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MG MGB Technical - Woe Starter Woah!

Half way between the California coast and the Sierras, I stopped for petrol. When I turned the key, not even a click-click --- but I could hear the starter relay. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle, I was able to coast start and got to the mountains.

I tried jumping the relay --- no help. My loyal but MG/Snow hating wife UPS'd my spare starter. I have a floor jack here (for tire chains) but my mechanics tools are far away.

A young man was going to change the $tarter but got wasted instead. Nobody appears interested in house calls, and if I am towed and the starter change doesn't fix the problem, I'm even further out on the limb.

The only noteworth incident enroute was that I hit two vicious potholes on the Interstate. I thought it would kill the tires. (No doubt state highway workers showing what they think of the governor's budget).

Woe, or woe!

Dan
Dan Robinson

Dan Robinson, California, USA, rob000@sbcglobal.net --- OOPS! Had wrong email ---

Half way between the California coast and the Sierras, I stopped for petrol. When I turned the key, not even a click-click --- but I could hear the starter relay. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle, I was able to coast start and got to the mountains.

I tried jumping the relay --- no help. My loyal but MG/Snow hating wife UPS'd my spare starter. I have a floor jack here (for tire chains) but my mechanics tools are far away.

A young man was going to change the $tarter but got wasted instead. Nobody appears interested in house calls, and if I am towed and the starter change doesn't fix the problem, I'm even further out on the limb.

The only noteworth incident enroute was that I hit two vicious potholes on the Interstate. I thought it would kill the tires. (No doubt state highway workers showing what they think of the governor's budget).

Woe, or woe!

Dan
Dan Robinson

If your starter won't work open the hood. Looking down from the passanger side you can see the starter. Try tapping it with a stick ( about 1x1x36inches) a few times. This works for me! Bob
Bob Ekstrand

Dan

You traveling Highway 80 or 50? If you are on 50, my brother can do the install for you. Drop a note and cell phone # and I can get him to call you.


Bruce-C

Probably just shaken the wire off the solenoid.
Paul Hunt

My thoughts are exactly as Paul's.

Most likely a loose wire, below, at the starter solenoid (not at the starter relay).
Daniel Wong

Thank you all. When nobody younger than the 70's could be found, I wriggled my lumpy bod beneath. As you have concluded, the highway workers banged a wire from the solenoid.

I'm back in business, and have been driving in the rain and snow. (I put a soft top on earlier, and it does not leak!)

The best to all!
Dan Robinson

Way to go Dan. Glad you got it taken care of even without the help of the young whippersnappers.

Mighty nice that Bruce offered the help of his brother. It's good to know that kind of help is out there since I romp across the country in my MG now and then.

To those in a similar circumstance that requires under the car repair on the road, in case you haven't already figured it out for yourself, driving the car up on a curb is an easy way to gain 5 to 8 inches of extra room under the car. You can put the front, rear, or one side up on the curb, and it can be a big help. I changed my oil pump gasket that way on the street in Eureka, CA last January.

Charley
C R Huff

Dan,

If you're not a NAMGBR member, join and get the "Mutual Aid Directory" or "MAD". And do not EVER leave home without it! I travel a lot in my MGs and the MAD saved my butt three times: once in Minneapolis, Minnesota (-24 degrees); again Dallas, Texas; and once in Portland, Oregon. I carry the MAD, a Haynes Manual, and a Moss catalog. Also, put together a tool roll containing basics: 3/8-3/4" end and socket wrenches, slotted and phillips screwdrivers, and vice-grips. I also carry a test light, a coil of electrical wire (also bailing wire), an assortment of crimp terminals and a crimping tool (I never use these for permanent repairs, but they can be handy on the road).

BTW, I've had the big spade connector come off the solenoid twice - in two different cars: once in Blacksburg, Virginia; and once in Tower, Minnesota. I have a theory about this: engine vibration can cause the connection to that spade to break. Each time it gets repaired, a bit of the wire gets cut off, increasing the likelihood that it will break again or the spade will pull off the solenoid. I solved the problem by splicing in an extra 2-3" of wire - soldered connections, please, covered with heat-shrink spaghetti.

FWIW,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

I neglected to mention the spare parts that I carry, but that's a whole 'nother issue.

Allen
Allen Bachelder

What I did to mine, to prevent this from happening again, was to wrap a tie wrap around the solonoid wire and battery cable at the starter so that the solonoid wire coulnd't fall off. It's been like this for a decade with no more problems. RAY
RAY

This thread was discussed between 23/01/2009 and 25/01/2009

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