Starter motor or relay?

[355spider]

What started out as a once every few months issue has gradually become a frequent nuisance.

I’ll go to start the engine and I will hear a click but the engine won’t turn over, if I give the starter a light crack with a bar it will either sort it or will need another few hits.

My initial thoughts are the starter needs replacing/rebuilding, but could it be the relay, does the fact hitting the starter with something point towards the starter being the issue, or could it be a case that the relay will on the occasion supply the starter with a weak current causing it too stick?

I would just get a relay and see, although the exact same make and model is proving hard to source over here, the cars not a Ford so I guess aslong as the replacement relay states “14B192-AA” I should be good?

Ford FOAB 14B192-AA

I’ve had quite enough of the “will it start” anxiety, and being watched starting a Ferrari (or any car for that matter) with a hammer isn’t that funny anymore.

Edited by 355spider on Sunday 23 February 00:51

[Richard-D]

The way to be sure is to test for voltage at the starter while turning the key. If you're getting voltage at the starter then your starter relay is fine and the problem is in the starter (solenoid).

Realistically though, the click you're hearing (unless extremely faint) is going to be the starter solenoid. If the solenoid is moving then your relay is fine.

You could also remove the relay and (gearbox in neutral) jump it's terminals with a short length of wire. If you hear the same click and it doesn't crack that also confirms starter solenoid failure.

I suggest the top method. You just need a multimeter (or test lamp) and possibly a jumper cable.

[GreenV8S]

355spider said:

I’ll go to start the engine and I will hear a click but the engine won’t turn over, if I give the starter a light crack with a bar it will either sort it or will need another few hits.

Those are the symptoms of the starter motor solenoid being sticky and/or not being supplied with full voltage. A volt meter would quickly tell you whether it was getting sufficient voltage.

[InitialDave]

If the starter is accessible, you can directly jump the main terminal to the battery positive with a jump lead to see if it spins.

When I've had these symptoms before, it was a solenoid that was actuating, but not actually passing current to the motor.

So turning the key to the start position would throw the pinion out into the flywheel ring gear, and then jumping the main terminal would spin the motor to crank the engine.

I'm assuming it's a starter with an integrated solenoid, where the solenoid moving to close the contact for the current also pulls an internal lever in the case which slides the pinion out on its shaft.

Have also had similar situations with very bad internal corrosion on the cable from battery to starter. Would allow enough current to activate the solenoid, but not to run the starter under load.

Edited by InitialDave on Sunday 23 February 01:43