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Help!! starter motor

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 16:22
by algef
Hi, can anyone please assist me which wires go to which terminal on the starter motor?
I have a 1981 DHC and have just had to fit a new starter motor but i stupidly didnt make a note of which wire goes to which terminal and the last thing i want to do is damage the new starter!!

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 16:50
by Cobber
<font size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS">The brown wire from the alternator should have an eye terminal it goes to the same post terminal as the battery cable on the starter solenoid. You will have either a white/red or a white/orange wire from the starter relay this will have a female spade terminal and it goes to one of the male spade terminals on the starter solenoid. Mate don't worry about it, If you've got 'em the right way round it'll start 'n if you got 'em wrong it wont! So just change them and you'll be right.
<i>note:</i> Some US market models will also have a brown/purple wire that runs from the other spade terminal to the service indicator diodes for the catalytic converter equipped models. </font id="Comic Sans MS"></font id="size2">

80'Triumph TR7, , 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
85'Alfa 90, 69'Ford F250.
76' Ford F100

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 18:04
by algef
Thanks for your help, and after all that it still wont start!!! aahhhhh , i give up, think i will call a mechanic out to have a look at it!

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 18:28
by jclay (RIP 2018)
Does that mean the starter will not turn, or does it turn and the engine will not catch?

jclay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Technical/Intro.html"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/53/wo/HJMTK8gsojtwKleP.1/0.2.1.2.26.31.97.0.35.0.1.1.1?user=jclaythompson&fpath=Triumph_Articles&templatefn=FileSharing4.html"]Download Page[/url]

Posted: 07 Dec 2009 21:22
by algef
Basicaly nothing happens at all- no sound whatsoever, have checked the battery so thats ok, just stopped working one day out of the blue!

Posted: 07 Dec 2009 21:31
by gaz
starter relay maybee.......
lift out the panel at the back of the glove box and its the big blue one i think

you can by pass the relay temporaliy but only as a test i cant remember how but someone will maybe tel ya

It rides again..... and again wehey!!!!!!!
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Posted: 07 Dec 2009 22:52
by jclay (RIP 2018)
No sound what so ever. No click from the glove box?

Check the connection to the main switch. With the switch on use a jumper wire from the white wire to the white/red wire.

Check the connection in the middle of the back-up light switch cable. There is a loop there on top of the transmission. If it is not connected or dirty, the relay will not work.

Check the blue relay in the glove box as gaz said.

Check the connections on the starter. The white/red wire should be connected to the spade terminal that is pointed straight down.

You are looking for a White/Red wire all the way from the switch to the starter.

jclay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Technical/Intro.html"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/53/wo/HJMTK8gsojtwKleP.1/0.2.1.2.26.31.97.0.35.0.1.1.1?user=jclaythompson&fpath=Triumph_Articles&templatefn=FileSharing4.html"]Download Page[/url]

Posted: 09 Dec 2009 00:03
by bmcecosse
It's rarely the starter at fault - either the relay or perhaps the ignition switch.

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Posted: 09 Dec 2009 06:59
by Steve @ SandS
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by algef</i>

Basicaly nothing happens at all- no sound whatsoever, have checked the battery so thats ok, just stopped working one day out of the blue!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Find the plug for the reverse light loom in the engine bay(pronably mear the bellhsg)you will see that there is a looped white/red wire.Disconnect the plug and clean the terminals for this wire on both sides of the plug.

Steve @ S&S Preparations

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 17:43
by algef
At last success, yes it started! I did have to resort to a mobile mechanic (£55) but it was sorted within the hour much to my relief as this has been dragging on for ages!!!
It turned out it was the 'inhbitor switch' ( i had never heard of it!) this little devil apparently stops the car from being started whilst in 'drive(automatics)and it had failed,so a quick solution was just to put a new wire in from the starter motor to the ignition switch bypassing the inhibitor. Many thanx to all those who gave advice.

Posted: 12 Dec 2009 19:18
by saabfast
Ahhh....you forgot to mention the little word 'automatic'. All auto cars have an inhibitor switch, I have had to short them out more than once on failure (temporarily of course).

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC
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Posted: 12 Dec 2009 19:48
by bmcecosse
You almost certainly didn't need a new starter at all!

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