Starter Motor problem with Vauxhall Vectra

I am wondering if anyone can help me with a problem with my Vauxhall
Vectra 1.8.

I had to replace the gear box on the car and my Dad decided to do it
himself to save me money
as he's good with cars. A tooth had broke on the diff which caused the
issue in the first place.

We have replaced the gear box and put the engine back in but now it
won't start.

My Dad is the expert with the cars not me so forgive me if my question
is not phrased right or terminology is slightly
wrong. I will try to explain the issue as best I can.

The first time you turn the key in the ignition it makes a slight noise
and then stops. If you try to turn the key again it won't do anything.
My Dad then puts the car into first gear and we have to rock the car to
get the starter motor unlocked. Then if we try again the same thing
happens
e.g. only a noise the first time you turn the key.

My Dad says the starter motor is locking somehow.

The battery is fully charged and has been tested.

With no starter motor we can bump start the car and the engine also
turns by hand.

We had no problem with the starter motor before my gear box went so we
were surprised after putting the new gear box in when we started having
issues with it.

Yesterday we bought a new starter motor and put it in but we are still
having exactly the same problem.

My Dad says that it can only be 3 things that he knows of that could be
wrong.

1 - Battery, but this is fully charged.
2 - Dead engine, which its not as it turns by hand and we can bump
start the car.
3 - Dodgy starter motor. This would mean 2 in a row have had exactly
same problem.

My Dad is stumped and so has asked me to post some questions on the
internet.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

check that there is a good earth to the gearbox. you can use a jumperlead
from the neg on the bat to the engine.

 

yep i'd go with that, or atleast no earth strap at all to anywhere put back!
you need 100+ of amps to move a starter motor when it is engaged.
poor wiring or connection will not be capable of doing this.

a good test here would be to remove the starter motor
put it in a vice and give it some power via jump leads.
that way you know it works

then when you put it back in
it must be lack of good connection to either + or - [or both!]


mike

 

How about a badly aligned starter motor which jams up when used?

I suspect the electrics/earth strap.

Testing it on a bench is a good idea.

Alan

 

Hi There
Thanks for your replies. Still having problems though. There is a
problem with battery not being charged correctly but we are trying to
jump start it at the moment and the car is making an awful noise.
Here are some things my Dad told me earlier today.

Respond to the guy whose e-mail you referred to this morning, saying
your dad
has tried to jump start the car but on doing so, the car is making a
high
pitched screaming noise something like a slipping drive belt.
This was the noise it was making before he changed the starter motor.
The car
makes the noise a) whether the clutch is depressed or not,and b)
whether the
drive belt is connected or not. The engine turns freely with a spanner
on the
crankshaft pulley nut and via the roadwheels and gearbox. Any ideas?

It has never started with a jump start yet, although the engine turns
but makes a hell of a noise.
It makes this noise whether the clutch is depressed or not.

The car details are: Vauxhall Vectra 1.8, N reg 1996

Thanks for all your help its much appreciated.

 

As regards the noise, see if the cambelt pilleys arent catching anywhere on
the covers.

Mike

 

<snip>

Make sure any earth straps have been reconnected that were removed, as
mentioned by another poster. The strap shold be either on the end cover of
the 'box, under the wheelarch, or a thick brown cable direct to the battery
that connects to the gearbox near to the starter mounting bolts.

The squealing is probably a rogue feed due to the missing earth strap
causing the starter to partially engage and grind away the teeth on the
flywheel or starter pinion. Also, the alternator is not connected to the
battery with this earth strap off, hence the battery not charging.

HTH

Anthony
Remove eight from email to reply.

 

Are you sure the replacement gearbox is exactly the same as the old one?

Check the earth strap too, but is sounds like the starter is throwing the
pinion and then seizing on something.

Rocking the car lets the pinion slip back.

Cheers

D