Hi all,

Not the usual broken-wire-at-the-plug problem - I've already had that, and done a DIY repair, but sometimes it still plays up. I have had the battery tray out this morning to take another look at it. The wire is still soldered to the end of the plug just fine. Used a screw terminal block to join the new piece of wire from the plug to the loom, and this is wrapped in copious amounts of electrical tape. I checked this and it's also still fine. With the plug completely detached, I took it inside and checked it out with a multimeter whilst wiggling my joined on bit of wire, and it was fine.

I saw that there was another wire going to some kind of sensor further back and in to the engine(?). The wire at the plug on this sensor also looked stretched. I'm not sure what this sensor is, and if it would cause a no-start with symptoms the same as the starter motor? Does anyone know what I am on about, and what this sensor is?

If it's not that, I guess it's an intermittent connection further up in the loom somewhere that I am going to have to track down :( I put everything back together and turning the key did nothing until I jiggled the wire about... grr.

No pictures and it's all back together now - sorry!

Hi all,

Not the usual broken-wire-at-the-plug problem - I've already had that, and done a DIY repair, but sometimes it still plays up. I have had the battery tray out this morning to take another look at it. The wire is still soldered to the end of the plug just fine. Used a screw terminal block to join the new piece of wire from the plug to the loom, and this is wrapped in copious amounts of electrical tape. I checked this and it's also still fine. With the plug completely detached, I took it inside and checked it out with a multimeter whilst wiggling my joined on bit of wire, and it was fine.

I saw that there was another wire going to some kind of sensor further back and in to the engine(?). The wire at the plug on this sensor also looked stretched. I'm not sure what this sensor is, and if it would cause a no-start with symptoms the same as the starter motor? Does anyone know what I am on about, and what this sensor is?

If it's not that, I guess it's an intermittent connection further up in the loom somewhere that I am going to have to track down :( I put everything back together and turning the key did nothing until I jiggled the wire about... grr.

No pictures and it's all back together now - sorry!

IMO it might be the repair starting to fail. Or maybe a little further back towards the wrapping of the loom. Anything that adds weight to an exposed an unsupported wire allows it to oscillate, fatigue and fail. The natural reaction is to fix it with a slightly longer bit of wire. This just allows it to bounce around more.

I'm expecting my own bodge to fail at some point. Crimp connector plus insulation tape probably won't last the 5+ years the original did.

J.

IMO it might be the repair starting to fail. Or maybe a little further back towards the wrapping of the loom. Anything that adds weight to an exposed an unsupported wire allows it to oscillate, fatigue and fail. The natural reaction is to fix it with a slightly longer bit of wire. This just allows it to bounce around more.

I'm expecting my own bodge to fail at some point. Crimp connector plus insulation tape probably won't last the 5+ years the original did.

J.

Original repair was fine - tested that part. I suspect it's either going to be this other sensor where the wire looks rather strained, or it's the starter motor wire but further in to the loom :( There's not much wire left coming out of the loom either, so that's gonna be a PITA to sort out... I'll have to rip it to bits to fix it.

Grr.

Original repair was fine - tested that part. I suspect it's either going to be this other sensor where the wire looks rather strained, or it's the starter motor wire but further in to the loom :( There's not much wire left coming out of the loom either, so that's gonna be a PITA to sort out... I'll have to rip it to bits to fix it.

Grr.

Reads like the connector block is taped to the main loom bit then. I had thought it was hanging mid-air.

I've had issues with solder joins in the past. Lack of flexibility and support meant the wires fractured just up from the sodlering. Sometimes that was under unbroken insulation too.

I'm interested to know, as the wires are under the battery area, how do you ever manage to "wiggle" it in order to make the car start?

Reads like the connector block is taped to the main loom bit then. I had thought it was hanging mid-air.

I've had issues with solder joins in the past. Lack of flexibility and support meant the wires fractured just up from the sodlering. Sometimes that was under unbroken insulation too.

I'm interested to know, as the wires are under the battery area, how do you ever manage to "wiggle" it in order to make the car start?

I'll be dismantling everything again, er, possibly on the bank holiday Monday and digging around further. I'll let you know what I find.

Easy. Stick the car in reverse, take engine cover off and I am able to easily get my hand in there and reach the wire I do have pretty small hands / thin arms though - there are plus points to being a bit wimpy

I'll be dismantling everything again, er, possibly on the bank holiday Monday and digging around further. I'll let you know what I find.

Easy. Stick the car in reverse, take engine cover off and I am able to easily get my hand in there and reach the wire I do have pretty small hands / thin arms though - there are plus points to being a bit wimpy

Ah, I have a PD160 intake, maybe that's why I thought I couldn't reach down there. Though TBH, until I'd dismantled it the first time I wouldn't have had a clue what went where.

Cheers,

J.

Ah, I have a PD160 intake, maybe that's why I thought I couldn't reach down there. Though TBH, until I'd dismantled it the first time I wouldn't have had a clue what went where.

Cheers,

J.

I've got the PD160 intake too I possibly just have smaller hands / thinner arms to be honest. My father had trouble reaching down there when it first happened and we were trying to figure out why it wasn't starting...

Taking the engine cover off and being in reverse makes it a heck of a lot easier though.

I've tested from here, further up in the loom (red / black wire)

To the plug (will be wrapped with electrical tape!)

With a multimeter for continuity. It's fine, no matter how much I wiggle the wire around. It's got to either be the plug, the starter motor itself, or the only other thing I can see is this plug on the gearbox? :(

Hunting around a bit, it seems like the sensor on the gearbox is either a speed sensor, or just a reverse light switch. Anyone know for sure which is it? Or if it's both? I can't imagine that would stop it from starting anyway.

I think it must be the contact inside the starter motor plug. I did spray it with a switch contact cleaner, but that obviously didn't make any difference! I'll ask the dealers if it's possible to get a new plug I guess!

Bloody cars.

Hunting around a bit, it seems like the sensor on the gearbox is either a speed sensor, or just a reverse light switch. Anyone know for sure which is it? Or if it's both? I can't imagine that would stop it from starting anyway.

I think it must be the contact inside the starter motor plug. I did spray it with a switch contact cleaner, but that obviously didn't make any difference! I'll ask the dealers if it's possible to get a new plug I guess!

Bloody cars.

Idea!

Read somewhere on here that an ordinary spade connector can be used to connect to the starter. Obviously, I'd try to use an insulated one but an ordinary spade on a new piece of wire would eliminate the current wire and plug from your erm, enquiries.

J.

Idea!

Read somewhere on here that an ordinary spade connector can be used to connect to the starter. Obviously, I'd try to use an insulated one but an ordinary spade on a new piece of wire would eliminate the current wire and plug from your erm, enquiries.

J.

Ah! Awesome. Thanks for that