Fault with Starter Solenoid

[madformorris]

Hi Hope some one can tell me if I am right or not.
Went to start my Minor for the first time in a while and when turned the car she was dead no lights not a thing. There is power in the battery so ran a lead from battery to where the lead from the starter motor goes and she turned over but when I ran lead from battery to where the lead from battery goes to the Starter Solenoid not a thing. So I think the Starter Solenoid has gone u/s. Am I right or wrong.
Thanks

[bmcecosse]

Could be - but more likely just bad connections at battery and/or solenoid - I suggest you strip and clean everything and try again.

[Alec]

Hello MFM,

there should be a large brown cable on a spade on the battery side of the solenoid, is that on firmly?

Alec

[madformorris]

Thanks for all help given.

[madformorris]

I have tried every thing but there is still no life in my car. Check all wires and have new starter solenoid. Plus new ignition and it is still dead can any one please give me an idea what to check next.I would be tearing my hair out about now well thats if I had any left.

[phurn]

if youve got a new solenoid then it must be a bad connection. or possibly a break in a cable if theyre old and tatty.... double check those connections and give them a quick rub with a wire brush if theyre at all furry/oxidising. failing that continuinty check each cable.

[phurn]

oh and ofcourse give the solenoid a dose of wd40 and a whack with a rubber mallet if all else fails =]

[bmcecosse]

Back to basics - how do you KNOW there is 'power in the battery' ? Have you removed/cleaned/refitted all the connections ? Is absolutely NOTHING working - no lights at all ?

[madformorris]

I have check the battery and if I run a lead from battery to where the start lead is on the solenoid the engine turns over. There are no lights or any thing.
If I move the small lead that is in the middle of the solenoid to underwhere the lead from the battery is I just get some lights like oil light but that is all.

[Alec]

Hello MFM,

is it possible that you have connected the starter motor and the battery lead back to front on the solenoid terminals, the battery lead goes to the post with the large spade terminal? My apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs?

Alec

[madformorris]

Thanks Alec
But the leads are around the right way

[madformorris]

I have just checked the lead from battery to solenoid and the large spade terminal and there is power but still the car is dead no lights or any thing.

[phurn]

gotta be a bad earth or solenoid then, if the solenoid is shorting the battery then you wont get any current going to the lights. However if the earths are crusty and damaged you wont get current going anywhere.

personally if your battery is staying healthy then my money is on earths, as a short would kill your battery very quickly, and it'd get nice and toasty warm. turn the key and then check power, if theres power going into the solenoid, is it coming out?

may sound daft but have you spent all this time focusing on the wires from the battery to the solenoid? dotn forget the wires to the starter, give them a good going over.

[madformorris]

I have checked all earths and the lead that goes to the fuse box has power both sides of the fuse. so on the solenoid there is power to one side but not the other.
Any one any ideas?

[madformorris]

Could it be the new solenoid being at fault, if it is how can I check it?

[bmcecosse]

You now say you have power at both sides of the fuses - - so presumably now the lights work ok ? Lets' deal with this one aspect at a time - do the car lights (ie side lights/headlights) work ? Does the horn work ? When you turn on the ignition switch - do you get the IGN and OIL lights on the speedo ? Do the wipers work ?

[madformorris]

Only on the fuse where the lead from the large spade terminal goes to the fuse box

[Alec]

Hello MFM,

I don't quite understand the present situation. Are you saying if you turn the ignition switch the starter doesn't operate?

I'm assuming now that you have power, ignition light etc? The solenoid is a simple device and putting a 12v supply to it's coil should operate the solenoid. To check, take a short piece of wire and touch it between the battery terminal of the solenoid and it's coil terminal and the solenoid should pull in and turn the starter. That proves the solenoid. If that occurs and using the ignition switch at the start position doesn't crank the engine then the ignition switch is faulty or the connection to the solenoid is (White\red tracer wire)

Alec

[bmcecosse]

You still don't confirm if the headlights etc work!

[madformorris]

There are no lights or horn or any thing.