-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Coleman <coleman@sd.aonix.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: 16 December 1998 17:51
Subject: Starter (73B)
>When I try to start her, I generally get a single click from the starter
>solenoid. Try it few times and it will eventually turn the starter/engine.
>Yesterday, I got nothing and had to push start her. This morning, back to
>the single click symptom.
A single click from the solenoid (not the starter relay) would mean that
either the solenoid is not connecting 12v through to the starter due to bad
external or internal connections, or the starter itself is not responding to
it i.e. possible worn brushes, disconnected segments on the commutator etc.
If the brown circuits connect to the main battery cable other than on the
solenoid, it could also be that a there is a bad connection between where
they do connect and the solenoid. If you get dimming of the ignition light
when the key is turned then current is getting through to the starter but
for some reason it is not rotating.
>
>But, I've also been getting some other symptoms. The batteries (replaced
>this summer) may not be getting fully charged which may be contributing to
>the problem. I've noticed that when idling, if I put my turn signal on,
the
>blinker will slow down after a bit. Interior lights also get brighter as
>the RPMs increase. I think that tells me the alternator is not putting out
>enough juice.
This is normal it idling speeds. The rpms have to be a few hundred above
idling before full charging is available.
I've also been told that that if you start w/ low batteries
>(they were run down when I redid the interior), the alternator will not
>fully charge them.
Not true. I have jump-started with a battery that would not turn the engine
(albeit not completely flat) and it has charged just fine off the
alternator. Funnily enough, though, I was told only yesterday by a chap
that used to work at Lucas many years ago that a *generator* system wouldn't
charge if the battery was less than half charged.
>To test that end, I jumped the batteries to our other car and let it charge
>for 20 minutes. Single click still occurred. But, since I'm jumping from
a
>single 12 volt battery to the twin-6s, would that charge them...should...
Was the other car running? If not then you would get an initial charge
transfer from the good battery to the flat battery, but at a very low rate,
then you would end up with two partially charged batteries. As long as you
connect positive to positive and negative to negative and ignore the cable
that links the two batteries, twin-6 volts are no different to a single 12v,
which is itself six 2.2v cells connected in series in a single package.
>Nick
>73B
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