starter problem or something else?

[jeffnolan]

last night I came home and the drive was uneventful... had to park on the street so I could clear some cars out of the driveway in order to get in. A few minutes later I got in the cobra and it wouldn't start, behaving like the battery was dead. The starter would attempt to turn but just didn't have power. All my electrical accessories work, and there is no reason why the battery should be dead because it's essentially a new car and I know from my voltmeter that I'm throwing off good power.

Bad starter?

[Mark Brye]

Mine started doing something like this a couple years ago. About once every ten starts, when you hit the start button I get a clunk. I can hear the starter engage but it will not crank the motor over. Hit the starter button a couple more times and it spins and fires right up. Does this when hot or cold. So here is what I have done so far. Have not found the cure yet....have had two new power master ultra starters, two different batteries. Added new ground from battery to frame with dielectric grease. Did same for frame to engine. I also have load checked wiring up to dash.
I have concluded along with a couple local cobra guy (Rays idea) that the bevel on the starter gears is not rounded on the teeth enough so when starter gear tries to engage the fly wheel, it does not mesh. one of these days I will pull starter out again and file the edge of the starter teeth.

[427sharpe]

Jeff;
If it re-occurs, then after attempting to start the car, touch the positive cable (the insulated part). If it is hot, you probably have a poor ground or a dead spot in the starter windings. If a dead spot, usually bumping the starter will work for a time until you can replace it. But first, run a large ground cable (0 or 00 welding cable with soldered ends my favorite) from the frame to a starter attachment bolt. This last solution worked for me when my car had a similar problem--started fine cold, but was slow or impossible to start hot. Good luck and I hope the fix is cheap and easy!

[Mother]

Most engines when driven hard or are very warm if restarted after a short shut off, experience this problem. The engines are hot. One of the assist's is better grounding. Another assist is the cold cranking amps of your battery. For optimum starting performance, concider purchasing a battery with 800 cold starting amps. These batteries cost over 400 dollars up here in Canada. You might get six years of use out of any battery. I used a dry cell battery. Heavy, you bet. But when I stop for a Coffee, I better take 15 minutes so the toy will restart. Also, with 12 to 1 comp., it takes a we bit to restart her any way. The carb. is a Holley 4150 ( 880 CFM.) with no choke and 4 full time venturies. The big block 466 is a wee bit nasty anyway. Not really a daily driver.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by 427sharpe

Jeff;
If it re-occurs, then after attempting to start the car, touch the positive cable (the insulated part). If it is hot, you probably have a poor ground or a dead spot in the starter windings. If a dead spot, usually bumping the starter will work for a time until you can replace it. But first, run a large ground cable (0 or 00 welding cable with soldered ends my favorite) from the frame to a starter attachment bolt. This last solution worked for me when my car had a similar problem--started fine cold, but was slow or impossible to start hot. Good luck and I hope the fix is cheap and easy!

What he said................

[MOTORHEAD]

Check batt ground cable to frame and from frame to engine for tightenss, corrosion, and BARE METAL CONTACT.

[Cashburn]

If it's a factory battery I would say it's a bad cell. Not the volts but rather the amps. Ask your dealer to warranty it out. That's what we do.

[RICK LAKE]

jeffnolan Jeff if this happens and you can get a hammer and hit the (STARTER CASE) I couple of times. If it starts up, dead spot in starter motor or soleniod terminals are cooked inside.
What starter system do you have? A mini starter? A OEM starter with a starter soleniod on the firewall, or direct ign switch to starter soleniod on starter?
The other have said to check the grounds and powers. I would pull the battery and goto a GOOD auto store that checks batterys and have a load test done.
The last though is your charging system, what was on during this drive? How long where you driving? Where you cruising at low speed with all the power acc being on? Lights, fuel pumps, Ign, ECU, Blower motor for heater, Fan motors for radiator. Some Alt only put out about 20-35 amps at idle. What is the max amp output on your Alt. I found out that 60 amps is not enough to charge the battery and run all the other things in the car at low rpms. I have 3 fans, 2 fuel pumps, 3 blower fans, ECU, MDS ign system, and misc. The gone to a 95 amp alt. Now have 40+ amps at idle for charging and 73-85 amps at speed. 14.21 volts with car running and steady.
good luck with the problem. Double check the battery at 2 different places. rick l.

[Jaydee]

I thought dieelectric grease was to use as a heat transfer material on transistors, cpu's and ignition modules? It doesn't conduct any electricity. you need two good clean contacts for power transfer.

[Mark Brye]

Your right. Had the wrong stuff in my head. Whatever it's called, battery terminal goo it's same stuff I use one the battery cables in my boat.

[jeffnolan]

Thank for you all the suggestions. In this case the simple explanation solved the problem, bad battery. Backdraft is replacing under warranty.