Starter Motor Problem?

[ebby]

Or something else entirely?

Yesterday I drove from Bolton to Lancaster, no probs, then drove back to Bolton later that day and went to get petrol.

When starting the van after filling with fuel it started ok but was making a kind of scraping noise when the engine was simply turning over, this was then supplemented with quite a loud kind of groaning sound.

This subsided after about a minute and I switched the engine off and went to take a look to investigate, I couldn't see any probs so started her up again and she started fine and I managed to drive home no probs.

At this point I had another check of the engine bay while it was running and it appeared that the alternator belt was looser than I would expect. I stopped the engine and twisted the belt and it turned more than the recommened half turn. Could this be the cause?

The scraping noise has happened a few times since I bought the van, twice it totally killed the starter motor which was replaced, then the third it behaved similarly to yesterday but when I took it to the garage they said they had found the problem and fixed it. The fact that the problem keeps happening makes me think it's not the starter at all and it's someting else.

Yesterday was the first time the loud groaning noise occurred though.

Has anyone got any ideas what the problem may be?

 

[jellibus]

Hi
Check your alternator bearings. Could be the fan rubbing on the doghouse? Also, are any of the screws fixing the alternator backplate to the doghouse loose ? there are 4 of them.
Check the bolts are tight holding the starter on. One is accessed through the engine bay behind the doghouse to the right. The other is next to the startermotor.
Steve

 

[ebby]

thanks, i will check both of those asap.

 

[jellibus]

Any luck ?

 

[ebby]

Checked everything over in regards to the starter / alternator etc and it was set up as expected.

Managed to diagnose the problem and it was down to the ignition barrel / switch being in a pretty badly worn state. The starter was basically sticking on so the scraping noise was simply the sound the starter makes, usually only for a second or 2 when working correctly, but constantly turning over. A little turn back of the ignition key and it frees it up.

This had obviously caused the older starters to simply give up, however the new one that was put in was able handle this hence it has continued to work.

Seems like a new ingition barrel is requried at some point but at least I know now and will be able to work around the problem for the short term.

Thanks for your help.

 

[mister]

Hi Mate

Exactly the same thing happened to mine, so to keep the OG ignition and key I have opted for a push button start mounted in one of the spare holes on the lower dash. Turn the key to switch on the ignition, then press the button to fire up the starter motor.

Hope this helps.

 

[ebby]

that sounds like a smart idea, I'll definitely consider that as I imagine replacing the lot will be expensive

 

[matt-me]

the switches (not barrells) are only about £25. Haven't had to do bay one yet but did one on a 69 beetle recently, once i worked out how to get the bugger out (little springs and a small dowels - maybe not exactly the same on a bay) it was an ok job and worked fine.

 

[ebby]

That's not too bad, although I'd probably want to replace the barrel also as its fecked...you can take the key out whilst the engine is still running, at first I though it was maybe a feature but my local aircooled specialist informed me otherwise

 

[Tristan71]

Just hope the bush is still there for the starter to locate the pinion