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Thread: Electrical Gremlin

  1. #1
    SEC Member Guy Mayers's Avatar
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    Electrical Gremlin

    Before I contemplate pulling the car apart three days before Race Retro I thought I'd throw this one out there for consideration!

    The battery is 2015 vintage, been sitting for 3 months. I jump in the car, put the kill switch key in, turn the ignition on, press the start button and it fires up just fine. Take the car out for a drive 6 miles or longer and get it warm and turn it off. It won't restart, pressing the start button merely results in the voltmeter showing a big deflection down. Wait an hour or two and it cools down. Press start and off we go again.

    I think the battery is fine, beginning to suspect the starter motor.

    Any thoughts peeps?

    Cheers
    Guy

  2. #2
    SEC Member ah_sprite's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Bad battery or engine earth?
    Richard C

  3. #3
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Think I'd be looking st the starter motor, as you suspect. Could be something in the windings breaking down and shorting as it gets hot. Can't see it being the battery itself s it's still got charge when the motor's cooled down. That's assuming you've looked at the simple stuff - battery connections, engine earth, starter connection, etc.

  4. #4
    SEC Member Guy Mayers's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    I think the battery is fine, it was sat from the end of October to the end of January and started on the key. If earths or the battery were suspect I doubt it would have started. But it’ll get looked at! Any more ideas welcomed!
    Guy

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    SEC Member Griff's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Guy, it could possibly be a dry connection in the kill switch, if it is it will get really warm, really quickly.
    So it'll start when cold initially, electrical resistance (and heat) build up whist driving, and then it will not start until the temperature (and resistance) has fallen again
    Worth checking next time its a bit 'reluctant'

    Griff

  6. #6
    Free user Lancialulu's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Where is the voltmeter reading the volts from? As Griff says the kill switch may be the weak piont. Otherwise Starter. I once had this on another Lancia when I drove out of the garaage like you starting from a few months standing and it just died in the middle of the road. Suspecting the worse I pushed it to the kerb and got the multimeter out. Turned out to be the battery isolating switch (those things with green knobs you see at all the shows for £5). Well I had tightened it up intially and started the car but then it went high resistance.... Got it really tight and the car fired up again.... It was the only car I have fitted with this - sods law..

  7. #7
    SEC Member Two-Eight-Six's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Those FIA battery switches seem to have a life - I've had this on a rally car, where replacing the FIA 'kill' switch solved it straightaway.
    Just a thought, and it's an easy swap, so worth a try?

  8. #8
    SEC Member Griff's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Come on Guy, put us out of our misery, did you sort it? what was it?

  9. #9
    Site Supporter ProtoTipo's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    I saw Guy's car yesterday at Stoneleigh.

  10. #10
    SEC Member Guy Mayers's Avatar
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    Re: Electrical Gremlin

    Gremlin is still hiding....

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