Morris Minor Owners Club

i think my starter motor has frozen.
it worked fine yesterday, but this morning, i turn the key and nothing, not a click or a buzz, nothing, the battery is full changed and the car starts very well on the handle. so could the starter motor be frozen or simply knackered?

had same the problem with mine, it needed new bushs which cost me 30 to get it reconed

well i do have a spare one, but its soo cold outside, i dont particularly want to be scrabbling around under the car

i put a big jacket on, one way to test the old one is put is take it off(still means goin outside) put it in the vice and put jump leads onto it black to the body and red to the live terminal

oh rusticles, well ill have to get it going, i do have a spare one, for such times of i havent the foggiest, i did pas a passing thought, probably stupid, but ill give it a punt, could i pour hot water on ? probably very stupid to suggest it. or could i use a head gun and warm the whole thing? also probably stupid for mentioning it,

you could do to see if it is just frozen im sure someone else will be along to help incase im wrong but it does sound simular to my prob a few weeks back

Try tightening all the cables and the starter mounting bolts first.

those are all tight, first thing i checked, then i checked the battery voltage, all normal and tight.

Is the solenoid working? With the car in neutral, use a large metal object (jump lead, spanner, or whatever) to short the two terminals and see if the motor turns. If yes, then the solenoid has failed. If no, then look elsewhere. Good luck.

if the starter had died, or ...frozen... then you would still hear a click from the solenoid when you turn the key/pull the start knob. if you're getting no click then your solenoid is dead or the thin wire that goes to the solenoid has a dodgy connection. first port of call would be try for a click. if no click, wiggle that connection and try again. if still no click. solenoid has had it!

cadetchris wrote:i think my starter motor has frozen.
it worked fine yesterday, but this morning, i turn the key and nothing, not a click or a buzz, nothing, the battery is full changed and the car starts very well on the handle. so could the starter motor be frozen or simply knackered?

That certainly sounds like no current is getting to the starter. The ignition switch, the solenoid or starter switch is what I would be looking at. If the starter bushings are worn to the point that the armature is hitting the field coils there would at least be an initial click or clunk. If you have a voltmeter put it across the battery terminals while someone operates the key or the starter switch. If the voltage drops 'way down the starter is stuck.

If your car has a solenoid the problem could also be right at the ignition switch. If it doesn't power the solenoid it may be just an open circuit.

When something happens as suddenly as that the problem is more likely electrical than mechanical.

Darrell

CC I had a similar thing with me NEW Recon starter failing in the cold weather. It's worked all summer and bench tested OK but when on the car would barely turn the engine. I fitted my spare and the car started no problems. It gave the neigbours and dog walkers some amusement to see me scrabbling around under the car surrounded by snow

Big red handle no worky?

If you press the starter button under the bonnet with the ignition switched off and it still does nothing then it is a faulty starter motor if the cables have been checked.

the big red button on the front does work, though i nearly killed myself yesterday by starting the car, whilst in gear and the slipping on the ice in front of the car, thankfully the engine died before it managed to totally run me over.

as for the wee button on the solenoid, thats gone, its a new pattern version i put in a few years ago. i am just literally wrapping up warm to go have a fettle and see whats wrong with it.

IF its the solenoid, would any lucas solenoid do (mini, mg etc) do?

ok, now i am confused. when i turn the key, their is that familiar clunk from the solenoid, but no starter motor.
however, if i bridge the terminals on the solenoid its self with the trusty screw driver, the starter motor whirls into life and the engine starts.

so is it the solenoid?

Hello Chris,

it sounds very much like the solenoid. To answer an earlier question, you can use a mini one or any other that has the same mounting and terminal configuration.

Alec

Yep, swap the solenoid. Short term, at least you can still use the starter motor. We always say that you can do almost anything on a Minor with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver

strangely after i took a short trip to the local petrol station, she started on the key and has done all day. must be one of those things i suppose

could have defrosted...