VZ Alloytech 190 Starter motor click

[Philmecrackun]

The Calais would about every 6 months or so, when you go to start it would click with the relay under the bonnet and not start, all I did was turn key off and back on a few times and it would start. I haven't driven it for a few months and now it is getting that nearly every time I drive it it now does it regularly and take about 10-20 turns on/off then it starts. I've cleaned the ring on the ignition switch, the key assembly is less than a year old and the car has 340K's on it.

I have done a search and all the responses say replace the starter.

Has anyone actually diagnosed the problem as is it the relay under the bonnet, the solenoid on the starter or worn brushes or dirty commutator on the armature or dirty or loose lead connections, I'm an old school Holden mechanic where we diagnose then replace, I know the starter are about $90-100 delivered on eBay.

Cheers

 

[greenacc]

How's your battery?
Very occasionally I get the click from my VE starter too then it starts next go.

 

[Philmecrackun]

No, the battery is good and about 18 months old, it's just an intermittent problem, when it works the starter whirs over quickly. Sounds like your problem too.

 

[rambunctious]

Had a similar problem and bought a new starter (still sitting on the shelf after 15 months) only to find the key fob/remote had a crook battery, replaced key fob and still good.

 

[nzv8farmer]

We had the exact same thing, replaced battery, new key and cleaned contact ring, in the end the starter died completely, got $100 one off eBay and not a problem since. Our other vz is starting to do it so I'll just pick one up soon in preparation for when it dies, might price up a Bosch through our local sparkie as he has a low mark up on things like that but will see.

 

[timshp]

We had the exact same thing, replaced battery, new key and cleaned contact ring, in the end the starter died completely, got $100 one off eBay and not a problem since. Our other vz is starting to do it so I'll just pick one up soon in preparation for when it dies, might price up a Bosch through our local sparkie as he has a low mark up on things like that but will see.

This. I got occasional clicking. Then car wouldn't start at all, just clicks. Replaced the starter from a second hand one from the wreckers, no problems since.

 

[Fu Manchu]

I had this.
Replaced the starter with a recon unit only to have the same click occurring intermittently.
Wondering if the problem might be something more.
Swapped the relays around with ones I know are working fine and issue persists.

Could be a bad starter, even though its reconditioned.

 

[zoenryan]

I have had a few issues where the starter motor itself had worked loose - so not getting a good electrical circuit - worth a check before buying a new one .