rxsammy Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Hi Guys, I did a bit of a search and found a few people with the same problem but just hoping people could save me a bit of time by pointing me in the right direction. I'm having intermittent problems with the starter in my ke70. Usually it will start fine but sometimes I'll turn the ignition to start and nothing will happen at all. Usually I'll push start it and by the time I get whereever I'm going the starter is working again. But it's getting worse and worse now. Brake light on dash comes on and clock/radio etc dim so I presume the ignition barrel is working. From other peoples experience it sounds like the wire and or terminals etc going to the starter (which run under the exhaust mani) might be perished and not conducting as they should. Do you think this would be the problem? And if so whats my best plan of action? Get under the car with a multimeter and see if I can find the point at which no power is getting through when I turn the ignition to start? Getting a bit frustrating now, resorting to parking the car on hills for now :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 I've been having the same damn problem since I got mine. Go to turn the key and it just goes *click*. It takes sometimes 20 turns for it to finally fire up. I drove for about an hour and a half for another starter only to find I was experiencing the same problem. From the sounds of it, that clicking sound is the solenoid being thrown, but something's not working at the motor end of things. I've been told a relay might help, to draw more power from the battery; I've also heard re-earthing the starter to the block could work too; and possibly that the terminals inside the starter are gunked up/fvcked, causing intermittent problems. I'm gonna follow this topic 'cause this problem shits me to pieces, and for some reason, it's always at its worst when there's a chance to embarrass me (such as when I'm leaving a carpark full of car enthusiasts and most of them are muscle cars). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rian Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Check you're battery terminals are clean and tight first, then check all the wires are good. If everything is as it should be try another starter motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Check you're battery terminals are clean and tight first, then check all the wires are good. If everything is as it should be try another starter motor. Done that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxsammy Posted August 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 (edited) I know it's so annoying! Mine doesn't click or anything when it doensn't work. You turn it to start and not a sound.. Sometimes I'll try it and nothing will happen, come back to it hours later and it's will start up perfect like normal. I'll check if it starts when I get home from work tonight, I don't think it will this time though. Yes I'll go over all the wires when I get a chance, just need to get it into the garage and jack it up. Why did they have to put the starter in that spot! Edited August 25, 2012 by rxsammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 You don't need to get under the car to pull the starter off. Just need a ratchet, a set of spanners, and a lot of patience. It's a bastard to pull out from under all the manifolds but if you get the right twist on it it'll pull right out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altezzaclub Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 If the solenoid goes 'click' then the problem is probably after the battery wire joins the starter motor- either the solenoid has burnt-out contacts inside or the starter brushes are worn out would be the usual problems. Check the power to the starter and the earth return wires just in case they can carry current, but not enough to fire the starter over.. If the solenoid doesn't go click then you'll have to check that power is getting to the solenoid via its activation wire, so either the solenoid coil is burnt out if power gets there, or the ignition switch is faulty/wiring broken if power isn't gettting there. If you have to take the starter out you will appreciate how badly designed the 4K is!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxsammy Posted August 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the info. Gives me some good ideas on where to start looking. Is it unusual that the problem is intermittent (e.g. starts perfect sometimes, not at all others..)? I've been having the same damn problem since I got mine. Go to turn the key and it just goes *click*. It takes sometimes 20 turns for it to finally fire up. I drove for about an hour and a half for another starter only to find I was experiencing the same problem. So you replaced your starter and no change? Damn, I don't want that to happen.. Edited August 25, 2012 by rxsammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altezzaclub Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 for another starter new? recondtioned by auto-sparkie? ..or one someone had taken out because it went 'click' all the time?? Go to turn the key and it just goes *click*. It takes sometimes 20 turns for it to finally fire up. One other "click" comes from the solenoid throwing the starter gear into the flywheel but it doesn't turn because the teeth on the flywheel are knackered. The motor usually stops in one place when you turn it off, so half a dozen teeth always get to do the work, and they get ground away. You just keep hitting the key and eventually it grabs a tooth and turns the motor. Brake light on dash comes on and clock/radio etc dim Tricky! I'd expect things to dim when the starter draws current, but not the brake lights to come on! I wonder if there is another wiring problem unrelated to the starter. If its pulling current but not starting then its time to pull the starter apart. Probably the windings are burnt out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 (edited) My advice is to follow altezzaclub's, bar that remark about the bad design. It's a starter motor! Where else should one put it? EDIT: It was a spare off a 3K this guy had pulled out of a KE20 to do a 4A-GE conversion on. That's a good point about the flywheel. That might be a viable solution becuase it does feel very much like a hit & miss situation, not unlike teeth misaligning on something. Edited August 25, 2012 by Senseless Sensation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altezzaclub Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 It's a starter motor! Where else should one put it? On the other side, the high side where there is nothing but a dizzy and an oil filter! The low side is fine for an exhaust manifold, but even the inlet could go on the other side, and you should almost upright it while you're at it... maybe we should have a contest to design the ideal motor to work on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Yeah, that'd probably be a better place to put it. But I'd bet you old buggers would still complain about hunching over to get at it :D. My dad needed my help lifting the alloy head off his falcon for this reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altezzaclub Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Lol! I'm not surprised! Bending over motors and reaching into an engine bay while lifting something is a real killer on my back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxsammy Posted August 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 I'm yet to get under the car and investigate, but if power is getting to the starter fine and it ends up that I need a new starter motor where is the best place to source one from? Are the ones off ebay alright, they go for around $150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOYOTA Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 $150! :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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