Starter motor doing my head in!!

[MORGAN28]

Right then. Just bought a brand new starter motor, and its still making the 'click' sound!!!
HELP!! please

[andy 16v]

Check your battery, if its low/flat the starter will click.

[MORGAN28]

Brand new battery mate, fully charged optima type. Also the crank turns fine aswell.
But it is the same sort of 'click' you get.

Just checked the voltage on the wiring just before the starter motor, turned the key and it read just under 12. Put them on the starter motor, turned the key and it read just over 7.

[Chris H]

should be reading battery voltage all the time on the main feed. Only the solenoid will go to 12V when the keys turned.

[MORGAN28]

Any ideas what it could be then? I've checked the earths. If it would be a broken wire, I suppose it wouldn't 'click' at all would it?
Main feed only drops by 0.3

[MORGAN28]

Taken a pic of the terminals it is correct?

[Chris H]

thats right. Well the wires on right but it needs swung round a bit so the wire clears the exhaust and heatshield more.

Did you bench test the starter before fitting?

[MORGAN28]

No, its a new un. but mick has suggested to run power to it directly. so i'll try tommorrow morning. but i'm not counting me chickens!

[Chris H]

what does it being new have to do with you bench testing it first?

I have no idea what running power directly to it involves as its always live, sounds to me like sayign the oceans wet but I'll add water just to be sure, its just the solenoid that switches, if you want to activate it, get under and short the solenoid terminal to the pos feed and it shoudl crank it over.

[MORGAN28]

if I put the positive feed from the batt to the starter it won't knacker it up will it? I don't fancy forkin out for another new one!
and if it works like this or still clicks. best bet would be to throw the towel in?

[Chris H]

you already have a positve feed to the starter. Thats the black wire, thats direct to the battery positive. It you stick a jump lead from the battery to the terminal it won't mess anything up, it will be just the same as it is unless the real cables damaged.

so get under and short it with a screwdriver

[MORGAN28]

Tried what you said chris, and the starter was whirring away. but didn't sound as though it was engaging the flywheel. should that little cog in the starter come out to meet the flywheel?
mate has said to take the starter back and swap it for another.

[Chris H]

the solenoid pushes out the little cog to engage in the fly

theres a chance its not meshing, put the dowel if its there in the inner hole and move the starter to suit. the have 9, 11 and 13 teeth on the little cogs dependign on the starter.

[MORGAN28]

I'm gonna bite the bullet and get a mobile mechanic to come out. I'm losing patience!