starting problems

Alexa

Well-known member
hello-
about a month ago our trusty series 3 died on us- it will start if you pull it and pop the clutch. Oh- I am not mechanical so please forgive my not knowing stuff...
When you turn the key it just goes click so i figured it must be the alternator- since it went click i thought the starter must be working... so i had a 140 amp alternator built and got it mounted and all of that - still no rover action!
could it be the starter- if so is the starter the kind of big cylinder thing on the drivers side near the back on the bottom? it looks bigger than it does in the green bible.
I am getting ready to start taking it apart to swap the frame in august and would love to drive it just once this summer with the top off...
Any help would be great!
 

Leslie

Well-known member
Apr 28, 2004
3,473
0
52
Kingsport TN
Sure, it could be the starter, or the starter solenoid, etc. Yes, you've described the location of the starter for a left-hand drive vehicle.

Also, I've has similar symptoms that were caused by bad grounds, corrosion on the battery terminals, etc.


Sounds like a good oppotunity to go through the system, from the battery to the starter and alternator, checking wiring, etc.

After checking your wiring for anything loose or corroded, then you can start checking things like the starter's solenoid, the starter itself, etc.




Best o' luck,


-L
 

Alexa

Well-known member
starting problem

Thanks for the advice... I found the problem- a rotten wire that goes into the starter or actually the one that comes out of the starter. I also found this curious braided looking thing near the back of the starter- any idea of what this is?
 

LR Max

Well-known member
May 1, 2004
1,190
7
Hotlanta, GA
Alexa,

The "Braided wire" is just the ground wire to the starter. It is a very important part of the vehicle and it should not be removed. If you want to, you can pull that wire off and clean it up. This will ensure a good connection in the future.

Bad connections are usually the problem. Go through and clean up all of the connections from the battery, to the starter solenoid, and to the starter and that will make starting a lot easier.

For future reference, if you hear the "click" whenever you turn the key, that means that you are getting power to the starter solenoid but not to the starter. If you hear the "click" then your starter solenoid is fine.

Also, check the condition of your other wires. If one has gone bad then there is a chance that the others could be in bad shape as well. This will prevent any future problems.

Max T.