[urq] Starter - Wiring Issues?

[Ben Swann]

As indicated on a prior reply, cleaning up ground points did help and now car is starting fine.  I'll ad to what I found and think it may help in your situation as well.

One single point of failure to address I discovered is the ground from the negative post to the chassis.  You need to remove battery and bracked - it is the bolt with a  ring terminal that is beneath the bracket.  Clean that one up good, and possibly run another 4 guage wire from the terminal to another ground point in the car - perhaps one of the seat belt bolts  - there weren't many places to attach under the seat.

I'm sure this will help by providing additional pipe to carry current into the car chassis.

Then there are quite a few other ground points in front - all  mine I have checked so far were very oxidized.   One set is behind the CIS waffle hose - passenger side - a mass of grounds and a ground strap going to the head.

Another as Steve mentioned is near the drivers side wheel well - this is probably the main ground path to the engine.  There are another bunch of ground wires there too.

I have found cleaning these wires/ring terminals up and any positive terminal connections at starter and alternator help when having slow cranking.  If it doesn't fix, and you know the battery is good, then replace/repair the starter.

Ben
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jon Archibald 
  To: benswann at comcast.net 
  Cc: urq at audifans.com 
  Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 11:04 PM
  Subject: [urq] Starter - Wiring Issues?


  Ben,
  My car has had the same intermittent problem, about once every 3 months or so and today as a matter of fact. To complicate the issue, I think a few of the times it has happened has been as a result of me accidentally pressing the "disable" button(s) on my car alarm feyfob as I grabbed my keys-the solenoid wouldn't even click. On these occasions, pressing the override switch for the alarm for 10 seconds with the key in the "on" position has restored functionality. However, the last time it happened (bout 3 months and 25 or 30 starts ago) the alarm reset didn't help the problem. A friend suggested I rock the car back and forth a few times in gear to "loosen up" the solenoid. Not sure exactly why it worked, but it did. Today the car did the same thing in the underground garage at work. Solenoid clicking once which each turn of the key, but no start. This time, no amount of rocking or alarm cycling helped. I managed to con co-workers into push-starting my car to get home and tomorrow it is getting a reman. starter (Solenoid is $90, Starter w/solenoid is $130-why not replace the whole thing). There is a remote posibility that my trouble is wiring related but I'm betting its the solenoid and/or the brushes on the starter motor based on the fact that at least once before the no-start condition was remedied by forcing the starter physically to turn a little. I'll let you know if I find differently after my install. hopefully the car will start a little easier too. Presently, it sounds rather labored when starting, even on full battery charge off the charger.
  -Jon


  <<All of a suddern(not the first time)  starter is not cranking as if the battery has died.  I went to charge the battery, but it is showing near full charge.  Maybe the starter is dying in this '83 UrQ, but I am wondering if there are any places I'd be experiencing high resistance and/or loss of connection between the Under seat Battery and the starter.

  I cleaned up the positive connection at the starter as well as the battery and the battery is new.  I plan to revisit the major positive connections at alt, starter and ground behind the block.  Are there any other major areas I might be getting a current drop?

  Ben>>