Starter slow to disengage
 

The series III is running well and I'm using it for commuting to work.

However, with increasing frequency, when I got to start it, I notice the engine fires up and then there is a short schreek sound like the starter wheel is slow to disengage the fly wheel.

I pulled the starter and had it gone through by the local shop but they found nothing wrong with it. Wondering what else could cause this? Is there a relay somewhere that might be worn out? I assume the solenoid on the starter is OK because it was checked by the shop.

Typically this is cuased by a weak "Bendix drive" return in the starter....but since you already had the starter gone thru that doesn't seem likely.

There IS a starter relay....just about dead center on the firewall...the largest in the row of relays you'll find there. I guess it *could* be sticking after you release the key although that isn't the typcial failure mode. You might try opening up the relay and cleaning the contacts .... you might get lucky. Take good notes on where the wires go.

Did you look at the flywheel gear when you had the starter out? Were the teeth all gnashed up or anything? You might have a starter gear-to-flywheel interference/clearance problem where the gears are meshing too deeply and don't wanna let go of each other.

Cheers
DD

Thanks for suggestions. I have noticed that the problem only seems to happen after the car is warmed up. Never seems to be an issue when the engine is cold.


Also, there didn't seem to be any shims or adjustments possible when putting in the starter. Is there some way to adjust the depth of engagement between the starter gear and the flywheel?

No shims or adjustments that I'm aware of.


Cheers
DD

Ideas:

1. Gone through on the bench can mean different things. A return on the bench might be just fine, but in situ, not so good.

2. Hot crank issues in older Delco's was not unknown. The architecture of the Jaguar unit and the older Delco's is very similar. There were various remedies for that. One was the use of a relay, but the Jaguar system does that quite nicely.

3. When it fails to crank, jump 123v direct skipping the relay. If it cranks, the relay might be weak and/or the wires and connections.

4. Cool the starter when it fails to crank. An ice bag can return the crank. Been there in a couple of critters!! Heat expansion can bind the solenoid and/or the armature. Wear is a cause.

5. Give it a whack when it fails to crank. Temporarily, it might get a start. But, it is a wear thing again and binding.

6. I dimly recall mention of an adjustment screw at the end of the starter motor. Is it relevant, I dunno. but worthy of research.

Carl

Thanks for the suggestions Carl but I in my case, the starter cranks just fine every time. It just makes a lot of noise when the starter wheels doesn't disengage right away after the engine has started.

I'm going to replace the relay and see if that helps. The relay on the car looks original and seems to have picked up a dent in the case as some point. I will also clean up all the wire contacts when I replace it as hopefully that might make the difference.

Replaced the relay tonight and the problem is solved. I guess I should have known in was the relay because just before replacing it, I could hear it clicking on an off rapidly which I was cranking the engine. The new relay doesn't do this.