TR6 Car has always started without fail.....until now

T

Tomu

Freshman Member

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• Aug 23, 2020

• #1

Hey folks, newbie to this site, thanks for letting me in! I’ve owned 72 TR6 for 8 years and I have to say it has always started. A few days ago I took it out for a short drive. Turned over and started on the first try. Drove about 5 miles and stopped at a restaurant. When I went back out when I turned the key, I got one click. Tried jumping, tapping the starter and got nothing. Noticed the large wire on the starter smoking a bit. I got a push and jump started it and drove it home. Anyone with any ideas?

 

Andrew Mace

Moderator

Staff member

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• Aug 23, 2020

• #2

I'd start by cleaning connections on both ends of all the "major" cables, including both battery cables, any other ground cables, and the large cable to the starter. Dirty connections often result in exactly what you've described here!

 

P

pdplot

Yoda

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• Aug 23, 2020

• #3

Could the starter be jammed?

 

OP

T

Tomu

Freshman Member

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #4

Thanks Andy, I’ll give that a try. Thanks for the help!

 

OP

T

Tomu

Freshman Member

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #5

What would be the check for that? Basically what you’re thinking is the starter is jammed and won’t engage with the flywheel? Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

 

poolboy

Yoda

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #6

Jammed on the flywheel....the heating up of the cable suggest something like that.,,but being able to push start the engine would mean the starter either released or was spinning on the flywheel as the engine was running.
You may have to prepare yourself for the removal of the starter to find out.

 

Sarastro

Obi Wan

Silver

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #7

Yikes! The large wire "smoking a bit" is the giveaway: that's an indication that the starter may be stalled or jammed somehow, or just defective. A short also is a possibility; I don't know much about the TR6 starters, but many starters have an insulated electrical feedthrough in the body of the starter that disintegrates and allows a short to the case.

Since you could push start it and drive home, it seems impossible that it is jammed at the flywheel in some way, so makes me think that a bad starter or short is most likely. Both are pretty common. I think it's time to pull the starter and examine it.

 

Sarastro

Obi Wan

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #8

One more thing: when you remove the starter, take a good look at the cable that was smoking, and make sure that the insulation is not melted anywhere along it. Most likely places for that to happen are near the connections.

 

Madflyer

Jedi Knight

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• Aug 24, 2020

• #9

Welcome I have a 1973 TR 6. I did a frame up in 1992-93. On my way back from a road trip to Idaho and back from Reno NV. my starter did not smoke but did not turn just click, pushed start. I found it must have had a dead bar in the starter. Replaced with new geared one when I got back home. My point is I never touched it in 1993 and was most likely a 1973 starter. Three thing happen to starters. 1- Bad bearings will let com drop to fields and not turn ( smoke ) 2- Fields will short from age ( smoke ) 3- As from replies above bad connection from battery. Madflyer PS let us know what you find.

 

Last edited: Aug 24, 2020

Rod-H

Senior Member

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• Aug 28, 2020

• #10

+1 to what Madflower said.

Pull the starter out and test it on the bench, or take it to Autozone or some place that has a tester. If it's bad get a new one, preferably a gear reduction stater.

I recommend replacing the cable that was smoking, even if it looks good at inspection. Once a cable starts smoking good things aren't happening inside of it. It is really cheap insurance from an engine fire.

Rod

 

OP

T

Tomu

Freshman Member

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• Sep 1, 2020

• #11

Thank you all for your expertise! I replaced the starter with a gear reduction starter. Cleaned all the connections and it started right up! Thanks for the help!