagents moments later :(
Back home checked all connectons were tight and they were so ignition on and king lead off I could hardly get it to spin at all, just constant clicks. However, a screwdriver across the starter terminals and it turned over every time leading me to believe the fault was in the yelow and black wire off the back of the starter. Tracing it back behind the dash I found that, before my ownership, the cable had been cut and two much thinner wires taken from there to an alarm box under the bonnet. The alarm had been disarmed by the time I acquired the car but some of the wiring was still present. Anyway I cut these thinner wires reconnected the yellow and black cable ends to each other and presto, problem solved :D
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by PeterG2.8 »

Def deserves this Pete :- :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
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Re: Click click, click click

Post by Peter-S »

PeterG2.8 wrote:Def deserves this Pete :- :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
Thanks Pete :)
I've had the opportunity to use the car a bit more this week and I'm chuffed at the novelty of it turning over first time every time. Simple things ... lol!
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