On Wed, 23 Apr 1997, Dennis & Stephanie Littrell wrote:
> Fellow Listers:
>
> I'm having a problem starting my '73 B, and I need some help. When I turn
> the key, all I get is the clicking of the starter solenoid. The car can be
> jump-started and run for long periods, but as soon as I try to start it
> again (even immediately) I get the same thing. It has fairly new twin 6
> volt batteries. I've cleaned all the battery terminals, cleaned the ground
> connection, and checked the battery charge with a multimeter (13.5 volts).
>
> If I get the solenoid click, and the car can be jump-started, can I
> eliminate the starter and solenoid as a possible cause?
Yes, I think so.
If the batteries
> are showing 13.5 volts across the terminals, can I eliminate battery
> condition as a cause?
No, not necessarily. The battery voltage may be ok until you put a load
on it. But with newish twin batteries, I'd put my money on a simpler
solution.
I would say that there is a fair possibility you have an
internal break in one of the cables, or a bad ground to the chassis. My
betting is on the latter.
It depends on how you're connecting your jumper cables. If you put the
ground cable from the helper battery directly on the chassis or part of
the engine, as you are supposed to do, then you are bypassing the cable
that goes from the battery to the chassis. The connection to ground may
be bad, and you are bypassing it.
If you are putting the other jumper from the helper battery on the MGs
battery hot terminal, then I'd assume the cables from there to the starter
are ok, but if you are connecting the jumper to the starter directly, then
you are bypassing the other cables as well.
First make very sure the ground strap is not broken and that the
connection to both the battery and the chassis are clean. My guess is
that is it. If that's not it, think systematically about what gets
eliminated from the circuit when you use the jumper cables.
W. R. Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8629
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