A series 1275 starting problem

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Chris Roden

The 9v that has been in there all along.


The trouble is that the other road cars have these new fangled automatic headlights that switch on when the light is low and switch off when ignition is off. Looks like she/ we will have to re-learn old habits if we're going to use a 40 year old Mini.

I had an irate customer on the phone saying that since I had Mot'd his Volvo that he had to hold the dip switch in the flash position at night to get a full beam, so I went to his house to find that the main lighting switch was in the off (daylight run)position and worked perfectly when switched on.
He admitted that he had never even knew that it existed as he had never touched it from new, I had obviously left it off during the Mot test
It's a different world !

[Chris Roden]

Nice shiny new 4 terminal solenoid arrived today.

I doesn't work....

Negative to mounting plate, Positive to ignition terminal, no healthy clunk, no continuity between the threaded terminals.

Trouble is I didn't test it until after I had fitted it to the car and found that the starter motor didn't work. All outdoors in the cold, near gales that we've got at the moment.

3 terminal solenoid & temporary switch now back in place and all working again.

Am I missing something else before I put the new solenoid back in the post?

[GORDON STREETER]

This is ridiculous !!! With a battery and a couple of leads put a neg - on the solenoid body and briefly touch a positive+ on the spade terminals, one of them should make it click if it doesn't then it's duff.
If one of the terminals makes it click then that is the one that connects to the wire from the starter switch, the other terminal connects to the positive + on the coil for the cold start along with the ballast 9v from the ignition switch.

[Chris Roden]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

This is ridiculous !!! With a battery and a couple of leads put a neg - on the solenoid body and briefly touch a positive+ on the spade terminals, one of them should make it click if it doesn't then it's duff.
If one of the terminals makes it click then that is the one that connects to the wire from the starter switch, the other terminal connects to the positive + on the coil for the cold start along with the ballast 9v from the ignition switch.

Exactly what I did...as in:

"Negative to mounting plate, Positive to ignition terminal, no healthy clunk, no continuity between the threaded terminals."

You are right....bloody ridiculous!

Looks like you'll find me queuing in the post office, parcelled up solenoid in hand, tomorrow. Just hope I don't get too held up by the old codgers collecting their pensions, this pensioner will be in a hurry.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

This is ridiculous !!! With a battery and a couple of leads put a neg - on the solenoid body and briefly touch a positive+ on the spade terminals, one of them should make it click if it doesn't then it's duff.
If one of the terminals makes it click then that is the one that connects to the wire from the starter switch, the other terminal connects to the positive + on the coil for the cold start along with the ballast 9v from the ignition switch.

Gordon, for goodness sake get yourself on a 'plane to Hampshire and sort this problem out once and for all.
I don't know about anyone else but this is doing my head in!

[GORDON STREETER]

I would willingly "walk" to Hampshire if Chris came to my place and sorted an automatic Renault ecu wiring problem for me
Really even my old man who is 99 years old could sort a simple car like a Mini with basic "old school" wiring in a few seconds, WTF is going on !!!!!!

[GORDON STREETER]

Well !!!!!!!!!!

[Chris Roden]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Well !!!!!!!!!!

No not really......

Mail order suppliers have replaced the duff new solenoid with another equally duff unit. I tested both and they failed, but doubting my ability I had them both tested by a local (old school) auto electrician.


In the meantime, the car is starting, and running, perfectly well with the temporary switch I fitted (famous last words!).

Trying a new supplier.....

[Chris Roden]

I don't suppose anyone is remotely intested but...

It seems that the only difference between 4 terminal & 3 terminal solenoids is that the extra terminal is connected to the starter terminal via a 3 amp rectifier. The rectifier prevents current flowing the wrong way when cranking the engine.

So, while sourcing a good 4 terminal solenoid, I've connected the starter terminal on my 3 terminal solenoid direct to the coil via a rectifier and it works fine, my temporary switch is now removed.

The rectifier is an IN5404 (Maplins code QL84F) and was horrifically expensive at 52p.