When I bought my '97 Discovery 1 in April I joined this forum and saw many threads about starter problems. I've read through most of them and will add my recent experiences.
On my 900 mile trip back to Maine with the sitting-for-6-months and new-to-me Discovery, I had only one issue. I had parked under the portico of a motel in Portland, ME, with ample time to drive the remaining 80 miles to catch the last ferry home. But after shutting the car off, it would not start. The starter would only turn very slowly. My battery read 12.5 v and the car had a new starter from Rovers North installed just prior to my departure. I called AAA and the "expert" came about 45 minutes later with a jump truck. He took Vise Grips to the terminals and tried his jump pack. Nothing. Then he reverted to his truck's built in jumpers. Nothing. We checked the cleanliness of the terminals. No joy. He was ready to give up when the Disco started, but ran very rough. I shut it down and tried again. Two attempted later it started as per normal, a few times in a row. I drove home, missing the ferry, but relieved. BTW, the "experts" load tester revealed that the starter was operating properly, and confirmed that the battery [voltage and amperage] and alternator were working properly.
The start issue went away until recently, when it reappeared twice today. The first time, my work partner and I actually smelled electrical smoke. Popping the hood revealed no fire, and after a couple of turns with the key, it started as per normal. Still, the smell made me think the starter was binding up.
I drove home, and later to a graduation party, where the problem re-appeared. After a few turns of the key and hardly any churning, the starter fired up as it should.
I've spoke with Rovers North and they confirmed they'll replace the starter under warranty if necessary.
As an interim step, I removed the ground cable at the frame [it was tight], sprayed brake cleaner and sandpapered the bracket, and tightened it back up. It started as it should.
A review of all the wonderful threads suggests replacing cables if original [likrly on this very stock SE7].
If the problem persists, I'll swap out the starter. I'll report what I find when the current starter is out of the car.
Thanks for all the helpful posts!
Jeff
On my 900 mile trip back to Maine with the sitting-for-6-months and new-to-me Discovery, I had only one issue. I had parked under the portico of a motel in Portland, ME, with ample time to drive the remaining 80 miles to catch the last ferry home. But after shutting the car off, it would not start. The starter would only turn very slowly. My battery read 12.5 v and the car had a new starter from Rovers North installed just prior to my departure. I called AAA and the "expert" came about 45 minutes later with a jump truck. He took Vise Grips to the terminals and tried his jump pack. Nothing. Then he reverted to his truck's built in jumpers. Nothing. We checked the cleanliness of the terminals. No joy. He was ready to give up when the Disco started, but ran very rough. I shut it down and tried again. Two attempted later it started as per normal, a few times in a row. I drove home, missing the ferry, but relieved. BTW, the "experts" load tester revealed that the starter was operating properly, and confirmed that the battery [voltage and amperage] and alternator were working properly.
The start issue went away until recently, when it reappeared twice today. The first time, my work partner and I actually smelled electrical smoke. Popping the hood revealed no fire, and after a couple of turns with the key, it started as per normal. Still, the smell made me think the starter was binding up.
I drove home, and later to a graduation party, where the problem re-appeared. After a few turns of the key and hardly any churning, the starter fired up as it should.
I've spoke with Rovers North and they confirmed they'll replace the starter under warranty if necessary.
As an interim step, I removed the ground cable at the frame [it was tight], sprayed brake cleaner and sandpapered the bracket, and tightened it back up. It started as it should.
A review of all the wonderful threads suggests replacing cables if original [likrly on this very stock SE7].
If the problem persists, I'll swap out the starter. I'll report what I find when the current starter is out of the car.
Thanks for all the helpful posts!
Jeff