The Wife's A210 LWB-Intermitant starter

[rsvgreg]

My good lady wife has had an intermittent niggle with her A210 for a little while. When she goes to start the car the dash lights all come on but nothing happens at the key. No clicking just dead.

The solution she has employed is to put the car in gear and rock it gently, (she's only little). Hop back in and hey presto its starts as normal.

The supplying dealer convinced her one day while I was away to change the battery but this didn't really cure the issue. I think it's a dodgy starter but she has been told it's an engine removal task to replace this. I know it's tight in these engine bays but that sounds excessive.

I would welcome any thoughts (or questions) before it goes to a specialist who knows what they are doing.

 

[brucemillar]

Sounds like the gear shift ignition inhibitor. Ignition thinks the car is not in park.

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[carat 3.6]

Space is very tight in there, and the starter motor is about the worst job to do. It is possible to lower the rear of the engine downwards to gain some access, but still a nightmare to do.

But if it doesn't even click when the key is tried, you may have an electrical fault.

Edit: Bruce beat me to it

 

[rsvgreg]

Sounds like the gear shift ignition inhibitor. Ignition thinks the car is not in park.

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Thanks Bruce, well worth checking. Would this still be the case with a manual gearbox car?

 

[carat 3.6]

Are you sure the starter doesn't click when you try to start? I'm wondering if the teeth on the flywheel ring gear are worn...

 

[brucemillar]

Hmmm. Possibly not in a manual. Apologies I had assumed it was an auto. I would assume in a manual dipping the clutch would allow the ignition to fire?

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[rsvgreg]

Are you sure the starter doesn't click when you try to start? I'm wondering if the teeth on the flywheel ring gear are worn...

I have never heard it click but the drvier tells me it does sometimes click. Car has covered just 50,000 but lots of short trips and thus stop start motoring.

 

[rsvgreg]

Hmmm. Possibly not in a manual. Apologies I had assumed it was an auto. I would assume in a manual dipping the clutch would allow the ignition to fire?

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Thanks again Bruce, I should have made it clear it's a manual gearbox car. I think one of the issues is that I don't experience the problem first hand.

When my wife read this over my shoulder she tells she she does sometimes dip the clutch as well as 'nudge' the car in gear.

Perhaps I will have to own the problem for a week or so to better pinpoint the problem..it's just having time at this time of year in particular.

 

[GAV105N]

I would change the starter relay and ignition switch first before condemning the starter motor , both are cheap and easy to change , failing that you will need to drop the subframe down a little to do the starter

 

[michael8554]

Going back to the first post....
Not sure if this applies to pre-engaged starters, but in the old days:
if the handbrake is off
the gearbox is in neutral
then the car should roll
if it doesn't the starter pinion has jammed in the flywheel and pushing the car back and forth a little usually frees it.
but that indicates the starter is on its way out

 

[wongl]

Garlick replaced the starter motor on an A160 for me a few months ago showing the same symptoms as yours. He had to drop the engine but it wasn't nearly as expensive as a main dealer. Worth giving him a call, but he is down in Kent though.

 

[Vlad]

Had the exact same problem on a 210 we had years ago and it was the starter solenoid....PIG of a job.

 

[forrera]

this is how you confirm if the starter is good or not.
next to the battery positive terminal there is a black plug, 2 wire for manual and 3 wire for auto. one of the wires has purple trace and goes directly to the starter solenoid.
With the car not starting episode, touch this wire to the positive battery terminal, if starter doesn't turn then it is faulty and replace it.
to replace the starter you don't need to lower the engine .
see this link https://www.facebook.com/aclassForr...0.1418158711./508397649259346/?type=3&theater