Starter motor issues
 

X-type 2.5v6 Auto 2002

Anyone got any ideas on what might be causing me to have starting issues.

About a year ago car would take sometimes up to half an hour of turning off and on to get started. Each time there would be a loud spinning noise but no start. Replaced the starter motor and the problem went away for a year. Last few days had the same trouble trying to start the car, so replaced the starter motor again. All seemed good, then the problem started again, taking sometimes half an hour or so to start the car.

When it does start, it drives perfectly.

Also, in the attached picture, there is a wire with a sensor that comes off of the bunch of wires that run to the starter motor (see attached image). I don't believe this has ever been connected, but does anyone know what it might be?

All help greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, the likely culprit is damaged teeth on the ring gear of the flywheel, and the solution is replacing the flywheel.

The loud spinning sound you hear when attempting to start the engine is the small gear on the starter motor grinding against the damaged teeth on the flywheel's ring gear. After many failed attempts, you eventually get lucky and the starter gear finally engages the ring gear, turns the flywheel and starts the engine. But once the ring gear teeth are damaged, the starter gear will not reliable engage the ring gear, and you won't be able to confidently start the engine until you replace the flywheel.

Replacing the starter can give a temporarily improvement because youre installing a new starter gear, which has a better chance of engaging the ring gear. But the improvement doesn't last long because the small gear in the starter soon gets damaged as it rubs against the ring gear's bad teeth.

To confirm the ring gear has damaged teeth, remove the starter and peer into the hole where it engages the ring gear. If I recall correctly, you can also see the flywheel via a removable panel in the bottom of the transmission by the engine's oil pan. Either way, examine the ring gear for damaged teeth. Mark the teeth you can see, then rotate the flywheel manually while looking for damaged teeth until you've rotated it once or seen enough damage to confirm if you need a new flywheel.

The flywheel is sandwiched between the engine & transmission. To replace the flywheel on most cars, you need to drop the transmission. But I have "cheated" on a FWD car (not an X-Type) by separating the transmission from the engine just enough to reach in and swap out the flywheel. I don't know if this is feasable on an AWD X-Type, but I'll share how to do it if you're interested.

That disconnected plug by the battery is unrelated to your starter issues. The plug is connected to a small battery so the car retains its factory presets during shipping. There's a small receptacle in the back of the battery box where you can safely tuck it out of the way.

Haven't managed to investigate flywheel yet, but I have noticed something. If I get the non start issue, and I turn the key until the dash lights come on, then pause for a few seconds, then start, it seems to work. Could this just be luck, or indeed my imagination, or could there be an electrical issue that spins my starter but prevents it engaging. Any help always appreciated.

If indeed the issue is with the starter motor itself, it may be better to remove the starter and have it overhauled by a local automotive electrical specialist instead of a rebuilt one from a parts house.

Sometimes the ones that are 'rebuilt' are not done correctly and fail shortly after installation.

This is the third starter I have installed in the car, but failed to remedy the problem. The starter was tested off the car and connected directly to a battery and worked fine, just seems to fail when fitted. Someone mentioned voltage drops affecting in as a possibility.

How many amps does the starter motor draw when operating in the car?

I haven't had it checked yet, is that something I can do myself

You can check it yourself if you have an ammeter or similar equipment. If not, a competent Jaguar specialist can most likely perform the test.

If there is high resistance in the circuit due to corroded or loose connections, the starter can also be affected.

What is the age and condition of the battery? A failing or weak battery can also be the source of many 'electrical faults' with these vehicles.

The battery is about 18months old and in good condition.

What is the voltage at the battery after an overnight cold-soak?