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everything was going great, and now no start

Posted by DiBiaso

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #21
pooch2 aussie 1968 MK 1 By the Beach, south coast NSW, Australia	Posted: June 10, 2012 01:06PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 4,164

Forget the alternator for now.

It only charges battery.

If the battery was low enough to only click, it would never start after the second or third go or anytime.

I know you said the interior light does not dim when you hit key, but did you check the headlights as I suggested?

An interior light would pull about 1/4 amp and would probably dim, but do a further check anyway, it only takes 20 seconds.

Lights on pull about 10 amps, so if there is a bad connection (or a bad cable, as has been suggested, a dude here a while back had same problem as you for a long time ans I think it ended up being a broken/repaired or internally corroded cable half way from battery to starter under car.

This simple check should confirm or rule out battery and cables.

Upon reflection of your negative Pm post, you should read every post and do the simple checks suggested instead of keeping on guessing on one tangent, like you are now with the alternator.

The alternator may well be faulty and weak, but it will not stop a car from starting with a good battery.

You have advice from ONE real person mechanic, (who admittedly has seen your car in person), but you are getting advice by MANY mechanics here.

I usually advise simple checks first so as to rule them out, and get to the harder checks as you progress.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #22
glbishop Gary Bishop Nashua, NH, USA 1980 MG MGB MkIV	Posted: June 10, 2012 01:14PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 536

I thought I had a bad battery and/or starter BUT it ended up being a finicky starter relay.

Here is a quick way to rule out the starter and starter solenoid if it is indeed the relay.

Next time it only clicks or 'nothin' pop the hood and locate the starter relay.

A John Twist video shows exactly how to start your car from under the hood.

Unplug the White/brown stripe wire from the relay and touch it to the bottom fuse clip at the fuse box.

The wire is just long enough to reach and you only need to touch it briefly.

You are by-passing the starter relay and directly energizing the starter solenoid by doing this.

I crank my engine over all the time using this method. Some day I may install a starter button under the hood.

NOTE If you need to start the car and KEEP it running then don't forget to turn the key to the run position first.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #23
pooch2 aussie 1968 MK 1 By the Beach, south coast NSW, Australia	Posted: June 10, 2012 01:21PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 4,164

In reply to # 2090052 by glbishop I thought I had a bad battery and/or starter BUT it ended up being a finicky starter relay.

Here is a quick way to rule out the starter and starter solenoid if it is indeed the relay.

Next time it only clicks or 'nothin' pop the hood and locate the starter relay.

A John Twist video shows exactly how to start your car from under the hood.

Unplug the White/brown stripe wire from the relay and touch it to the bottom fuse clip at the fuse box.

The wire is just long enough to reach and you only need to touch it briefly.

You are by-passing the starter relay and directly energizing the starter solenoid by doing this.

I crank my engine over all the time using this method. Some day I may install a starter button under the hood.

NOTE If you need to start the car and KEEP it running then don't forget to turn the key to the run position first.

....and make sure car is in NEUTRAL or get run over, very embarrassing.. grinning smiley

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #24
Kelly Engstrom Stanwood WA, USA 1972 MG MGB GT	Posted: June 10, 2012 01:54PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 1,155

Adam, I had the same problem last year. It turned out to be the brown wire from the solenoid junction to the bottom terminal on the fuse box. It had a partial open that tested good for continuity but some times would not carry enough current. I tried a different relay and starter before I figured it out. drinking smiley

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #25
JoeReed Joe Reed Cordova, Tennessee, USA 1978 MG MGB "Kermit" 1997 Jaguar XJ6 (X300)	Posted: June 10, 2012 02:01PM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 8,717

1. It's not the battery. A battery isn't good one second and too weak the next.

2. When you just get the "click"....is it a faint click coming from the starter relay, or a louder click from the starter solenoid? Relay is easy to check and cheap and easy to replace....solenoid/starter not so easy or cheap.

From your previous descriptions I'd bet on a starter solenoid going bad....

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #26
tomkatb Larry Baygents Dayton, Ohio, USA 1963 MG MGB	Posted: June 10, 2012 02:41PM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 3,370

Several years ago my car had a corroded wire attached to the battery clamp. Hard to diagnose.

