2006 Viano 2.2di Starter Motor replacement/location

[chesterpiglet]

Hi all. I had a problem last year with the Viano not starting when hot. I wondered if it was heat soak as when it cooled down it invariably started. I also read that it could be a poor earth connection. It hasn't been used all Winter so went to take it out of hibernation with a freshly charged battery & just a click for the 1st 2 attempts before it started. I then left it running for maybe 30 minutes & switched it off, it then refused to start & is still just clicking away even though it is cold now. So.......... 1st, where is the starter motor as despite searching online I can find no photos of where it actually is. I would like to find the earth lead to clean it but again I cannot find it(there are 2 cables that go into the fuse box which have very rusty bolts- is this one end). When I know where it is, is the job relatively simple? Any help gratefully received as it's blocking the view from the patio doors & the missus isn't going to be happy!

 

[m80]

Mine bolts into the bell housing o/s from the front, below the exhaust manifold. Mine is 2014 so possibly different.
Bolted to the engine is the motors -ve. The engine will have an earth strap to it, but if that wasn't good I would expect other issues also.

Yours sounds like a poor internal solenoid connection. Low current 12 volts causes the solenoid to short 2 contacts for the high current feed to the motor.