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My car wont start??

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76MGB

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Yesterday I put a "new" used starter into my car and it started up great. But the alternator belt was loose. So I decided to tighten it up. After tightening it and put everything back together. I went to start the car and all I heard was a click and the fuel pump. Is it possible to tighten the belt to much which would keep it from turning?
Quentin
 
the tightness of the belt should not affect how the motor turns over. Sounds like your starter is not getting enough amps to turn it over, or the used starter may not be good. Check both ends of both cables for good contact.
 
Or your starter could have jammed -- you can tell if this is the case by putting the gearbox in 4th and trying to push the car a bit. If it won't budge then the starter may be jammed in the flywheel. Can be released by leaving it in 4th and rocking it backwards til it breaks loose.
 
OR it might be as simple as your loose belt was not charging the battery enough and your battery wore down and just needs recharged
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Bruce
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 76MGB:
Mine rolls a couple of inches...<hr></blockquote>

That's enough -- it's not jammed. Now you need the help of someone who knows your solenoid-starter arrangement. Since you get a 'click' and since you're sure the battery is strong I would either work the solenoid manually or bypass it and directly provide current to the starter. Unfortunately I don't know how to do either of those things on a '76 B.
 
The battery is charged. I cleaned all the contacts and siliconed them. When the car is in 4th gear how much should it roll. Mine rolls a couple of inches. I tried to rock it but alone it is hard. So I dont know if it did anything. I will try to get some help and try it again.
 
I made the contacts manually and nuthing happened. I pulled it out and tested it with the battery charger nad it worked. So I am goin to replace all the contacts that connect to the starter. Also the (+) battery cable that runs the battery. Probably wont have time until this weekend to do that.
 
I've had a lot of problems with the starter on my '76B, and I found this troubleshooting procedure online that was pretty helpful:

1. Turn off the ignition key, and put the transmission in neutral.

2. Locate the starter relay. It will have four wires attached to it: Black, Brown, White w/ red stripe, and white with brown stripe. The brown wire is hot at all times, key on or off, and does not have a fuse. This is true of ALL brown wires in your car.

3. Without removing any wires from the relay, use a short piece of wire, 18Ga or larger, and jumper between the brown wire and the white/red wire. Touch the wire to the terminals just below the connectors. If the starter works when you do this, there is either a bad connection in the W/R wire between the key switch and the relay, or the key switch is bad. If the starter does not work when you do this, go on to step 4. If it does work, go to step 6.

4. Jumper from the brown wire to the white/brown wire. If the starter works, the relay is bad. If not, go to step 5.

5. At the starter, you will find the other end of the white/brown wire, and the cable from the battery. Jumper from the battery lead to the white/brown wire terminal It doesn't matter if the white/brown wire is still connected or not. If nothing happens, you have a bad solenoid. You should hear a loud, solid clunk.

6. If the starter worked when you performed step No. 3, use a multi-meter test light to check the terminal on the back of the key switch where the white red wire is attached, with the key to the start position. If you have voltage present when you do this, the switch is good, but you have a break in the wire.
 
Another thing to check is the grounding strap from the engine to the frame. Make sure there is good metal to metal contact at both ends.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
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