Wont Roll Over..

[Sparky73]

I tried for the first time to start my GT, and at first it rolled over maybe 2 or 3 times, and then just stopped. Now everytime I try to start it alls it does is make a loud click. What does this sound like to you? Think the starter is fried?

Jon

[soybean]

Try tapping lightly on the starter and see if that works. If not pull the starter and check it. It sounds like the Bendix isn't kicking the starter gear in. Hth, Jarrell

[simplemind7]

battery's dead from the sounds of it, charge it or try another.

[baronbors]

Battery or bad ground?

[calvin]

Im in favor BANGING not tapping but it sounds like the starter. Check all leads and make sure the battery isn't half dead the easiest way would be to try and jump it if it starts with a jump its the battery not the starter.

[Sparky73]

Brand new battery . Tore the starter out and took it, along with a few extra's, into NAPA to get them all tested. Not one is working . Anyone got any idea's or a working starter?

[opelnut10]

Look in the yellow pages and find a shop that rebuilds starters and give them a call maybe between all the parts you have they can rebuild you a starter or two. Usually they have the equipment to turn or rewind the armature and can rebuild the solenoid. A lot of Bosch parts interchange and they should be able to fix you up with a good starter or two.

[soybean]

Originally Posted by calvin Im in favor BANGING not tapping but it sounds like the starter.

Well I didn't want to say flail it. I have done that too. Jarrell

[namba209]

Originally Posted by Sparky73 Brand new battery . Tore the starter out and took it, along with a few extra's, into NAPA to get them all tested. Not one is working . Anyone got any idea's or a working starter?

Did the NAPA folks try to jumper just the starter motor or not? If the solenoid isn't making good contact inside, all it will do is click and the motor will not turn, although the pinion gear will slide into the flywheel. A quick and dirty way to check the motors is to use jumper cables from a battery, positive to the bottom solenoid connection and negative to anywhere on the assembly to make a good ground, the motor should spin right over if it's good. Then all you have to do is get a good solenoid to make a good starter assembly. HTH.

[deaner]

Starters are easy to rebuild. Most of the time it's just carbon buildup. A good tear apart and cleaning, Maybe brushes if they look worn. Opel starters are very long lived. I've "rebuilt" many by just cleaning them and the contacts.

[WannaBOpelOwner]

dont know if this was mentioned before but have you tried to jump the soleniod or anything of that nature?

[73 gt man]

When my starter on my 73 gave up the ghost I found a lifetime starter at checkers for 79.00 works like a dream. HTH

[Sparky73]

Well I got a working starter on the car, went and turned the key, and...NOTHING! Same thing as before. On this starter, like every 8-10 times I try and turn the key, I can hear the starter spinning.. but does not ingage. I am really confused on what is going on! The engine rolled over once the first time I tried it, and then it quit... so I figured the starter! Any other idea's??? Please?? Any suggestions would be awesome!

[simplemind7]

opel + electrical problem = ground

thats my guess

[spdkilz02]

check ur ground straps on the motor

[Sparky73]

Check and cleaned all the grounds on the motor. The one from the block to the "body" as well as the cable from the starter to the battey, and from the battery to the body. All seemed alright, but cleaned them good anyway. Like I've said before, the battery is brand new, and from the sounds of it, the starter is getting plenty of power..just the "sound" of the click, it seems to be working plenty hard. I would have liked to have this car running tonight since I have tried everything I could think of.. but I have not gotten anywhere. It just seems really strange that the engine did roll over at first. My last resort is that tonight I sprayed some WD-40 into where the spark plugs go just to hopefully free up the pistons if there is some stickage. Also.. once again, any input would be awesome. I am really lost on this one..

[spdkilz02]

check and make sure u have power at all 4 of the nuts on the fuse box...i had problem with my one opel there that only the one side had power and not the other side...just had to make a jumper to go across to give it power...

[namba209]

Jon, you have a good working solenoid from what you said, so the next thing is the electrical contacts inside the solenoid. To check them out, the starter has to be removed, sorry to say. At the top and bottom of the cap on the solenoid, where the battery cable and starter motor connect, inside the cap are a pair of contacts, a very large washer hits those contacts, allowing battery voltage to go to the motor to spin it. You can possibly, rotate the contacts and possibly turn the washer over on the shaft so you have new contact surfaces to allow battery power to the motor. Some solenoids have a spring clip holding the washer on the shaft, allowing you to turn it over. If nothing else, sand it clean of the electrical erosion and the contacts also, and hope for the best. HTH.

[Sparky73]

I will try the thing with the fuse block first.. its a little easier

Anyways.. so what you all are saying is that chances are because of "corroded contacts" or a bad connection, basically the starter isnt giving enough juice to turn over the old motor? I hope thats all it is.. my worst fear is that from sitting for so long, having the motor roll over that one time, even with fresh fluid's, a piston seized.. Do my symptons sound anything like that could have happened?

[baz]

jon if you have worrys about the engine take the spark plugs out and turn the engine over by hand with a spanner or socket on the front pully (ign off)
if it turns over easy then you should be ok for worrys about pistons
do it for a while or pull the fuel pump and dizzy after marking the positions with tipex of the rotor and use a drill and a long round bar with the end shaped like the drive on the dizzy to spin the oil pump so you get oil pressure in the system (turn the ign on to pos 2 and have some one watch the gauge for the light going out and the needle moving )

this will give the system some lubrication and make the starters life easyer if the engine has stood and the oil has drained back out of the system

[Sparky73]

Well I missed a day of working just because I havn't been feeling well.. and went back to try some of the things mentioned today. I tried to turn the engine over with a wrench and ran into a problem.. which way does it turn? LOL. I am guessing to the "right" as if you were tightening. Well I tryed it, and was limited on space, but from what I could tell it did not move at all. I even had the spark plugs out. Does this mean basically the engine is seized, or is it just THAT hard to turn? If the engine IS stuck, I may be having a couple opels to sell to earn back some money since I NEED a vehicle to drive SOON.

[baz]

yes it turns clockwise and with no plugs it should spin easy even the alt belt should turn it when you turn the alt