This might help somebody:
I've had the common sticking starter motor issue, cleaned out the plunger and contacts on the solenoid part of the starter and thought it had gone away.
Then I began to have random starting - really not a safe thing to happen!
Jetwashing the car the other day after a very muddy off road session, I was around the back and smelt burning, looked at the front and the starter was smoking away at the main cable and also at a smaller black wire on the second battery.
The interesting bit is that I have a "E" stop in line to stop the starter motor running off. It seems because the stater could not draw current through the main cable it tried the solenoid low tension.
The cable plug near to the start relay was also uncomfortably warm to hold.
The culprit was the starter relay, the two pictures show a before and after.
Basically the relay had been corroding away for a while and the spring which keeps the contacts apart had corroded and snapped allowing the contact to drop and make the start circuit happen.
½ an hours check / work could be very cheap insurance for some of the older motors out there!!!
Bah... no more room for uploads - sorry!
I've had the common sticking starter motor issue, cleaned out the plunger and contacts on the solenoid part of the starter and thought it had gone away.
Then I began to have random starting - really not a safe thing to happen!
Jetwashing the car the other day after a very muddy off road session, I was around the back and smelt burning, looked at the front and the starter was smoking away at the main cable and also at a smaller black wire on the second battery.
The interesting bit is that I have a "E" stop in line to stop the starter motor running off. It seems because the stater could not draw current through the main cable it tried the solenoid low tension.
The cable plug near to the start relay was also uncomfortably warm to hold.
The culprit was the starter relay, the two pictures show a before and after.
Basically the relay had been corroding away for a while and the spring which keeps the contacts apart had corroded and snapped allowing the contact to drop and make the start circuit happen.
½ an hours check / work could be very cheap insurance for some of the older motors out there!!!
Bah... no more room for uploads - sorry!
