sticking starter motor/solenoid faulty? *update 10/08/11 all sorted.
Turbo Mini Forums

when i turn the car over, sometimes it turns over fine and starts, sometimes it turns over very slowy, sounds like a flat battery?

tried it tonight, 1st time turned over very slowly, 2nd again very slowly, 3rd time turned over fine and fired straight up, tried it a couple more times and turned over slowly, then the last time it turned over normally and started up? any ideas?

cheers.

Edited by bennyy on 10th Aug, 2011.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Bad earth? Corroded wires to the starter? Worn out solenoid?

checked all my earth points, cleaned up with a wire brush, will have a look tomorrow at the wires and maybe try a solonoid if i can get hold of one. cheers mate.

Edited by bennyy on 17th Dec, 2010.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

just had a look, the wires seem ok, ill take the starter and solonoid off and give them a good clean see if that makes a difference :)

also seemed to start better when i used jump leads?

Edited by bennyy on 17th Dec, 2010.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

check the terminals in the boot too. could also be a shot battery. Wifey's has died this week

Terminal in boot is nice and tight, I was thinking battery too but how come it starts sometimes and not others? Normally when they go they just don't hold charge?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Modern batteries tend to just die, no prior warning until you next try and start the car. Usually two cells die by shorting out leaving the battery with only a little under 10v. Happened to me twice, both times around 4pm on a friday miles from home!

You can have the battery tested at any decent garage, they use a resistive load to measure the current drain against the voltage to determine the condition of the battery.

That's what happened to wifey's car. fine one day, nothing the next.

Have you got the intercooler fitted now then?

Going to charge my battery tonight and give my starter and solenoid a good clean, go over all the earth points and give them a good clean and wire brush :)

And Tom, Yes intercooler is fitted :) much better thanks, had it at 10psi, fook me what a difference, be getting a head after xmas time :)

Edited by bennyy on 17th Dec, 2010.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

been working on the car today, went and bought a new starter motor and solenoid, still no difference, went and bought a new battery, still no difference, all the earth connections etc are ok and in good condition, any ideas?

cheers.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

try putting a jump lead from the engine straight to the body?

Edited by mayoturbo on 25th Dec, 2010.

Hi mate!
I have same problem!! :( I even change generator and still no difference, it spins very slowly and I can't find the problem :(

every morning pushing it down the road

Nothing special!

had another look today, double checked all my earth points, found the earth strap where it connects to the inner wing was a bit rusty, as was the w ing, gave it a good wire brush over got them both nice and clean, tightened back up etc, went over everything else making sure it was tight, and gone and snapped the copper bolt that comes out of the end of the solenoid, so not sure if this is the problem or not yet, need to get another solenoid :(

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

right, got a new earth strap in the boot as that was a bit crap, brand new battery, brand new starter motor and solenoid, sometimes it turns over fine and starts on first turn, if i then turn it off and try to start it again, it turns over very slowly, sounds like battery is flat, if i then leave it for about 20 seconds and try again it turns over fine?

any ideas?
cheers.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Only thing left is main battery cable, if this is breaking down it may be getting hot meaning the second attempt to start is crap as the resistance of the cable is higher?
A new one is not expensive so I would try this next.

ok tom ill give this a try, will go P&L minis tomorrow see if they have one.

cheers.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Argh going to that nobber is a last resort!

I would find a local auto electrical supplies and buy the battery cable by the metre, it isn't that expensive, they may well even be able to crimp the lugs on for you as well.

funny you should say that, ive heard mixed reviews about P&L, but they have been spot on with me, i only use them because there local.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

I avoid p&l too. would rather wait than use them as a last resort

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

loads of cable on the internet

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

That was the cheapest I found.

Would also echo the comments about P&L

Finally got the car working, been using it the last few days until yesterday, was driving down a duel carrideway and it just started to bog all of a sudden, as soon as I applied any revs at all. No matter what gear or what revs, pulled over and couldn't see anything wrong, managed to get it to my mates by accelerating using the choke.

Will rev up fine if I pull out the chok but as soon as I try with the pedal it just bogs down and cuts out unless I catch it on the choke? Any ideas?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

nobody got any ideas? the HIF carb i have has a big bolt sticking out the side, which i dont think should be there, so i had a little fiddle with it but made no difference, so was driving that same day and just started to bog, now it will start fine but wont tick over unless i have choke out, will rev up on the choke fine but soon as i try to rev it on the throttle it just boggs down and dies unless i catch it on the choke? I took my dashpot off today and gave everything a good clean as i thought something might be sticking, and ts still the same? going to take my carb off tomorrow have a look, anybody got any other ideas that it could be?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

carb seals? probably worth rebuilding it while it's off

yes i will be doing, carbs off, all looks ok, no shit in there, will get a rebuild kit and try that.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble