Smoke when starter operates!

[mustangbooks]

I just changed my oil, and the engine started fine while I had the front jacked up. I lowered it back down to drive it back into the garage and the starter just made rapid clicking noises. I thought it was just the battery giving up (it's just over 5 years old), but there are some other strange symptoms...

After I charged the battery back up to see if it would start, it makes the same rapid clicking noise from the starter, but I also noticed a burning smell, and some smoke from under the air filter! This turned out to be the throttle return spring, which is attached to the engine ground strap bracket on one side, getting burning hot (yes, it hurt), and actually smoking when the starter operates!

Do I have a weird earthing problem somewhere, or is the starter dead (I may have spilled some fresh oil onto that general area while doing the oil change - related?), and why did it suddenly start happening after changing the oil?!

[Dave81]

Clicking would be the starter solenoid sticking i would think. Tap it lightly with a hammer to see if that solves the issue.......Maybe on its way out (mine did this fro a week until i had nothing...Dead).

As for the wiring getting hot its probably due to it not disengaging as your giving a constant power feed to it?

Multimeter time for that one?

Disconnect and clean the starter wire from the battery to see if the oil is creating an earth issue.

[mustangbooks]

It turns out that nothing electrical worked when I removed the throttle spring, not even the lights! I discovered the end of the earth strap from the battery negative to the top of the block was loose (almost didn't need a spanner to remove it!), so I took it off, cleaned it up, and tightened it properly, and the engine fired straight up! Thanks for the suggestion anyway Dave

[Dave999]

don't they usually have an earth strap from the drivers side engine mount (block side bracket) to the chassis under the battery tray?

spikey washers and vasaline

job done


if you have been heating up your throttle return spring, you also need to watch out for burnt throttle cable....
which would potentially be another engine earth.

really depends on if the ferrule for your cable is metal where it presses into the bulkhead and whether the nylon inner (used on modern cables)
stops the inner cable earthing to the chassis via the ferrule at this point and of course how well the hole in the bulkhead is painted. if it has earthed the cable will have melted any nylon inner and may well be weakened at the point that tried to take 1/2 the battery/starter current

sorry.....just being a ray of sunshine as usual....

PS it won't earth to the peddle as the cable end is usually retained with a plastic fitting


Dave

[Blue]

American Mopars usually have the earth direct from the battery to the block.

[MilesnMiles]

Interesting example of the importance of engine earths, glad it was an easy fix and no fires!

[mustangbooks]

Interesting example of the importance of engine earths, glad it was an easy fix and no fires!

I'm just glad it happened (a) when the car was only a couple of feet sticking out of the garage, and (b) after I got my (last ever?!) MOT the day before! I guess the no blazing inferno thing is a bonus.