starter goes click,click,then cranks | FerrariChat
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starter goes click,click,then cranks

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by srephwed, Dec 12, 2012.

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  1. srephwed

    srephwed F1 Veteran
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    Apr 29, 2012
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    fred brown
    #1 srephwed, Dec 12, 2012
    don't know if anyone is having this problem.i did on my qv mondial.the trouble with old cars and old wiring is that when you turn a switch at the front of the car to power a relay or solenoid at the rear of the car so much voltage is lost that the task cannot be accomplished.trouble is the solenoid on the starter requires a substantial voltage to operate correctly.i worked at a john deere dealer for most of my life and actually encountered similar troubles with tractors and mowers.a john deere 318 mower with an onan engine was notourious for this.deere came up with a relay kit part number am107421 that incorperates a secondary relay that is powered by the key switch and sends battery voltage directly to the starter via the relay.i had to drill one eyelet out to a larger size but otherwise it was a direct fit.my buddy says i am a complete hillbilly putting a john deere part on my ferrari but if it works do it.hope this helps
     
  2. AMA328

    AMA328 F1 Rookie

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    #2 AMA328, Dec 13, 2012
    Good point. You can also get one of those modern, replacement starters for 3x8, 412, etc., that require less juice and are much better starters to begin with. No need to modify anything, just push/pull starters.

    yourpostswouldbeeasiertoreadifyouusedsomesortofpunctuation,capsandanoccasionalparagraph, too :)
     
  3. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    Tim Keseluk
    #3 2NA, Dec 13, 2012
    Clean and tighten ALL the connections and make sure your battery is fully charged before wasting money on parts.
     
  4. smg2

    smg2 F1 World Champ
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    #4 smg2, Dec 13, 2012
    My Alt rebuilder dug out an old bosch book and showed me that the alternator on the 308 was also used in farm eq. tractors. So don't feel bad, the factory apparently didn't have any qualms about it.

    that said, if you can afford it, get the replacement mini high tq starter. less 'noise' and draw on the battery. also drops at least ~20lbs. though the engine crank sounds and starts like a honda, but that's not a bad thing.
     
  5. srephwed

    srephwed F1 Veteran
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    #5 srephwed, Dec 13, 2012
    relay kit is 32 dollars.thats why i didn't do any stater work or replacement.
     
  6. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

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    #6 FasterIsBetter, Dec 13, 2012
    I had an '84 Mondial QV for several years. When I got it, I had all kinds of electrical problems, including problems starting. It turns out that there is a cut-off switch up front, behind the radiator, near the battery, that is a total POS. Mine was badly corroded, as were the negative cable from the battery to the cut-off, and from the cut-off to the chassis. I removed the negative cable and replaced it with a new one from NAPA, and wired it directly to the chassis, by-passing the cut-off. I cleaned the mounting point on the chassis to bare metal, and cleaned the negative terminal on the battery, and then sprayed them with battery terminal protector. Having the battery ground wired directly to the chassis solved most of my electrical problems, particularly the starting problem. The corroded cut-off switch was killing the voltage so much it was causing most of the problems.

    In old cars, grounds are usually the major cause of electrical problems, in my limited experience. In addition to the negative cable from the battery, check the grounding strap from the engine to the chassis. I added a more robust grounding strap, engine to chassis, and that helped with the electrical issues as well.
     
  7. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

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    #7 FasterIsBetter, Dec 13, 2012
    p.s. Check the positive cable as well. Mine needed replacing, though it was not nearly as bad as the negative cable.
     

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