g'day all, having some starter troubles. Have tested battery voltage and that seems fine but when the key is turned the starter motor just makes a single click as if the battery is flat or the starter is jammed. have also tried turning the starter by hand from the back of it and it seems to spin freely.
any help would be much appreciated

Cheers

Are you sure it's the starter that's clicking, or is it the solenoid? If your battery is OK and the starter spins freely, that's where I'd start looking.

_________________
Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

It could be the starter motor, battery or a poor connection.

Starter Motor

The starter motors are fitted with bushes and to just spin them by hand they usually spin OK. With the starter motor out, try to wobble the shaft while looking at the front bushing. Any more than about 15 - 20 thou slop and the bush is cactus. To get yourself out of trouble for a few more starts (so you can get another one) re-fit the starter motor 180 degrees to how it was fitted.


Battery

Check your battery voltage while actually (trying to) cranking. Shouldn't drop below 9 or 10 volts.

Connections

After trying to start it, quickly feel all the main battery and earth strap connection. A hot one means it is making poor connection.

_________________

S O L I N O I D ?????

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Prove the solenoid by having a lovely, charismatic and busty assistant try to start the car. You don't have to take anything apart, you just need a multimeter.

Put your multimeter to DC volts and measure the voltage between the battery cable post and the starter cable post on your solenoid. Do this while the assistant is holding the key in start.

If you get 12 volts (or near) after the solenoid has clicked on, then the solenoid is cactus.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

OK, yeah it could be the solinoid, but they rarely play up.

_________________

... but given the symptoms as described it's the most likely fault

_________________
Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Without 'face-to-face' diagnostics, it could be any of the above , but it does make it so much nice to have these problems if you've a well endowed redhead lady assistant......

_________________

Make sure the car is in neutral..... Try bridging the two large terminals on the solenoid with an old screw driver or some metallic object. Try and make the contact on the nuts themselves not on the threads otherwise when it arks woy will have some nice Dags on the threads. If the starter sipns and turn motor like normal it will mean the solenoid is cactus. If you only get a small spark and nothing happens it will mean the starter is cactus. But make sure the battery is definitely charged up. It might be an Idea to connect a Volt meter to the battery when you do this and get someone to watch it when you bridge the terminals/ If voltage drops dramatically when you do this it means your battery is cactus or starter is drawing too much current and pulling the battery down. Do not let all the smoke out as it has become very expensive now because of the devaluation of the British pound.

_________________
DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

Lucas ones rarely play up, they last for eons. Not so the Echlin copies, which look like a Lucas but ain't. They lack the magic word `Lucas'. They are cheaper, and here you get what you pay for.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.