mk2 golf 16v, starter motor just clicks ????HELP?????

[B17 G60 0]

basiclly was driving my car parked up in my garage and then tried to start about an hour later to go round my mates house, but it wouldn't do anything.

 

When u de-immobilise it with the clifford virtual key, the fuel pump primes and you turn the key to start but all u get is a click from the starter motor. The battery is holding 12.4 volts of charge as i checked with a tester. What else could be wrong with it? this has just happened out the blue, only just had my new clutch kit and gearbox fitted into the car on monday which was 2 days ago.

Was fine then and started etc no problems.

 

any ideas?

 

it won't turn over at all, when u turn the kay, all you get is a click from the starter and then you release the key and if i remember correctly it clicks again like its stuck or something or the battery is dead.

 

any help appreciated folks,

 

cheers :cry:

[Rob_B 0]

probably a sticky solenoid on the starter motor. it has been known that if you tap the starter motor it can free off the solenoid. (or indeed smack it fairly hard) mine sometimes does this but i find that locking and unlocking the car helps it along!

[gradeAfailure 0]

Same thing used to happen on my old ZX - even used to carry a length of wood around with me to place on the starter whilst i clouted the other end with the wheel wrench! :lol:

[B17 G60 0]

hmmm, i took the starter motor off and left it connected with all the wires and the battery just sat it on the gearbox and when i tried turning the car over it didn't even go click click or anything it was silent. Took it out and put red an black jump lead on battery which was fully charged and put the red on the started where the big 13mm nut for the main positive wires go, and the black/neagtive i touched around the starter motor on every point an the 2 other small puch on connector terminals and on the casing and it didn't do anything at all.

 

any ideas whats this mean?

 

all i wanna know is if the starter motor is foooked or not so then i'll get a new one or whatever, strange though, its just given up if it has right out the blue, not even a sign or anything.

 

any ideas peeps?

 

p.s i tried wacking it with wood but nothing, so i thought i'd take it off

[Riley 0]

be carefull putting power to a starter motor thats not bolted up m8 :)

 

does sound like its gone,does the car bump start at the moment?

 

neil.

[2cc 0]

Hi B17 G60, I suggest if you want to test the starter off the car that you hold it down with your foot or fix it in a vice as its likely to jump about a bit. You need to do this with the connections: Connect the batt +ve to the 13mm nut (as you did) and the batt -ve to the casing. You will then need to touch another wire from the batt +ve to the solenoid (the pin that had a red wire plugged on to it when it was on the car). This will energise the solenoid which makes an internal electrical connection from the incoming +12v on the 13mm nut to the motor windings and it should spin round. If it don't go then either the solenoid or the motor windings are duff and you need a new starter. HTH

[B17 G60 0]

why whats wrong with power to a not bolted up starter motor? have i done something that is dangerous?

 

haven't tried bump starting it, my mate just said over the phone so convincingly oh its the starter motor for definetes, cos it jus clicks when u try and turn it over.

 

so now its off the car, how can i check it and get a 100% answer that its knackered?

 

any ideas peeps

 

cheers

[B17 G60 0]

nice one 2cc mate, i guess this is the only way i'm gonna find out, what should i be looking for whilst doing this, with regards to the problem i had with it just going click and not turning the engine over?

 

cheers again

[2cc 0]

OK. The starter draws a lot of current because it needs lots of grunt to turn the engine over. If you put power on to it when it's not bolted to the engine then it will leap about the place and could well hurt you - not good.

When the starter motor rotates, the toothed dog spins with it and is thrown up the shaft; it is this that engages with the toothed ring on the flywheel so cranking the engine. This is the bit that you do not want to be getting in the way of if you power up the starter 'loose'. So yes, could be dangerous and you should take proper care.

Right then, assuming you have tethered the starter in a vice or something, but hold it by the body NOT the shaft, then hook up the battery as I said before.

Be very careful NOT to short the battery out when making the connections - there is a lot of energy stored in it. At best you will get some pretty impressive arcing, at worst the battery could split or explode so give it some respect.

Assuming the battery is up to the job, when you touch the +ve supply to the solenoid 'push on lug' two things should happen. the solenoid (basically just a switch capable of handling the high current) should energise - this is the click you can hear - and makes the supply circuit for the motor which should then spin as described above. If it doesn't spin there are 3 possible reasons:

1. The solenoid does not energise (no click).

2. The solenoid energises (clicks) but its electical contacts do not 'make' so no supply volts to the motor.

3. The motor is dead

All the above mean get a new starter, there is no point even trying to fix it.

So take care. HTH

[B17 G60 0]

sorted as said checked the starter as u said got my mate to keep his foot on it whilst it was out and on the floor, it was working fine and popping in and out just fine. so greased it up abit and wd40'd it, put it back together and she started up fine without a hint of a problem, strange or what

 

i'm also getting abit of trouble with getting my car into 1st gear, you have o push and nudge at it quite abit and then it goes in, every single other gear including reverse is fine, doe this sound like a linkage problem or box?

 

my old box which blew a hole through it had the same problems of going into 1st gear, any ideas? don't think both the box's could be duff, i'm thinking the linkages if i is do i need the repair bit directly underneath the gearstick under the car, or the rods etc aswell? how much is it new?

 

cheers again peeps, mucho appreciated :)