Starting problems......

[Jim Lee]

Hope everyone is well.

My TR3A doing showing some strange starting, or rather non-starting behavior. It is running beautifully, never better, but I just got back from about a 6 mile round trip and as I jumped into the car after spending about 5 minutes in a store I pressed the starter button and nothing turned over. Just a click as if the battery was not strong enough. Pressed about 4 more times with a few seconds between presses and all of a sudden it turned over and started as if nothing was wrong. Got home and the first thing I checked was the voltage at the battery while the car is running. 13.75 volts. Turned off the car and it measured 12.75. That is pretty normal is it not? Started it a couple of more times from the cockpit and it started fine. Once it hesitated before turning as if it had found a hard spot to turn either on the engine or the starter. But each time it started. Then did the same from the engine bay. Same deal. Most times started normally, once it hesitated a little bit before turning over and starting. Never did it do like it did me in the parking lot where all I heard was a click. It is converted to a negative ground and I installed a generic generator from one of the major kits around a few years ago that I have not had a problem with.

I am thinking this is heat related since starting up cold it never hesitates and I sometimes have to fiddle around with the choke so I am turning it more. I have had the starter rebuilt at least twice and I will have to look it up but I don't think the last time was many miles ago. I don't notice any difference between starting from the inside or outside of the car so I am focusing on the starter. The solenoid is almost new mileage wise as I believe I went through a similiar issue a while back (in time not mileage). If I recall correctly I thought I solved that problem by getting a new ground wire from the battery. Does the engine have a ground wire? I will be checking my ground cable for resistance.

Any thoughts, per usual, would be very much appreciated.

Jim Lee
TR3A 1959

 

[Moseso]

Bad spot on the commutator? It does happen...
When the starter motor stops, as it will only occasionally, with the brush sitting on the burnt spot, it won't restart. Good test: When the car won't start, have someone engage the starter. While the starter is engaged, use the starting handle to bump the motor over a little. If it takes off when you do that, you have just moved the starter motor off its bad spot -- and you'll have a good idea what to do.

Yes, the motor should have a ground strap running from the front plate, near the left-hand motor mount to the frame.

 

[DanB]

If you do decide to replace the starter and go with a gear reduction, beware. I am dealing with that issue, as referred to in my thread "Alterstart"

 

[Don Elliott]

Could be as simple as the cables not tight to the battery posts. Or the surfaces might be oxidised. Take them off the posts and clean the posts and inside where the cables mate with the posts.

The battery in my 1958 TR3A is a Lucas replica I bought in Hudson Ohio in 2003. It reads 12.4 volts with the engine off and after a full winter in storage it will start my TR without even needing to be charged with my separate battery charger.

 

[3798j]

For me, that symptom was corrected after installing a new battery ground cable.

 

[TR3driver]

Just a thought, if it happens again, try checking the battery voltage with the engine stopped and the headlights on. I had a battery once that had a conductor broken inside the case, and it would act exactly like that.

But IMO a bad connection somewhere is the most likely explanation. Another thing to try, if it happens again, is to use a voltmeter or test light, to see if the starter is getting juice (and if not, where it stops).

My TR3 wouldn't start this morning either, but I'm pretty sure it was just a low battery. Brake light switch quit working too, so I'm thinking the two problems are related (my brakes are wired so they work even with the key off).