Starter motor...

[Adam L]

Right, i'm getting annoyed with this now.

The original starter motor packed up last week, even though it worked fine on Friday it decided to completley pack up on Saturday monring. Nothing, just a click when the ignitition is turned... Checked cables, none were faulting against anything, changed the battery from my other car, rocked the car in gear...

Picked up a fairly new one today (it's not actually a 5 one, it's a smaller casing, ''uprated/Group A spec'' i'd assume), fitted it and all i'm getting now is a horrendous grinding noise. I've checked the live and ignition cable and they're on fine with no obstuctions. Now unless i'm being a total downs I can't think of anything else to check.. Unless anyone else realises i'm missing something and is willing to enlighten me...

[raj]

which hole have you got the locating dowel fitted in.?

[youngscottie]

sounds like it aint engaging properly
could be completely wrong starter or the dowel position

[Andrew Cooke]

which hole have you got the locating dowel fitted in.?

[Adam L]

The dowel was in the gearbox, not starter, so I left it in there. The starter is off another 5...

[Markey Mark (BD)]

Sounds like its not totally alligned up properly mate, could be on the wrong dowel or the starter isn't sitting correctly.

[Adam L]

Usually the dowels have come out with the starter when i've taken them out before, but it's been years since I changed one on a 5. I guess i'll whip it off in the morning and see if I can relocate it. It did press into the starter fine though, so I assumed it was sitting OK when I tightened up the 3 bolts...

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

I had one of them "uprated/group a" **** starter motors (thanks BBPT )

It made a awful noise when starting up and didnt like warm starts either, often took 4 or 5 cranks to start up.... got locked into the Flywheel and wouldnt release... big piece of **** fitted to my engine.

Now i have a 2nd hand genuine renault item and my car starts first time every time and its very quiet.

[car.crash]

count the teeth on the starter, chances are it has 1 to many and they grind the flywheels. rob had the same problem.

[Scoff]

count the teeth on the starter, chances are it has 1 to many and they grind the flywheels. rob had the same problem.

I notice some of the 16v engine's have 1 extra tooth, usually mesh "OK" but it can't be good.

[Adam L]

I found a picture of the starter motor on K-tec's website, don't they use the Laguna ones and call them their own ''uprated'' ones?

[raj]

just to add, the one i have is from ecp, and this is supposedly only supplied to them. its of the so called uprated variety[smaller than std]. its also a brand new unit rather than a recon.

mine is fitted correct with the dowel [when viewing from the driver side] in the 2nd hole in from the right on the gearbox, its slightly higher than the bolt holes.

note that i also found that the dowel that is supplied with his starter was far too long and would stop the starter from sitting flush to the gearbox

ive found that mine makes a VERY tiny bit of a metallicy noise but it does spin the engine over ok...... just a shame i cant get mine idling

so with that said, i wont be using the same starter motor again

[turbo ted]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

original starter has 9 teeth uprated ones have 10 teeth which will distroy your ring gear on the flywheel. europarts sell original lucas starter motors

[samb5]

i had this prob after changing my box... got the hump so re newed everything to be sure... sourced another box an flywheel from a good running startin car, new clutch an k tec starer, put the dowel in lower inside hole an all is good now.. its a big pain in the arse when this happens hope ya get it sorted

[jantheeven]

I found a picture of the starter motor on K-tec's website, don't they use the Laguna ones and call them their own ''uprated'' ones?

yep... have one of those too

[James5]

Adam,
That starter works fine and it has no weird noises was used on my car when I last drove it Nat Day 08 then engine came straight out for the F4r conversion. Only thing I can think is either the dowel is in the wrong hole on the gearbox or the dowel is missing.

This is where the dowel was on my gearbox matey put the dowel in this location and see what happens if you haven't got a dowel I have some spare new ones from Renault different lengths aswell so pm me if need be.

[Adam L]

As my pm, James, the dowel was in the exact same position, i've just removed it and refitted the starter but it's still grinding like made... Weird. There's also metal shavings on the tdc sensor, not looking good.

[Adam L]

I've got someone dropping off another starter in about an hour, so i'll see what happens

[Scoff]

adam, jack one wheel up and stick it in 5th, get someone to turn the wheel/engine while you watch the flywheel starter ring teeth through the tdc hole, check that you havn't totally mullered the teeth. if they look ok the issue must be with the starter or starters your trying.

