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Re: dead MGB...

To: Bill Saidel <saidel@crab.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Re: dead MGB...
From: ccrobins <ccrobins@ktc.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 08:48:30 -0600
Hi Bill,

  Sounds more like it was a bad spot on the starter motor's commutater.

  CR

Bill Saidel wrote:
> 
> I had this problem on an old Chevette. Whenever the temperature exceeded
> about 80 Fahrenheit, the car would periodically die.  Turned out that it
> had a bad spot on the starter solenoid and if it "stopped there", then the
> solenoid would not engage the starter motor at all.
>         A jump would push enough current across the solenoid to move it and 
>start
> the car as would nightfall (but for different reasons). The most reasonable
> interpretation was that the insulation in one spot of the solenoid was
> failing.
> 
>         Interestingly, after I changed the starter motor (and lost the problem
> forever), I heard on the Click&Clack radio show (NPR), the exact same
> problem and their solution was to change the starter motor!
> 
> Bill
> 
> At 08:41 PM 10/29/1998 -0600, you wrote:
> >John,
> >
> >Several years back, I had a similar problem on my Aerostar. Every once in a
> >while, the car would not start. Not only not start, but the radio would loose
> >the settings and no electrical apparatus would work. Turn the ignition many
> >times and then all of a sudden, the car would turn over strongly and start
> as if
> >nothing was wrong. Thought it was the ignition switch but that wouldn't
> explain
> >it all.
> >
> >After several months of this (only did it maybe 10 times) after checking the
> >obvious connections and battery charge, I decided that I would change out the
> >battery anyway. Even though it was only to years old. These intermittants are
> >devils to troubleshoot. It was a very cheap experiment compared to electronic
> >modules etc. Lo and behold, it never gave me a problem again. I concluded
> that
> >the battery had a major intermittant open. When it worked, it worked well.
> When
> >it didn't, well.....
> >
> >Never heard of this before or since. It was a Montgomery wards battery. Maybe
> >this could be your problem.
> >
> >Chuck Schaefer
> >
> >John Steczkowski wrote:
> >
> >> Well,  I sent email the other day about how my MGB had died. At that time I
> >> speculated that a wire had broken or something because the car was
> >> electrically dead. Well, I went to go look at fixing it and it ran fine.
> So,
> >> I drove it to work this morning, started fine, drove it to work with no
> >> incident. I went out to go get lunch and it did the same thing, started to
> >> crank, starter engaged, started to turn and then dead. As I was sitting
> >> there, I thought that maybe the starter solenoid was causing the problem. I
> >> got the lug wrench out of the trunk and wrapped the solenoid and it did the
> >> same thing, but didn't start. I now think that it's the solenoid that's
> bad,
> >> unfortuneatley, that doesn't do me a bit of good as far as getting the car
> >> started.
> >>
> >> Any other ideas. I guess I start with replacing the solenoid.
> >>
> >> The really unfortuneate part is that I'm in a down hill parking space, so I
> >> can't even bump start the car....
> >>
> >> Hmm.... Hopefully it'll decide to start when I'm ready to go home and I can
> >> get it home....
> >>
> >> -----
> >> John Steczkowski
> >> Director of Software Engineering
> >> Crossroads Systems, Inc.
> >> 512-794-2742
> >> stecz@crossroads.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> **********************************************************************
> Dr. Bill Saidel
> Assoc. Prof.                      Vocal phone   (609) 225-6336
> Department of Biology   FAX  (609) 225-6312
> Science Building                email:  saidel@crab.rutgers.edu
> 315 Penn St.
> Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
> Camden, NJ 08102 -1411
> http://crab.rutgers.edu/~saidel/saidel.html

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