le sigh

[pyoorkate]

So, once it's going the new engine's sweet as anything; but it suffers from the same malady as the previous one in one respect. I can't get the starter to turn it over with any vigour.

I've cleaned everything I can see (all the connections to the starter solenoid, the earth cable at the front of the engine, the battery earth). I've checked voltages where I can - and it appears to be getting +12ish when starting. The solenoid is, remarkably, working exactly as it should.

Is there another earth cable somewhere that runs to the starter? Something else I should check? Or is it my starter walking the long walk to death?

[Firenzaboy]

Only Earth cables are the one from the engine to the nearside inner wing,and the one from the offside inner wing to the battery Kate.
I too have had starting problems of late;the Earth cable looked a little frayed at the engine end,so i changed it for a spare one i had and it now starts 1st time every time.
Suggest you try a temporary earth from engine to battery (such as a jump lead),just to prove that it's not just a bad earth (the braided cables only have to be a bit tatty (sometimes broken on the inside so you cant really tell) for the starter motor to loose some serious Amps.
Worth a try anway
Oh yes,and if the car is fitted with the remote solenoid (screwed to the battery housing),try bridging the big terminals to see if the starter winds over any quicker (could be that the solenoid isn't working quite as well as it should!)
Dave

[pyoorkate]

Update: Tried running a jump cable from the battery neg to the earth point on the engine. Didn't improve matters, sadly.

Oddly, it was pretty enthusiastic once the car was warm... (although not when I tried to start the car with the lights on by accident (side lights, in the day time, having been through a tunnel) - then I thought it wasn't going to start at all :-/ )

I'm hoping that it's just the newness of the engine, but since the starter was doing it on the old engine I'm suspecting the starter. Which does, of course, lead me to the thoughts of having to replace the starter...

I've not done the shorting across the solenoid, I'll try that first, but not today

[viva2300]

Kate
I reckon the starter could well need a new set of carbon brushes. There probably wont be much wrong other than that, but it means you will have to take the starter apart to do it. See if you can either get another starter, or borrow one from somebody & try that one. Thats what i reckon it is.
Paul