[Adam L]

The teeth are fine on the flywheel, Chris, along with the starter ones. There's nothing visibly drifferent in the drive assembley for both the starters either, both have 9 teeth...

[Scoff]

just with you saying you could see swarf on the tdc sensor.

have you tested the starter on the floor ? maybe the pinion isn't comming out all the way. does it move in and out freely by hand ?

[Adam L]

It's only a small amount of filing, not enough to scare me into thinking somethings completely worn. I testest the starter in the bay wired up, but I couldn't see pinion poping out, i'm not that flexible. It spins up fine though, and moves freely by hand

[Scoff]

with the starter out of the gearbox but connected up it should make a right old 'clack' sound as the pinion pops out. it'll need earthing to the block with a jump lead or something. if it just spins then the pinion is sticking.

[Adam L]

Oh, yea, there's no clunk from it, it just wizzes up. The spare one I was expecting never showed up, so i'll have to sort it next weekend now.

[Scoff]

if its being tested still wired up in the bay then it's paggered. btw, you only get the clunk when it's being activated by the white wire/spade connector. power straight to the 'other' bolt on the solenoid makes it spin only.

[markey b]

i had a problem similar to that, when i replaced the starter i found the rear of the motor had 'undone' itself causeing the pinion to mesh on the piss... i now need a new flywheel as it sounds terrible when i start it up

[raj]

apart from renault, who else sells genuine starter motors? ive had it with these so called slimline high output starters
the big fat std one will do for me from now on. im assuming gsf sell these.?

[tom t]

i got mine from gsf m8.

[gttjames]

when i rang gsf the other week to get my fuel pump and clutch they said they wernt sure weather the starter listed was for a normal 5 or gtt

[Andrew Cooke]

when i rang gsf the other week to get my fuel pump and clutch they said they wernt sure weather the starter listed was for a normal 5 or gtt

I'm not sure that it would matter, as long as it's the big fat one, rather than the small geared one.

[raj]

i was in the local auto factors earlier and asked about the starter motors.

im unsure of what brand, but the guy showed me one of there parts catalogue and he pointed out both the skinny and fat starter motors, and from reading the info on both it seems both types come with either 9 or 10 teeth.

[jantheeven]

I have a laguna starter motor on my 5 with 10 teeth and it runs great... spins faster, no strange grinding noises and sounds a hell of a lot better than the original unit...

[Barr's Irn-Bru]

I have a laguna starter motor on my 5 with 10 teeth and it runs great... spins faster, no strange grinding noises and sounds a hell of a lot better than the original unit...

Yip sticks like a pontoon game as well They do not like the heat

[LukeRobbo]

I fitted a lucus one(£60 after getting £30 back for original) from part.co the other month and it wasnt even at fault.Doh! But does turn over better now.What a ******* of a job it is while the engine is in the car especially compared to something like an escort.

Hope you get the problem sorted soon.Sounds like a rite hassle.

[Adam L]

Me too, but it's still not sorted... I got hold of another starter (original this time) fitted that in the pitch black with a pocket torch in my mouth... Cut down the white wire that fits onto the back of the solenoid, just to get rid of all the torn/ripped cable and put a new connector on... Still grinds. It's clearly not a problem with the starters, as that's 3 i've had on the car now, including the one that was fitted that mysteriously stopped working. I don't think there's anything wrong with it now, it's got to be some sort of electrical problem.

[youngscottie]

had the same problem when i fitted my new starter from dingbro
after about a weeks fannying about with dowels this is what i done
fit the new starter but dont tighten the bolts all the way home

remove the coil lead so it wont start
get a lenght of wire from the positive battery terminal under the car
lie under and touch the signal wire so as to engage the starter
now make small adjustments to the starter till it engages properly
took about 10 minutes and been fine for over a year

[Adam L]

Blimey, if I do have to do that... That's the most rediculous things i've ever had to do...

[Andrew Cooke]

had the same problem when i fitted my new starter from dingbro
after about a weeks fannying about with dowels this is what i done
fit the new starter but dont tighten the bolts all the way home

remove the coil lead so it wont start
get a lenght of wire from the positive battery terminal under the car
lie under and touch the signal wire so as to engage the starter
now make small adjustments to the starter till it engages properly
took about 10 minutes and been fine for over a year

watch your eyes when splashing arcs around, you won't screw your eyes twice..

[youngscottie]

watch your eyes when splashing arcs around, you won't screw your eyes twice..

better still use a remote switch like the ones that come with compression testers