Starter Motor Problem

[derekpara]

Car: X reg 1.4 petrol, manual.

Problem: (Intermitent). On turning the ignition key to start the engine there is just a click, as if the battery is flat. (Battery is one year old and in good order) . On the second attempt the starter motor does it's job and the engine fires up.

Having eliminated possible battery problems my guess is a faulty starter solenoid, a 'flat' on the starter commutator or a dodgy starter motor. Any other possiblities ?

I don't want the expense of a new starter motor if I can help it.

Cheers.

D

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Intermittent is difficult.I would start with a check around all connections...clean and re connect.. then the solenoid then the starter.

[Prudie]

In the old days that could well have been some teeth missing on the flywheel. Don't suppose that's the case with modern cars??

[tonyav]

Check the battery earth lead where it connects to the bodywork. Unbolt it and make sure that the bodywork ( usually inner wing ) is clean and rust free and also that the bolt and connector are clean and rust free. Also there is usually an earth strap from the engine block to the bodywork, make sure that the connections on this is also clean and rust free.

[derekpara]

Thanks to you all. A check of all connections will be my first task before I get the solenoid checked.

Cheers.

D

[TWR]

Is the battery the "Top Up Type" are you sure the battery is ok? check the wires on the Solenoid.

[cazzz1975]

Check the wire from the ignition to the starter solenoid, it's a push on bayonet it could be loose.

[derekpara]

Thanks to the later posters.

To be on the safe side I will get the battery checked properly just in case faulty.

Sorry, Methyl, my omission. It's a VW Polo 2001

D

[Hymie]

With that age of car, I would suspect the carbon brushes within the starter motor, to have reached the end of their life.

While it is normally possible to replace the brushes, these days an exchange unit is probably easiest.

When I last had this problem on my old Ford, a sharp tap on the starter motor body with a hammer would make the connection between brushes and commutator (but only so many times).

[derekpara]

I also forgot to add that this 14 year old Polo has only done 56K well-serviced miles.

[1ozzy]

Possibly a relay within the wiring system. Unlike a fuse, which once it fails it just doesn't work, a relay can be intermittent.

[derekpara]

Thanks, 1ozzy.

Something else for me to check but I think a scanner/fault finder might help.

D

[tonyav]

Best of luck, derekpara. An intermittent problem like this can be very difficult to track down.

[derekpara]

Thanks, Tony. I feel a lot better now !

D

[bentaxle]

Sounds to me like a high resistance somewhere between your battery and starter motor ,If you give it one or two goes then run your hand from your battery terminals to your starter motor any high resistance joints will be warm I've seen crimped cable joints that look perfect but collapse on load