lets see, how do i start??? starter died in jag in middle of last summer! wayy too hot in garage to replace it!!! Anyways, i ordered a gear reduction unit from a place that shall remain unnamed! and installed it in about may...worked like a charms to get car running (to find blown head gasket) so a few months later, i have everythign running the way it supposed to, chased fueling issues, electrical gremlins from sitting too long etc! but she was firing up everytime and was actually running smoother than ever!!!
Now i am working on the body again, i have one door left to sand, spot fill and prime but space is limited in garage (due to
MANY other projects teh wife has me working on! ) so i have to pull car in driveway to do anything that requires elbow room! Saturday morning i go out there to have some me time! get in car, turn key, CLICK...... nothing happening! ok, so this used to happen with old starter once in awhile and i had pull wire from relay and touch it to battery pos and she would crank over, ohhh no but not this time! i touched it to the pos and huge sparks flew!!!! Oh i was livid!!!!

to top it off starter is out of warranty, so i figure, oh well, just my luck, in i go to laptop to order new one, Holy crap new ones are wayyy more than the gear reduction one i got and rebuilt ones require an 80 dollar core which i no longer have!!!! finally found a new one for reasonable price and its on its way!!!!
Anyone have any idea why my new starter would have died already?? seems like a dead short! im hoping i can get it fixed and at least keep it as a spare!!!!

 

Yeah. I have this idea that starter life is finite. Only so many start cycles are in them.
my garage space is limited. But,as a smallish fifties vintage "double" and a ton of my stuff.
All kinds of tools and machines. The domestic things occupying valuble space are the clothes dryer and the water heater. I built a leanto for the compressor and little used bits, decades ago. Should 've made it bigger and moved the water heater out there.

So, yeah, shop ritual is fire up the Jaguar and back it into the driveway. Some jaguar jobs are done in the drive. Good thing i don't live in a 'snooty' neighborhood that prohibits opening the bonnett in the drive and all else.

Too bad you are way across the country. I'd give you a good 4.2 starter. Old tech, but tough as nails.

Yeah, it does seem to be a dead short or a mechanical lock. My Jeep's did that. Similar architecture and at it's time, well over 200,000!! I whacked it with my shileaghleh a couple of times and got another crank and got home.

I'd try the Vendor. Even if out, they just might exchange it for good will. especially in view of it not being very old at all for a starter.

I've "rebuilt" my share of old tech starters. Relatively simple. I've my doubts as to the newish ones. That "throwaway" idea.

Carl

 

Upon further investigation, i found i had purchased the starter on aug 28 of last year. That put it 2 days out of warranty.. but i spoke with the vendor and asked if there was any leeway due to shipping and they are going.to honor the warranty!!!!
Now my issue (if you can really call it that) is i have too many starters. not a bad issue to have really!!!

 

So far so good. Too many beats none at all!!


When you swap it out, I'd suggest a careful check of the cables and wires. Fix or replace any that even seem questionable. Electric motors tolerate high volts, but not low volts!!


A report on a post mortem on the filed unit would be interesting to all. unless the vendor wants it back!!


Carl

 

Vendor wants it back, will be sending a new one when i send them the tracking number of the old, im still gonna have a poke around to see if i can see the cause of the failure though!!