17 replies to this topic

[stewby]

Its not an electrical thing. It seems to be down to the starter cog / ring gear. After 2 grinds, it turned over after I rocked it in gear. Damned frustrating.

Yesterday I spoke to the mechanic who changed the clutch / flywheel (to a solid) 8kmiles ago, he said that there is a different number of teeth on the solid flywheel compared to a dual mass type. Hence a different starter cog. That's about the only thing that seems to make sense these days.

 

This suggestion was ridiculed by the starter motor supplier.

 

Can any one vouch for the number of teeth matching / varying between the solid / dual mass types?

 

Getting desperate now.

 

Thanks

[flying clutchman]

It should have the same amount of teeth, but it's possible it doesn't. However if that was the problem you would just get gringing all the time.It wouldn't explain your starter sometimes being 'dead'.

[stewby]

It was dead on the one occasion, (the following day, I changed the starter for a new one) I think that the lack of solenoid click was due to dirty contacts on the starter relay (mentioned above), there was pitting on the contacts, giving an ohmic reading, when removed from the fuse/relay housing and tested.

The only seemingly guaranteed method when it grinds repeatedly is to rock the car in gear a fraction, and that seems to allow it to catch.

 

I saw a youtube vid yesterday outline the issues of shimming the starter, so that the teeth do not mesh as completely as they might, were the starter to be bolted directly onto the engine.

 

Obviously, if the cogs withdraw from each other too much, then broken teeth can ensue, is anyone aware of a shimming practice related to Mondeo starters?

 

Thanks