This inconsistent thing is likely a connection issue. You just have to find it.

Next time you are at a chain automotive store get one of the terminal cleaners. I have worn one out in forty years. All my cars are old.

Hang in there. We have all been through one of these.

Five years from now you will be giving the advice.

L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #27
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: June 10, 2012 02:46PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,057

In reply to # 2090086 by JoeReed 1. It's not the battery. A battery isn't good one second and too weak the next.

2. When you just get the "click"....is it a faint click coming from the starter relay, or a louder click from the starter solenoid? Relay is easy to check and cheap and easy to replace....solenoid/starter not so easy or cheap.

From your previous descriptions I'd bet on a starter solenoid going bad....

it is a loud "click." it seems as if when i twist the key twice in quick succession, it starts easily.

i will try to do everything suggested (starting with checking all connections) if i get a chance this week.

i was at least able to get the car running so that i could go out for a drive after all this afternoon. runs fantastically once it's going. was nice to get out there and remind myself that this all worth it grinning smiley

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #28
pooch2 aussie 1968 MK 1 By the Beach, south coast NSW, Australia	Posted: June 10, 2012 06:15PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 4,164

Yeh, maybe just make sure you stop it on a hill so you can roll start it if you need to drive it while the sun shines until you find the bug.

I think we all roll started/ pushed half dead cars when young.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #29
tomgrigsby Tom Grigsby Ivor, VA, USA 1971 MG MGB GT "The Blight" 1979 MG MGB "The NewB"	Posted: June 10, 2012 08:03PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 462

deleted - others covered my recommendations already

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2012 08:05PM by tomgrigsby.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #30
rdgreen Robert Green Adelaide, Australia 1975 MG MGB MkIII	Posted: June 11, 2012 06:38AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 732

Let us know what the problem was when you find it. Good luck.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #31
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: June 11, 2012 07:21AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,057

In reply to # 2090670 by rdgreen Let us know what the problem was when you find it. Good luck.

i certainly will. i will be trying out all of the suggestions this coming sunday.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #32
Lee Lee Miller Mburg, PA, USA 1966 MG MGB 1967 MG MGB 1971 MG MGB	Posted: June 11, 2012 07:30AM Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 4,185

This might be a true statement from a mechanic when I had issues with the Chrysler van. If you turn the key and hear one click it is the starter, if you hear click, click, click, click, it is a weak battery. It was one click, he replaced the starter in the van and issue was fixed. So if you heard click,click,click the solenoid was tring to engage but did not have enough battery power. So begin looking at the starter relay, solenoid, and starter.

Lee Miller

Experience - hobbyist, rotisserie restoration 1967 MGB, welding, bodywork, painting, wiring, interior, suspension, clutch, engine, SU HS4 carburetors, windshield, and installing convertible top.

Website www.myclassicmg.com

1971 MGB
1967 MGB
1966 MGB restoration project

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2012 07:34AM by Lee.

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #33
kdsmgb ken stewart Monterey County, california, USA	Posted: June 14, 2012 03:25PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 17

Learned something new to me a couple years ago. My two batteries in my diesel Excursion showed a full charge and yet frequently wouldn't start the truck. Autozone hooked up a load testor and found both batteries equally down on cold cranking amps (CCAs)....about 50% down. Two new batteries and problem fixed. Same thing on one of my motorcycles a couple weeks later. These vehicles would start immediately overnight but then not again once I parked. None of the conventional shade tree checks/fixes worked. I now have a harbor freight digital cca testor and always start there when something doesn't start!

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Re: everything was going great, and now no start #34
spikemichael Michael Caputo Athol, MA, USA 1973 MG MGB 1973 MG MGB "Freebie" 1976 MG MGB "B-4" 1979 MG MGB "MegaBeanie" 1989 Suzuki Intruder 800 → more	Posted: June 15, 2012 11:36PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 6,726

So where are you Adam?

Michael J. Caputo
'79 RBB and '73 CBB owner with extensive experience in 12v Audio System design and installation.
Vendor of Regalia and Promotional Products. Forum Member with a warped sense of humor.

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