starter motor not engaging

[Crack Pot]

its making a wizzing high pitch noise as if it is not engaging wit the engine
Do you think its the starter or solenoid its self?

[Tim]

Assuming you have a standard inertia starter motor, probably not the solenoid, all it does is supply power to the motor, which it seems to be doing OK.

There are a few possibilities. The starter motor has a bendix thread which is used to make the starter pinion spin outwards and engage with the ring gear. If the motor spins too slowly (e.g. flat battery), sometimes there isn't enough inertia to make the pinion shoot out. Alternatively, if the bendix thread is sticky or corroded, the starter pinion gets stuck and can't slide along the thread. You may need to remove the starter motor and clean and lubricate the bendix thread. It doesn't need much lubrication, maybe just a drop or two of light oil, some powdered graphite, or a dab of lithium grease. Heavy grease will just glue it up.

Tim

[Tim]

Wait a minute, Austin Metro - with a pre-engaged starter motor? Sorry no idea - its not the same engine and gearbox as a Mk1 Mini.

Tim

[Exminiman]

I would start with the battery, had the same last night, swapped battery and off it went.

Mine is inertia where as yours will be pre engaged, not sure if that will make a difference , maybe someone could clarify ?

( never owned a mini with a pre- engaged starter motor )

[mab01uk]

The solenoid is mounted on top of the pre-engaged type of starter fitted to Metros and later Minis, if it sticks or goes faulty it won't push the bendix out fully to engage with the teeth on the flywheel before spinning up. The motor shouldn't spin until the pinion gear is engaged in the flywheel. If it does there's a fault that's allowing the solenoid to close without pulling the pinion into mesh, or the motor's splines are dirty/worn. Try tapping the solenoid assy on top with a hammer/block of wood (not too hard!) to see if something is just sticking, if that works it is usually only a temporary fix but you may need to think about a new or reconditioned starter. Sometimes the starter pinion just needs cleaning/lubrication to make sure it can freely move in and out of engagement but you would need to remove it to do that. Also make sure the battery is fully charged.

Quote:
"Pre-engaged starters also have clutches which can fail with the above symptom. Usually it is not possible for the motor to start before the starter pinion is engaged in the flywheel as the draw bar needs to travel to its full extent to close the switch contacts."

[Crack Pot]

Wait a minute, Austin Metro - with a pre-engaged starter motor? Sorry no idea - its not the same engine and gearbox as a Mk1 Mini.

Tim

the starter motor is in the usual place and the solinoid is next to the battery

[Crack Pot]

I would start with the battery, had the same last night, swapped battery and off it went.

Mine is inertia where as yours will be pre engaged, not sure if that will make a difference , maybe someone could clarify ?

( never owned a mini with a pre- engaged starter motor )

When I got it back working again, I noticed it did not engage the odd time, but now it wont angage at all so I am saying that the battery is fine

[Crack Pot]

The solenoid is mounted on top of the pre-engaged type of starter fitted to Metros and later Minis,

No! mine is fitted next to battery. please see images (though I can not find the starter motor section in the manual)

[Crack Pot]

Try tapping the solenoid assy on top with a hammer/block of wood (not too hard!) to see if something is just sticking, if that works it is usually only a temporary fix

so you think it is the solenoid that is at fault then and if I tape it with hammer it may free it up

but you may need to think about a new or reconditioned starter.

As the are bough different units then do I just need to buy the solenoid

[mab01uk]

It looks like your 1982 Metro has a separate solenoid and an inertia starter (like early Minis)...so disregard all previous posts about the later pre-engaged starter and solenoid...take a photo of your starter motor if possible to confirm the type for us.

No...don't tap your separate type solenoid or it might break, it is not like a pre-engaged starter solenoid which is quite different and more robust!

[AndyPen]

Have you tried shorting out the solenoid with a booster cable or similar?

[Crack Pot]

.take a photo of your starter motor if possible to confirm the type for us.

I found the starter motor in my mannual so have included some photos hear (hope they help)

[Crack Pot]

.take a photo of your starter motor if possible to confirm the type for us.

I found the starter motor in my mannual so have included some photos hear (hope they help)

**Edit** images have uploaded bottom to top in page order

[Crack Pot]

..take a photo of your starter motor if possible to confirm the type for us.

Its not good doing things like this in the dark! But anyroad the start motor is located at the front of the engine

[Crack Pot]

Have you tried shorting out the solenoid with a booster cable or similar?

It would appear that the starter motor is earthed though the body and there is an earth wire from the bell housing to the battery. There is a wire from the starter motor to the solenoid. Then on the other side of the solenoid there is a wire to the battery. If I could disconnect bough of these wires on the solenoid and connect bough there terminal ends onto one of those large heavy load large switch (used to have one for leisure battery to lead battery in van, cant remember name of it, could of been called a solenoid switch) Then do you think that this is a safe and sound bypass idea for this to work?

Hence it will tell us if the problem is the starter or the solenoid, and if the problem is the solenoid then should it do as a replacement until I find a replacement solenoid?

[Crack Pot]

(used to have one for leisure battery to lead battery in van, cant remember name of it, could of been called a solenoid switch)

Its a battery isolator switch, and mine used to look just like this!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/12V-24V-Batter ... d_source=1

[Tim]

It looks like you have the inertia type starter motor, as illustrated on page 129 of your manual. So, its probably not the solenoid, all it does is supply power to the motor, which it seems to be doing OK.

There are a few possibilities. The starter motor has a bendix thread which is used to make the starter pinion spin outwards and engage with the ring gear. If the motor spins too slowly (e.g. flat battery), sometimes there isn't enough inertia to make the pinion shoot out. Alternatively, if the bendix thread is sticky or corroded, the starter pinion gets stuck and can't slide along the thread. You may need to remove the starter motor and clean and lubricate the bendix thread. It doesn't need much lubrication, maybe just a drop or two of light oil, some powdered graphite, or a dab of lithium grease. Heavy grease will just glue it up.

Tim

[Exminiman]

Have you tried shorting out the solenoid with a booster cable or similar?

Or dare i say, a screw driver

[Exminiman]

It looks like you have the inertia type starter motor, as illustrated on page 129 of your manual. So, its probably not the solenoid, all it does is supply power to the motor, which it seems to be doing OK.

There are a few possibilities. The starter motor has a bendix thread which is used to make the starter pinion spin outwards and engage with the ring gear. If the motor spins too slowly (e.g. flat battery), sometimes there isn't enough inertia to make the pinion shoot out. Alternatively, if the bendix thread is sticky or corroded, the starter pinion gets stuck and can't slide along the thread. You may need to remove the starter motor and clean and lubricate the bendix thread. It doesn't need much lubrication, maybe just a drop or two of light oil, some powdered graphite, or a dab of lithium grease. Heavy grease will just glue it up.

Tim

What he said, ………..you need to remove starter and make sure the bendix moves freely, they often start to stick, and then will not engage with fly wheel

[roger mcnab]

hi
i had a simular problem with my ford laser the auto electrician put a relay in the line and no more problem i think how it worked the power went to the solinoid thruogh the relay which was switched on by the ignition switch or some thing like that still working fine after 450k kms
could be the answer to your problem perhaps
cheers roger