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[Peti]

Well, if I slacken its retaining bolts and move it back and forth (ignition : II), there should be a moment, when "N" light turnes up.

Someone else(or my mobile phone:O) can watch in inside if it happens at all.

If so, some more adjustment should solve it.

[Andy H]

What was the extent of the work on the engine? Was the engine removed from the car? How long was it since it last ran?

[Peti]

Engine not removed
Headgaskets changed plus much more work inside + underneath.
Took months.

Please don't tell me some months out of work can cause this.
All connections are cleaned, no rust.

[Andy H]

I was trying to get an image in my mind of what may have been disconnected.

A starter motor *might* struggle if it hasn't been used for months but I would expect that it would be OK if it hasn't got moisture inside.

Did you disconnect any electrical cables when you took the heads off?

[Peti]

Well, a headgasket change means opening millions of connections....but this time I took ALL cables out in order to check their condition one-by-one and renew coating where necessary .

They were all numbered, I gave no chance for Lucifer 

All is clean and connected to the right place.

As you can see, this story is not about "struggling" of the motor.
Those lights should not behave like this.

PC's tend to behave strangely when that small battery on the motherboard is down....but I suppose az ECU has no battery inside.

[Andy H]

The Omega starter motor uses a solenoid to engage the starter pinion. When the pinion is engaged it then closes some big contacts to make the motor turn. I was thinking that if it had been standing for long enough (in damp conditions) the pinion might not move when current was applied.

Because we are talking about DC current there is no warning hum or buzz at 50Hz if the solenoid is stuck. It just gets hot 

It seems to me that you have the knowledge to fix this, you just need the patience to work through step by step
- Battery charged
- power from battery to ignition switch
- power from ignition switch to gearbox inhibitor switch
- power from inhibitor switch to solenoid
- power from battery to alternator & starter (big cable)
- earth/ground from engine back to battery (another big cable)

[Peti]

As I found circuits O.K., I finally decided to detach battery from the car and attach it directly to starter motor, using two cables("king size") and washers/bolts to make it firm.



No movement, no clicking sound....

This circuit is so simple (no key, no ECU, no inhibitor.....), that the motor should be working, if it can work at all.

After all that work and money spent, now I'm really disappointed.

Any way to repair a starter motor on the kitchen table ?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Except that the small tab you mark '-' should be '+'

The old trick is simply to bridge the connection from the large stud to the tab

[Peti]

Ah yes....I mean the BROWN line comoes from the BODY of the motor.....

In fact, mine looks like this :



Now , line "3" comes from the switch.



I thought if I connect

- the positive terminal of the battery to line "1" directly
and
 - the negative terminal of the battery to the body of the motor
it should work....but it didn't.

Now I also tried to connect :

- the positive terminal of the battery to line "3" directly
and
 - the negative terminal of the battery to the body of the motor
....and there was a clicking sound.

Does this mean : solenoid is O.K.....but motor itself is not ?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Potentialy.

Give it a wallop with a hammer afew times and try again incase the solenoid is seized up

[Marks DTM Calib]

Potentialy.

Give it a wallop with a hammer afew times and try again incase the solenoid is seized up

Scratch that, connect the pos to line 1, neg to the body (or the engine mount) and then also pos to line 3

[Peti]

+ > line 1
- > body
No response

+ > line 3
- > body
Clicking sound

Do you mean I am to build a bridge between line 1 and 3 ?

Anyway, is it possible that this story with the silent starter and those lights is about
IMMOBILISER ?
My key is an old style, no radio, no button, but some microchip in it :



Can it break down after a while ?
What does your car do when you REMOVE that chip from the key ?
Don't your selector lever lights go crazy,too ?

[aaronjb]

Do you mean I am to build a bridge between line 1 and 3 ?

Yes, he does  I believe you need to energise both the starter motor windings and the solenoid coil for full action, so to speak..


On your other points: If you remove the immobiliser chip, the car will turn over but not fire and the immobiliser light on the dashboard should flash when cranking, if I recall correctly. If your immobiliser light goes out or does not flash, you can probably eliminate that probability - and in any case, it should still turn over.

AFAIK the only thing that can make the gearbox selector lights go nuts is a fault in the gearbox selector switch mechanism (which I'd have thought could also kill the starter circuit)..

[Peti]

I managed to do these tests with practically NO ACCESS to the starter nuts.
I was lucky enough to buy this tool at the supermarket :



The starter motor was a bit struggling( acceptable, considering those clumsy connectors I made for this task), but DID work.

As regards the selector lever switch down under, it is a real simple device, I mean just a few pieces of wire , no microchip, no anything....
I disconnected/dismantled it again, in order to check if there's a broken cable in it, no problem detected, it's in perfect condition :





I was even considering if overtightening of the seven small bolts might cause any problem....no, it does NOT.

Well, I also removed facia during the overhaul ( placing it back was a real "fun"    )...and I remembered some white device with a button behind the fuse box under the steering column.
I thought that button might "do something important"    ....so I lay under the steering column and pushed the button :



I cannot tell you what I felt when trying the igniton key again ...and those ....cking lights were working as usual !!! 

But then ....the solenoid "clicks", starter motor does NOT turn!

So I managed to escape the animals thrown at me by those French gatekeepers...but I'm still outside the castle !

What next ?

[Peti]

O.K., I just tried again,  it works.

Now, Haynes says :



How long should it take ?
I've tried for some ....10 seconds or so....and I don't want to kill battery.