Hi all

My Skoda 1.6 fsi 2006 petrol has an issue with the starter motor. It could be mechanical or electrical and I need any advice you can give m.

Today I noticed a horrible grinding noise after start up. After researching the problem I discovered it is the bendix either staying jammed out against the flywheel or not retracting once the car has started.

Does anyone know how to find all the relays?

The only relays found was in the engine bay (no 100)

The Skoda manual only has fuse locations.

Anyone have advice on what else to test as the problem could be electrical.

Many thanks in advance

Edited Saturday at 19:401 day by raf300
Missed a word

7 hours ago, raf300 said:

what else to test as the problem could be electrical.

Disconnect thick cable and try to start the engine. You will hear the bendix.

or extend thin cable and ask another person to break connection.

I think its mechanical.

4 hours ago, kokosal said:

Disconnect thick cable and try to start the engine. You will hear the bendix.

or extend thin cable and ask another person to break connection.

I think its mechanical.

Thanks for replying. Just to clarify

So I disconnect the thick cable from the starter motor and then try to start the engine

If the engine starts and I hear the grinding that means the bendix is stuck out .

Have I understood right?

Happend on an old van of mine. Solanoid stuck and starter stayed engaged. My father was driving and didnt notice. Totaled the starter. If the large cable is disconnected it shouldnt turn over but you should here a click as it engages and disengages. If the small cable is disconnected and it starts then its stuck open. I would remove starter and test on bench. plus check there is no voltage at small cable with ignition off in case its permanently live and the fault is in ignition switch or a short somewhere.

Alasdair

17 minutes ago, raf300 said:

If the engine starts and I hear the grinding that means the bendix is stuck out .

Have I understood right?

No. Engine will not start but you can estimate healt from klik klik.

Thanks I will give this a go.

Early this morning I managed to find my circuit tester lamp and I checked the 12v plug to see if it goes to 0v once key back in position.

Good news is, I think the electric 12v to the starter motor is working as it should.

So we know the starter motor is not getting 12v continuously

9 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

Happend on an old van of mine. Solanoid stuck and starter stayed engaged. My father was driving and didnt notice. Totaled the starter. If the large cable is disconnected it shouldnt turn over but you should here a click as it engages and disengages. If the small cable is disconnected and it starts then its stuck open. I would remove starter and test on bench. plus check there is no voltage at small cable with ignition off in case its permanently live and the fault is in ignition switch or a short somewhere.

Alasdair

Thanks I just posted above to say I checked and there no continuous 12v being fed to the starter motor once the car is on.

I am just a bit puzzled that a new starter motor (reconditioned Autoelectro ) which was installed 7 months ago has malfunctioned ☹️

4 hours ago, raf300 said:

I am just a bit puzzled that a new starter motor (reconditioned Autoelectro ) which was installed 7 months ago has malfunctioned ☹️

New genuine or new aftermarket? Used genuine is better than unknown.

Why starter was replaced? Maybe socket in housing is worn.

In my golf mk2 I had to grease mechanism bc it was lazy. I changed cables aswell to have low resistance possible.

Its possible that the new one is sticking in the flywheel gear due to being slightly different or if flywheel has worn to suit the old starter but perhaps you were unlucky and got a bad one. Think the only way is to remove and as said check on bench. When removed turn engine over by hand and inspect ring gear on flywheel for any damage through starter hole. From memory engines tends to stop at roughly the same point so over time the ring gear gets worn at a certain point.

Alasdair

Did you find the relay?

Could be sometimes sticking/welding its contacts.

Original one died as this is what RAC diagnosed last year.

Then I had a local mechanic check and they put a replacement starter motor in. They sourced it form Autoelectro which looks to be a company that reconditions starter motors.

I have not looked at the relay which I think from research online is under the driver or passenger dashboard.

The relay in the fuse box engine (no 100 written on top ) is not the starter relay

I am not sure if this can degrade the starter motor but when I heard the grinding noise for the first time, I popped the hood and was listening.

I could then smell electrical burning and saw light puff of white smoke. So points towards overheating starter as it rotates too fast being stuck.

I would change relay and try again. If the grinding noise is still there then its probably a defective starter. Check with the mechanic who did it to see what warranty it has. Most will have 12mnths or 12000 miles so unless you have done major journeys in 7months should be covered. Don't mention you swapped relay and they may replace the starter free of charge but you may still have to pay for labour.

Alasdair

Relay is on driver's side, I think, above accelerator pedal somewhere if RHD.

The relay is I think marked 645 and is third in from left hand side under steering column but the photo looks like LHD so may be different.

Alasdair