VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 15:25:55 03/30/05 Wed
Author: simonvince
Subject: trouble shooting lesson learnt (Long)

I have learnt a valuable lesson, when it comes to problem solving electrical faults
on my car.
My starter motor was not turning my engine over and just making a noise (like when the starter is operated with the engine running). and a wire in the loom was melting at the same time.

The first thing that came to my mind was wiring shorting out or faulty starter or solenoid
Anyway first checked the battery. 12.4 volts all ok there.
next the earth straps with test meter, they checked out ok too
I tested the battery positive to the starter motor, over 12volts so that was ok too.
I tested the battery positive at starter motor to the starter body and mounting area again
12 volts.
I disconnected the positive wire from the ignition to the solenoid and and then turned the ignition no wire melting so I ruled out the fault being at the ignition also checked that wire for voltage that was ok as expected.
At this point was sure it was most likely the starter or solenoid.
so set about removing it. after it was out checked the teeth on the fly wheel all ok there too!
took the starter/solenoid and cleaned up all the terminals and gave it wipe down.
then tested it on a battery everything was working as it should the solenoid and starter was ok.
At this point I was running out of ideas!
i put the starter back in and wired it all up turned the ignition again not turning engine
and wire still melting in loom.
I couldn't determine where this wire was coming from or where it was going
but it was not any that when to the starter.
I was just stabbing in the dark at this point, and started having horrible thoughts,
What if my engine is seized up!
it never explained the melting wire but i pulled the radiator and turned the engine from the front to be sure, again all ok.
Next i thought if I isolate the the starter from the rest of the wiring then the wire in the loom will stop shorting and i can determine if the starter just can't work when it has a load on it.
I did this and just connected the wire from the battery positive to the starter/solenoid
removed all other wires on battery positive and removed all the other wiring from
starter, and just jumped the terminals with screwdriver again starter not turning engine
and to my surprise wire in loom was still melting.
Ok I was scratching me head and staring at the engine, bits everywhere radiator out.
I decided to call it a day and put the radiator back in when i was connecting the hoses
i noticed that under the air intake is a thick cable. It caught my eye because it was frayed at one end and didn't look good I shoved my hand down there and pulled it it was very loose. Tightened it up and and then tried the starter again BINGO!
Engine Turing over no wire meting.
That explained the wire melting the starter was not able to ground through that cable so fount another one to ground through only it couldn't take the load.

The one test I never did was to see what voltage was at the starter motor While it was trying to operate (I only tested for 12volts while it wasn't) I never did this because of the melting wire and didn't want it to
melt through the other wires it was next to.
I spent many hours over a few day on What could have been 30 second job

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT+0
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.