Starter motor query.

[Mad4slalom]

Hi all, while at a little car show last week I went to leave and my starter for the first time in my ownership, failed to engage fully and just mashed against the ring gear , couldnt have happened in a worse place as loads of people milling around 🫣. It was fine when re tried immeadiately afterward. I have read that the starters suffer from heat soak and fail sometimes. Any opinions on if this is a symptom. I will check for loose bolts or cables. I noticed when I removed it in the past that it had been shimmed with thin plastic type card I guess to align it.?
What are the mini starters that I have seen comments about as an improvement on the gm big ones. TiA

 

[Roscobbc]

I have only ever experienced heat soak as being a reluctancy of the starter to turn the engine over - almost as though you have a flat battery - wonder if yours needs 're-shimming' with something better than plastic sheet?

 

[Mad4slalom]

I have only ever experienced heat soak as being a reluctantcy of the starter to turn the engine over - almost as though you have a flat battery - wonder if yours needs 're-shimming' with something better than plastic sheet?

My initial thoughts too after loose bolts or cables , is there a recognised way to shim the starter, ? Am i just looking for it to bolt up evenly ?

 

[Chuffer]

Hi all, while at a little car show last week I went to leave and my starter for the first time in my ownership, failed to engage fully and just mashed against the ring gear , couldnt have happened in a worse place as loads of people milling around 🫣. It was fine when re tried immeadiately afterward. I have read that the starters suffer from heat soak and fail sometimes. Any opinions on if this is a symptom. I will check for loose bolts or cables. I noticed when I removed it in the past that it had been shimmed with thin plastic type card I guess to align it.?
What are the mini starters that I have seen comments about as an improvement on the gm big ones. TiA

Heat soak is can be a common effect on C3`s ( probably other models too ) . I had several embarrassing episodes at big events doing Dream Rides with Sporting Bears . Take a punter out for a thrash , back to the parking area , switch off , get another call straight away for another ride , click click , no start !! I fitted a high torque starter motor that has less battery drain and spins engine much easier . Also being considerably smaller and half the weight of the stock item there as more air gap around it and the engine block and manifold . I also wrapped the exhaust for extra protection and it has never missed a beat in 5 years .

 

[teamzr1]

More apt to be a weak starter solenoid than the starter itself
Loose wiring connections
A weak battery cell

 

[Roscobbc]

I've always had the issue - its not too bad provided battery isn't low on charge or due fir replacement.......typically it be as Chuffer noted when you need to do an immediate re-start........and a generally summer 'thing'.....it can happen when stopping to fuel-up. Genrerally the few minutes delay after filling, paying and going back to the car usually is sufficient fot a 'clean' restart......but not always. Even a new OEM style starter didn't cure it completely. For my car a geared starter wasn't really a viable option - being a manual the whole faff of measuring tooth engagement wasn't an option with a big block. I have wrapped the starter motor in Reflectix alluminium heat shielding......jury is out on whether this actually stops heat getting in to the starter......or stops it getting out but seems to have helped.
Bottom line was that headers (ceramic coated) helped the underhood heat issue..........in reserve, if the issue really becomes a problem I will run a substantially thicker positive cable from the battery to starter motor and try to reduce some of the internal resistance here.

 

[Corvetteville]

More apt to be a weak starter solenoid than the starter itself
Loose wiring connections
A weak battery cell

In my case I would agree with teamzr1. If I turn the key from OFF to Crank in one motion, sometimes it slips, not a nice noise. I've found if I turn the ignition on and pause for a second, then crank, it's okay

 

[Emc]

My initial thoughts too after loose bolts or cables , is there a recognised way to shim the starter, ? Am i just looking for it to bolt up evenly ?

Give ma a call

 

[teamzr1]

When a solenoid is first energized, its internal coil receives a pulse of high inrush current that decreases as the plunger closes.
If the plunger does not close, the high inrush current continues, which can cause the coil to overheat, degrade or burn out.
This is the most common cause of solenoid failure
When the internal coil over time due to heat degrades it is not strong enough to cause the plunger from starter to fully be pulled inward
of solenoid and cause gear in starter to fully engage to flywheel/flexplate

You can make or buy a heat shield for solenoid

 

[Mad4slalom]

Give ma a call

It seems fine now, I am wondering as it has a safety feature where u need to depress clutch to start , and being a heavy pedal whether I took abit of pressure off my foot just at the wrong time and lost voltage causing the bendix not to fully spin up ?