86 3.2 starting problem

[chrispops65]

I have an 86 3.2 that normally starts on the button. All of a sudden she won't start i.e. turn ignition key and nothing happens - completely dead. Have tried another battery, cleaned battery connections and connections to starter motor without success. You can hear the immobiliser click to de-immobilise so I don't think it's that. Any ideas?

[Bronco]

Dme relay. Very common one. Flywheel sensors also very common.

[chrispops65]

Would that stop it from cranking?

[Bronco]

Err no. It is/was a bit early!! Engage Brian!! It does fuel pump and brain.. Starter solenoid?

The brain needs to see the engine turning over with the flywheel sensors before it fires up everything else.

[SilverWT]

Check the round black plug connections on the bulkhead under the dash are firmly seated. They can work lose and suddenly give a variety problems, the one behind the ignition switch area with a yellow and red wires is the one for the starter circuit.

 

Mark

[R2D2]

Have you checked you trans to chassis earth strap and your battery to chassis earth lead?

[ChesterJLampwick]

Mine just goes click sometimes, another go and it starts, but last Sunday it kept going click.

 

I put the car in gear and rocked it, back in neutral and it started - pretty sure that makes it a sticky starter solenoid.

I used to have a V6 Capri that kept doing this, OK till you're the first car off a ferry!

 

How hard is it to get the starter off?

 

I will have a look at the earth straps first, though.

Edited June 14, 2013 by ChesterJLampwick

[Nige]

Car up on axle stands and just lower the back ar*e or front ar*e of the engine/gearbox from it's mounts and it's pretty straight forward to remove. I lowered mine from rear most mounts in the engine bay, you get about 200-300mm extra space. Search for partial engine drop, it's easy.

[R2D2]

If you've got a 915 then you don;t need to lower the gearbox as access is alot easier.

 

I had this problem and it kept coming back until I just fitted a hi-torque starter - no issues since.

 

You need to:

 

Clean and/or replace the battery to chassis strap and the trans to earth strap (they are not expensive)

Clean the positive connection to the battery (there are a number of red crimps some/one of which are the feeds to the solenoid. The big the positive lead is the direct feed to the starter.

Carefully clean the multipin connector under the coil in the engine bay.

Make sure the circular connectors behind the ignition switch are securely seated.

Remove, clean and reattach (with anti corrosion electrical contact lube) all connections to the starter and solenoid (make sure you've disconnected the battery first)

For completeness, remove the starter, check its gear and also check the ring gear for mashed teeth.

 

The prob with this one is that doing the rocky robin car trick does sometimes work and sometime doesn't. The good thing about the hi-torque jobs is that they need less juice and also have more ooph to get past any chewed teeth on the ring gear.

 

There are many respected peps on here that think they are the devils works however but mine has been good.

[Dr Rock]

Earth connection. Check/clean/replace.

I've had exactly the same and doing the above seems to have done the trick. So far...

[coxy]

Mine was the black 14Pin connector in engine bay under the coil. Check all the easy stuff before ripping into it.

[mark bevan]

mine's a 3.0 and this connector was faulty once, and the car wouldn't start,

Edited June 23, 2013 by mark bevan

[Wingnonut]

Any advise on how the black 14 pin connector comes apart? Can't seem to get mine undone and certainly don't want to force it and potentially make things worse!

 

Cheers,

 

Richard.

[R2D2]

Do you mean remove it from its socket or literally take the plug apart to get at the soldered pin connectors?

[Wingnonut]

Remove it from the socket. I am guessing there is a catch somewhere but I can't locate it. Doesn't help that there seems to be three black plastic bits and I can't work out if the bit sandwiched in the middle comes away with the bit you remove or stays put (if that makes sense).

[R2D2]

The tabs you seen on the sides of the top connector are just for if you want to pull apart this element of the connector - below is a piccy pinched from the interweb of just the plastic housing for the connection. You can see how there are tabs on the top part of the male connector (left side of photo) that obviously locate onto the bottom half of the male connector. The wiring/ pins are clamped in place in between when these two are snapped together.

 

I wouldn't split/ open these tabs unless you need to otherwise the wired pin tend to try and escape and mix themselves up!

 

 

Spray it with a bit of WD40, give it a wiggle and the top bit should come free. A very little bit of gentle leverage with something plastic may help get it going.

[chrispops65]

Brilliant thanks - fiddled with above connector and it started 1st time!

[Wingnonut]

Cheers R2. Fitteda Hi torque starter today and not only does it sound like a super charger when it starts up it also works every time

[911hillclimber]

I'm right at this 'click' point with my starter which is a grand 40 years old this year...

Checked the sol lead yesterday and there is a spot where the spade connector is very loose, so pinched it tighter and pushed it on against a fair resistance.

Rocking the car worked.

If it does it again a hi-torque starter is next, same price as a recon stock starter and no having to post the heavy old unit back to get a return on the core charge.

 

However;

Changing the starter means you have clean connectors, tight and a good ground system, so check those first before spending £170 + everything.