TVR 350 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
Discussion
I am posting this on behalf of my father law.
HE is currently having a problem with the 350, When attempting to start the car there doesn't seem to be enough power getting to the starter to kick it over. The battery is fine and when the starter tests fine when on the bench. He is unable to locate the starter relay. Or is there some other device that may be restricting the oomph getting to the solonoid.
Thanks in advance,
P.S. the car bumps off and runs fine.
HE is currently having a problem with the 350, When attempting to start the car there doesn't seem to be enough power getting to the starter to kick it over. The battery is fine and when the starter tests fine when on the bench. He is unable to locate the starter relay. Or is there some other device that may be restricting the oomph getting to the solonoid.
Thanks in advance,
P.S. the car bumps off and runs fine.
The solenoid is part of the starter motor assembly, it is a pre-engaged setup.
What that means is that at first the 12v is applied so the starter motor begins to spin and when it can the solenoid arm moves the starter nose cog into mesh with the starter ring on the flywheel. But at this point only limited current is allowed through the coils of the starter motor.
When the cog and ring are fully engaged the solenoid arm moves into the second position making contact to allow the full current to flow through the motor.
It is possible that your solenoid is not making these contacts properly.
If the starter motor is not properly bolted in it might not be making a good earth connection.
As others have suggested you also need to check the earth connections and the braid, these can corrode a bit over time. One way to check the earth is to use a lump lead and connect from battery earth to some point on the engine block to see if that helps.
If you have access to a multimeter/voltmeter then check the battery voltage when you turn the key to crank. A fully charged battery should drop a few volts (to 8-10 volts from 12), if it drops to < 6 then the battery is shot or there is a dead short in the starter motor or the engine is seized (which it isn't). If it doesn't drop any volts then there is an issue with the circuit/solenoid contacts.
What happens to the dashboard lights when you turn the key to crank, this is a bit of an indication to the voltage.
Is the situation the same if hot or cold, a good condition engine that is hot will have higher compression than when cold and will be harder to turn over.
Russ
What that means is that at first the 12v is applied so the starter motor begins to spin and when it can the solenoid arm moves the starter nose cog into mesh with the starter ring on the flywheel. But at this point only limited current is allowed through the coils of the starter motor.
When the cog and ring are fully engaged the solenoid arm moves into the second position making contact to allow the full current to flow through the motor.
It is possible that your solenoid is not making these contacts properly.
If the starter motor is not properly bolted in it might not be making a good earth connection.
As others have suggested you also need to check the earth connections and the braid, these can corrode a bit over time. One way to check the earth is to use a lump lead and connect from battery earth to some point on the engine block to see if that helps.
If you have access to a multimeter/voltmeter then check the battery voltage when you turn the key to crank. A fully charged battery should drop a few volts (to 8-10 volts from 12), if it drops to < 6 then the battery is shot or there is a dead short in the starter motor or the engine is seized (which it isn't). If it doesn't drop any volts then there is an issue with the circuit/solenoid contacts.
What happens to the dashboard lights when you turn the key to crank, this is a bit of an indication to the voltage.
Is the situation the same if hot or cold, a good condition engine that is hot will have higher compression than when cold and will be harder to turn over.
Russ
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