Starter motor/ignition switch/neutral safety switch?

[Drewie]

Having a few issues with the VC 202 run-about.
Every now and then car will not start, sort of like trying to start in drive,
first thought is the neutral safety switch on the auto, but not too sure now.
It only does it on the odd occasion but very inconvenient when it does, like taking a neighbour to hospital this morning... no go.
I tried wriggling the T bar but to no avail, I once got it going by jiggling the key around so thought ignition switch, I pulled the ignition switch out and it all looked fine, I noticed you could move the ignition switch slightly on it's mounting screws (For those that don't know the ignition switch is not the barrel where the key goes in, it is a separate unit in the column) so I positioned the switch so it got maximum pressure when you turned the key,
all seemed ok for a few weeks so I thought it must have been a bad contact in the switch and the bit of extra pressure has helped. Well today it would not start again, tried everything no go, left it for a while at the hospital and tried it again maybe 15 mins later and started first pop.
Could it be the starter motor itself?
So how do I determine what part is giving the trouble when only intermitent?
Don't want to buy parts I don't need. Sorry for the long post.

[DANNY8]

First of all....ya might need two people....try and start it, and when it doesn't start, chuck a test light onto the starter solenoid.....if it has power then it's prolly the starter, if it doesn't have power well it's sumfin between the ignition and starter.

Pull the covers off around the steering column so u can see the plug which goes into ur ignition. One wire will have constant power (red i think), one will have power when the key is 'on' (pink i think), one will have power when the key is on 'start'(yellow i think), and the purple wire should have power when the key is on 'start'. The purple wire goes to ur starter to switch the solenoid, put a testlight on that when ur car doesn't wanna start, if it has no power well it's prolly sumfin to do with ur ignition....if it does have power.....well it's either a short, an aftermarket relay or the auto safety switch. You'll just have to follow the wire (or easier just run a new wire from the ignition to the starter, which will also bypass the auto safety switch) and find out where the power is stopping.

[Drewie]

Thanks Danny8 will check out what you suggested.

[axemurderer101]

might be ya starters brushes, get a mate to hold the key on the start position and then you can tap the back of the starter motor with a hammer. that can temporarily fix it but the starter will need new brushes.

[Drewie]

might be ya starters brushes, get a mate to hold the key on the start position and then you can tap the back of the starter motor with a hammer. that can temporarily fix it but the starter will need new brushes.

Thanks mate, I will check that out also, just a pain waiting for it to happen again, might go for 2 weeks then play up again, I really need something to fail
permanently so I can figure out what it is. Bit hard to work out when it is actually working.

[Drewie]

Sorry to raise an old thread, pretty sure the starter motor has finally packed it in, car is dead on the front lawn. Did the test light thing on the solenoid and it does have power there when the key is turned so looks like the starter. The problem I think I am going to have is getting to the 2 bolts that hold the thing in, the car is fitted with extractors and there appears to be bugger all room to reach the top bolt, haven't looked underneath yet, has anyone managed to remove one of these with extractors fitted or am I going to have to remove the exhaust just to get to the bolts.
Did a bit of a ring around, $45 for a second hand one, $120 to reco mine providing it is a Bosch as parts no longer available for the Lucas one, or $200 to $250for a brand newie. Not keen on the 2nd hand one as it may pack it in again. Mainly interested in if anyone has removed one on a car with extractors. Is it worth throwing money at a 202 VC SL or time to scrap it?

[Tom_1569]

They are an absolute prick to replace on standard headers, id imagine extractors is going to be next to impossible. I had to refit mine, I had a hoist and full workshop, and it still took us about 1/2 an hour, and alot of cursing, and stuff being thrown.

I have heard of people using those High torque starters, as they are smalled and easier to get back in, might be worth looking at, there about 120 bux (from memory) on Ebay.

If you want it to be easy, but possibly take longer, then yes Removing your extractors,(just pull to the side) may be the best option.

[Cane_It]

1 Make sure the two screws that hold teh bakelite cap onto the front of the solenoid are done up tight (be careful not to short the heavy battery wire with the screwdriver!)

2 try shorting the heavy battery cable post onto the solenoid wire (gives a full 12v from the battery rather than the voltage drop through the ignition switch which is common) if it cranks then its a voltage drop issue that an be fixed by using the solenoid wire to trigger a relay that will take 12v from the battery to the starter solenoid, quite a common fix on VB-VKs...