Symptoms,
faults and fixes associated with starter motors:-
Dead
- Check battery condition and cable connections to terminals
- Sticky
solenoid due to corrosion or glued up lubricant and dirt - dismantle and rub clean with some emery paper
- Worn
starter motor armature brushe - strike motor body with end of a piece of timber whilst cranking; the
jolt may encourage enough contact to get the starter motor running for long
enough for ignition to occur.
- For a permanent fix dismantle the starter motor and replace the carbon
brushes.
- Corrosion
in the starter motor body between the steel jacket and alloy gear casing - insert self tapping screw between the two parts to bridge the corrosion
laye
- For a permanent fix remove motor and strip down and then wire brush
components back to the metal and then reassemble. Painting the outside of the newly reassembled
motor to keep dirt and water at bay is a good idea, wrapping insulation tape
over the joins also keeps corrosion at bay.
'Click, click, click' ...occasional start
- Check battery condition and cable connections to terminals
- Worn
contact plates in solenoid failing to provide high current to energize the
starter motor winding - dismantle solenoid and replace copper contact plates and plunger ring (readily
available as an inexpensive (<$10) overhaul kit.
'Wahr, wahr, wahhrr'...laboured motor
- Worn bronze bearings on the ends of the starter motor are allowing
the motor core to run off centre and grind against the surrounding field
magnets on the inside of the motor body - dismantle motor and check that outside edges of the motor core are
looking polished. If so, replace the bronze bearings (inexpensive fix)
- Over-drawing
motor - high current is being drawn but this is not translated into
effective turning effort by the motor.
The field magnet windings have begun to short out, probably as a
result of age or, more likely, through over use in trying to start a
poorly igniting engine. With
prolonged use the field windings get very hot and eventually burn off the
insulation between the individual wires in the windings creating a short - replace/ exchange the starter motor as the field windings of the stator
magnets on the motor body are fried and beyond repair
'Wheeeeeeee' ..no start
- Although
engaged fully with the flywheel a slipping pinion gear clutch means that
the motor is ineffectual at turning the engine over - remove the starter motor and replace the pinion gear on the end of the
starter motor shaft
Lottery start...occasional no start
- The motor occasionally refuses to start to turn first time and has a
defined rhythmic pulse when turning over - this is due to either burnt out
armature coil or the contact face of the armature has become badly pitted or
has worn off centre causing the brush to miss making contact - replace brushes and ensure brush
passages allow free movement - replace/ exchange the starter motor as armature contact area and windings
are beyond repair.
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