In a message dated 97-12-07 22:49:40 EST, J81293@aol.com writes:
> On Sunday I went to start it
> and got nothing, except a click coming from the starter relay. This might
> sound like a stupid question, but I want to make sure. So is my problem
that
> I
> need a new stater relay or could it be something else? I know it's not the
> battery as there was plenty of juice.
Jeff:
The following assumes that all the connections to the starter solenoid and the
battery are good, clean connections, free of corrosion. If not, that is always
the first place to look for starter problems. After you have checked these,
and ensured that they are all good, go on to the following trouble shooting
steps.
First, try starting with a jumper from a known good battery. Even though you
are sure it is good, they can fool you.
Next, on your starter solenoid, you will find a terminal with a white/red wire
on it. Connect a jumper from the positive pole of the battery to this terminal
(with the key off and the transmission in neutral). If the starter turns over,
then the problem lies somewhere in the relay/ignition switch wiring. If it
doesn't turn over, then the problem is in either the starter solenoid or the
starter. If you hear a solid "clunk" when you do this, the solenoid is
*probably* ok, and the starter is bad.
To determine if it is the solenoid or the starter, jumper from the battery to
the solenoid terminal with the heavy wire going directly into the starter.
This will be a short piece of wire, probably black, and there will be nothing
else connected to the terminal. Use one cable from a set of battery jumper
cables for this, as the starter pulls a lot of current. If, when you do this,
the starter doesn't spin, then the starter is bad. If it does, then the
solenoid is the culprit.
If the starter worked just fine when you jumpered to the white/red wire, go
back to the relay and check for 12 volts on the white/red wire at the relay
when you turn the key to the start position. If you don't get 12 volts when
you do this, the relay is bad (since you said it clicked, it's safe to assume
everything is OK up to the relay). If you do have 12 volts, there is a break
somewhere in the white/red wire to the starter.
If you like, you can reverse the order of the tests, and check the relay
voltage first, then do the white/red wire jumpering and subsequent steps
One caveat! I'm working from a wiring diagram, and every wiring diagram I've
ever seen for the '76 TR6 has an error in the area of the starter circuit. The
white/red wire may be some other color, but on all other TR6s, it is
white/red. The wiring diagram shows a starter relay, but shows it not
connected to anything, so I am only assuming that the '76 has a starter relay,
(especially since you heard one click!).
If anyone has ever corrected the wiring diagrams for a '76, please contact me
and give me an update. I have had a partial update around the starter itself,
but I still need the relay connections. Thanks in advance for your help.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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