Starter motor sounds like a machine gun with no ammo

[mouce]

More or less summed it up in the title, but here's the details:

The car has been off the road for a couple of months just while I fix various bits and pieces on it, I've just done a stack of bits today (harmonic balancer, O2 Sensor, Crank Angle Sensor, thermostat, radiator...). I hooked a battery to it (brand new optima red-top) and turned the key.

No Joy.

The starter just keeps on clicking away trying to turn the engine. I can spin the engine by hand with a socket on the balancer so I know it's not siezed. I had my better half have a look while I was in the driver's seat, the engine slowly creeps around a little bit. The alternator fins move

Anyone had this before? I'm thinking starter motor needs replacing, but want a second (3rd, 4th and 5th) opinion before a rip into it.

Thanks in advance,
Michael

[Pub247]

Yeah sounds like the solenoid is playing up. You can try giving it a few taps with a hammer that might work. I had a similar issue on a vk i got the end cap (where the wires go to) replaced and it was fine after that but it maybe easier getting one from the wreckers

[Pub247]

So the when you trun the key the starter motor truns the engine but only just whilst its making a clicking noise?

[VNexecutive]

happened to me in my old car, was a dead battery. obviously you've said you hooked up a new battery so that kinda ruins that theory. is it possible to get a bung battery?

[coolvxss]

Mine makes that noise when have flat battery

[fatty1]

Bad earth can do this too make sure your negative terminal is tight

[mouce]

Cheers guys, I know the battery is good, tested it in another car. I'll chase through all the electrical gremlins then try replacing the solenoid.

@Pub24/7: It clicks like crazy, and only JUST manages to move the engine around a couple of degrees, can't turn it over.

I tried the old wrist-breaker technique of throwing a socket on the crank shaft bolt and wrenching on that while my better half turned the key. It REALLY wants to start, but the starter just isn't being nice to me.

BTW: Just to prove it wasn't the battery, I tried jump starting it. Same result.

[Tasmaniak]

power cable from your battery to starter has finally packed it in. TO test this, charge your battery good and then go to jump start it like usual but put the positive jumper lead right on tthe terminal of the starter and see how she fires up then.

[VN_Luke]

give the battery clamps a good thorough clean - you want 'em spotless..

[spoonfork]

I had exactly the same thing on my VP. my problem ended being a flat battery. Even when I jumpered it, it was still doing the same thing. The old battery was causing massive current drain on the jumpered new battery. I had to physically remove old battery. If you've already done that it could be a bad negative connection.
Thanks to VrWagz1.

[vnv8driver]

since its been sitting for a while there might be some corrosion on the terminals reducing power to the starter

[Tibokan]

The teeth on the starter are probably worn and slipping when its turning the flex plate. Starters are cheap ($40-$50) and easy to find at the wreckers, so change it and see how you go. Get a VR/VS starter if you can as they are much easier to put in than the VN one (much smaller) and are of better quality, only thing you need to put them on is the bolts that came with it originally, dont use the VN ones. Hope this helps.