Staarter switch question.

Fred K-OR

Fred K-OR

Well-known member
Last Friday, I was about to take off for a car show with a friend and his 52 MG in my 29, when I stepped on the starter button and NOTHING. It would not turn the starter, the lights would not work, etc. I had driven over to his place and it worked when I started out. I trace the voltage and it had voltage going into the switch but starter would not work. So I took the starter switch off, put a jump from the battery cable to the starter and the starter worked fine. Messed around with the starter switch a bit, then put in back on with one screw and the starter worked fine. So put everything back together and the starter worked fine for the whole trip.

I have to mentioned it was an aftermarket switch. Does anyone have any ideas what may have happened? Only thing I can think of it that the aftermarket crap got to me again. Would appreciate any ideas. Thanks.
 
Bad connection, try cranking for 30 seconds with the ignition off, then feel all the wires, and connections ---wherever it is hot is a high resistance connection.
Dirty battery terminals can cause similar problems.
 
When you pulled off the starter switch did you turn it upside down and push on the big contact to see if it had any "spring action?" If it did, then I doubt the switch was the problem. They are pretty simple. Sometimes the starter rod will vibrate loose and cause the rod to not make good contact with the big contact on the starter switch. It's an easy adjustment to turn the rod clockwise into the starter switch. Jack
 
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Your only pushing a copper strap against the starter to make contact. You may have had a piece of dirt in there that was moved when you took it off.
 
Since the lights also didn't work, my first guess is battery cables. Do as Kurt mentioned. It's a good easy check for poor connections.

It's rare, but twice I've seen perfectly clean cables and battery posts, but where the copper cable entered the lead terminal it didn't make connection.
 
Could it be that the ground strap to frame connection has become corroded? I make it a practice during the annual inspection on each of my A's to remove the ground strap and clean the contact area on the crossmember, the ground strap, and the attaching bolt. I keep new bolts on hand since they are easier to replace than clean. Gar Williams
 
As several others have stated you have a bad connection. The big clue is the lights not working as they do not connect thru the starter switch. Your "messing" with the starter switch made it work so I suspect the battery cable connection to the battery. You moved it enough to reestablish a connection. If you check I expect you will be able to twist a slightly loose cable on the battery post. Clean the post and the cable and tighten.
 
99% of the times I have chased electrical gremlins they have turned out to be ground issues.
 
Thanks guys. I will do some checking. I do have a cutout switch that is grounded to the starter with a bracket from the switch to the starter bolt. I also just put things together only a couple months ago. But we live in rain country Portland, Oregon so things could be messed up already or I did not get things tight enough.
 
Fred K-OR said:
Yes I do have. It is mounted to the starter bolt with a bracket. I checked the current going through it with a meter and it seemed to be OK.
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Did you measure current (AMPS), or did you measure voltage? Almost any poor connection can show battery voltage, but it takes a good clean, tight connection to carry starter current, which is about 100 to 150 amps.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Did you measure current (AMPS), or did you measure voltage? Almost any poor connection can show battery voltage, but it takes a good clean, tight connection to carry starter current, which is about 100 to 150 amps.
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Measured volts. Will check amps. Thanks Tom.
 
every time that has happened to me it is either the battery terminal clamps are loose or corroded a little, or the contact in the cut off switch ( if there is one) is corroded or loose..
 
I concur with Tom, I had a relatively new cable that looked perfect but the wire and the terminal for the battery much have corroded internally because it would not handle stater current. Headlights worked fine, but try the starter you got nothing. I cleaned all the terminals and still nothing. Replaced the cable with an old beat up one I had and all was well again.
 
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