Odd one this.
Car (96 Aero) perfectly happy this afternoon. Nipped out this evening to get petrol and a few supplies and as I got in and waited for the ACC to start, it didn't. ABS light didn't go out either.
Started fine after refuelling and I decied to pop in to my local for a swift half. At that point I noticed a burning electrics smell outside the car and assumed that the fan speed controller had gone south and was wondering if that could be what was causing the ABS problem.
20 mins later, get back in the car. Try to start. Nothing. Although the ignition switch turns to the start position, there's no resistance and no spring back. If I fiddle with it the ACC springs into life.
So, it seems like I need a new ignition switch but what was the burning smell, why isn't it starting and why is the ABS light on?. Seems to be too much of a coincidence not to be linked to a single cause.
Any ideas would be welcome- I'm not going to be able to get back until the car because of other commitments until Sunday. Luckily the landlady is a friend...
Given the number of things tied to it, I'd say the ignition switch is most likely the central culprit. The burning smell outside of the car could be secondary to the failure of the switch. It could have gone to short and in the process heated something else up. If you're not getting spring back and fiddling with it is causing devices to spring to life, I'd look at that as your central POF. Nothing else springs to mind that is so centrally tied to the electrics operations.
Update- new ignition switch fitted but still no start. Other warning lights working as expected. Will get a bump start tomorrow and recover it home.
The solenoid is getting 12V when the igntion switch is in the start position, so I'm guessing the burning smell (it seemed to be coming from the back of the engine) was the solenoid coil burning out, probably as a result of the fault ignition switch permanently supplying power to it.
Is it easiest to just replace the whole starter/solenoid assembly or can just the solenoid be replaced in situ?
Any handy tips on replacing either?
I'd say for the cost of a starter and 3/4 bolts I'd just swop the lot :)
Glad you at least got it to a point it's halfway doing what it's supposed to. I'd have to agree that the solenoid probably packed it in. It could have gone either way, that one... switch could have cooked the solenoid or the solenoid could have cooked the switch.
In any case, were it me, I'd want to check the terminal block on the back of the battery box to make sure it wasn't just one of those wires that fried before actually replacing the starter. Just because you're getting 12V doesn't mean you're getting enough current to energize it. If you find that replacing the starter is the option to go with, my advice is to do it from the top. There are only two bolts that hold the starter in. One from the trans side (18mm) and one from the back (17 or 16mm (5/8" SAE will work for 16mm) and a total pig to get leverage on). Disconnect the positive lead at the terminal block on the back of the battery box. This will give you enough slack to move the starter out of its spot and actually lift it up. The other cable connects somewhere on the off side but as I was only trying to drop my trans, not replace the starter I didn't investigate far enough to find out where. With the near side one disconnected, you should be able to unhook the terminal on the back of the starter.
As was mentioned above, I'd swap out the whole bit. The starter can be a bit of a demon to free from its holdings, I shudder to think what replacing the solenoid in-situ might be like.
Possibly a long shot, but have a good sniff at the DI cartridge. They can burn out without warning. Take it out of the car and smell it. If it stinks, then that's the problem and it's only a 5 minute job to do
Quote from: Rainbird on 01 July 2012, 08:09:04 AM
Possibly a long shot, but have a good sniff at the DI cartridge. They can burn out without warning. Take it out of the car and smell it. If it stinks, then that's the problem and it's only a 5 minute job to do
This fault isn't the DI as the car won't turn over, if a DI fails then it will turn over but won't fire. Obviously at this point the DI could be dead too but if the starter isn't engaging then replacing the DI will do nothing.
Bump started it this morning- everything else fine. Starter motor now extracted, easier than I expected. As millster said, go in from the top. I removed throttle body (tooke the cooling hoses off & clamped them) and AIC valve for easier access.