View Full Version : TR6 TR6 Starter motor question?

06-06-2005, 01:24 PM
Occasionally when I go to start my tr6 i get a "
dead battery click" with no starter motor action. I then try once or twice again and it will work. The frequency is increasing. Also, after I have been driving and shut the car down for a while, when I go to start it after the initial starter failure, when it does go it will be very strained (like a week battery) and barely get the car started (also seems to let it get flooded before it fires). Is this some sort of starter problem, relay, electrical gremilin?? It's making me nervous to drive anywhere and the weather has just gotten nice!

06-06-2005, 02:05 PM
There are several reasons that you get the clicking at start up. They range from a bad or going bad starter/solenoid to corroded terminal connections at the battery or starter or both. I would suspect the latter.

06-06-2005, 03:39 PM
Yeah, clean all the connections to the battery and starter, don't forget the engine to body ground strap too.
Then check the battery itself if it's getting elderly.
If that doesn't fix it you might have to pull the starter and have it tested.
Don't get nervous about driving it though. These cars are easy to push start,get someone (or 2) to push the car while in 3rd gear with the clutch depressed, pop the clutch out rapidly and away it will go. Make sure the ignition is on though or you'll be pushing it around all day!/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
When I was younger, my Ford Anglia lost all the ring gear teeth from a loose starter, I drove it for a year by parking at the top of hills and/or laying in wait for unsuspecting "pushers" (the word had a different meaning back then) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Paul Johnson
06-06-2005, 04:05 PM
As above, but there is a good test. Measure voltage to know exactly where the issue is.
Place - lead on battery + post. Place + lead on battery + terminal. Crank starter and look for &lt; 0.5v. In other words, you can lose only about a half volt at that connection. If that is ok, then move the + lead to the other end of the cable, where it connects to the solenoid. Repeat the test. If the voltage reading is now much greater, then you have a lot of corrosion in the cable, and it needs replacing. If ok, then move the + lead to the starter and repeat. If voltage reading is higher, then the solenoid is bad. If any of these are bad, say you had a reading of 4v, then your starter is trying to turn the engine over on 8v. Remember to be sure that there is a good ground from engine to frame. If there is not, then ground has to find whatever way it can back to the battery, and in our cars, that's likely to be through the speedo cable.

As an aside to Graham's note above, I had bad starter on the Bugeye in early 60s, while living in the French Quarter. Was able to stick a foot out and kick backwards, starting it in reverse. Sometimes though I had to pay the derelicts 50 cents to not help, because they couldn't push fast enough.