This is a bit odd to me. My starter began turning slowly but only randomly. The first time I thought I must've forgotten to switch off my isolator switch. (I always do this but we'd been to Bristol a week or two before and I thought maybe I'd forgotten.)

Hey ho, realised the battery was pretty old. About 8 years but they last new ages and I only buy Bosch Silver. New battery, seemed fine but then did it again. It's only random but it's done it a few times now and I can only just get it to start after a while.

So I took my starter out and took it to the rebuilder who'd rebuilt it 7 years ago. He took it apart and checked everything, he says nothing wrong with it.

I'm slightly mystified. I guess I'll have to go through all the connections. I know the earth it good because I had to take it off to remove the lid of the gearbox in the summer and it's nice and tight.

Do any of you fine people have any suggestions please?

I'm going to pop it back in the car today.

Cleanlyness, is next to starterness

It doesn't matter how snug something is bolted on, if it has contamination, or corrosion.

But it sounds as if you have an intermitant fault. So it could be the strands of wire in the cable breaking inside the end piece. Usually at the gearbox end, as that is where the movement is. Perhaps time for a new earthstrap.

Hmm, i shall investigate that then Roger. I've no work today so I've just got to put a new bottom bracket on my bike and then I can get to this starter motor thing.

Thanks!

If it's random, check all high current leads, and what they connect to.

Hmm. I have spent some time cleaning every connection I could find under the bonnet with some very mild sandpaper.

All bullet connectors everywhere. All earths I know of removed, cleaned and remade. Connections on earth cable the same and cable thick and healthy.

Removed and cleaned the fuses just in case.

Starter motor back in with shiny connections.

A little bit of dielectric grease on all of the above.

And it would barely start the car.

Just in case, battery now in the house for a full charge although it started off on '2' on the charger meter and dropping slowly from there which I'm guessing means it wasn't very flat at all?

I'll see how it is tomorrow or when I get a chance. But I'm starting to think even though the excellent rebuilder took it apart and found absolutely nothing wrong and ran it without problem, maybe it just needs doing again.

The only other thing I can think of is this summer I put in 20x50 oil instead of the usual 10x40. And the weather is around zero Celsius. I doubt that is the problem but I do have lots of 10x40 in stock. Maybe I should change it back for the winter.

Did you try to turn the engine by hand? And did you try to short cut the starter with a screwdriver between the two big connections? if it turn well there could be a problem in the solonoid.

You could have the same problem as i had with my battery. The new ones are calcium, they need an higher voltage (15,5) to get charged completly....maybe your battery is also only 80% chaged. Voltage will be ok but the amps are missing. The new bosch silver is a calcium battery too if i aam correct. The autoelectrics dealer took 2 days to get my battery back to full charge on his equipment.

+1

A good charge may sort it

Batteries do not like cold weather. It will often wipe out a battery that was already weak.

After charging, and reconnecting, test to see if the voltage is rising from the alternator.

Ooh, I've never tried that screwdriver thing. What a great tip.

Well, the battery charged fine in an hour or so on an old school analogue charger.

I used my bosses discount card to get this battery and for the first time couldn't get a Bosch. It's a Yuasa instead. But seems very healthy.

You guys are great, thank you.

So, just a new batteery then?