Scottish Elises

After 18 months of completely trouble free motoring, she starts playing up last night and I have a track night booked for this evening. Anyone on here over the next 2- 3 hours can give any helpful advice before I (try and) leave ?

After disarming the immobiliser last night there was just a click when I turned the key, after hearing the fuel pump prime. Did it again two more times before finally starting. Now I think about it it was doing 1 click before catching recently, but assumed that was me being too slow in getting in and the immobiliser had kicked in again.

This morning, turned the key 6 times and each time just a click. Didn’t start. Rolled it out the garage and tried again – it started. Once started it runs perfectly and doesn’t miss a beat.

I reckon I’ve got a dodgy/sticky starter motor, although won’t claim to be a mechanic of any great ability. Hoping someone on here can confirm this and not anything more serious from this limited info, but more importantly, is there anything I can do to ensure this always starts or things I can check do just now to try and prevent this happening to get me through tonight ? Will a gentle rock of the car always do the trick or do I risk further damage ?

If it can survive 5 or so more starts I can leave work, get fuel, do the track night and get home. Don’t care after that at the moment.

Soulds like the solenoid is sticking . . . just keep repeatedly turning the key until it starts, won't do any harm . . . moving the car may or may not make any difference depending on what exactly has failed . . . if it works for you rock away . . . if all else fails get a push start and leave it running all night . . . that way you don't miss track time

Fd

no help on this one im afraid, but whats on at knockers tonight? ... assuming the track night is @ knockhill

Cheers Fergus.

Ross - I've hired it for a bunch of guys at my work. Afraid I couldn't open it up as for over half it is their first time on an open track and they wanted it exclusive so everyone knew everyone else.

Well, made it through the evening and home after spending the night 'clicking' away. Sometimes it caught first time, sometimes after 3 and worst was 6, but always started eventually. Left it running a few times in the pits if just in for a short break. Paranoid that if it needed a bump start I wouldn't be let back out on track. Remembered this happened to Jamie last year when he tried to give me a pax with his flat race battery.

This weekends job will be trying to fix it Starter motor looks relatively easy to get at so guess it is a process of elimination by firstly replacing that + solenoid first ? Does it come all as one or in two seperate parts so I can try one first ? Hoping its a standard rover part and I can maybe try and source a re-conditioned one or scrappy.

Have read many threads on here thanking Ali, and now I know why. Called him in mild panic at lunchtime. Get this - was first time I had ever contacted him as he wasn't in business by the time I had arranged my service last year. He was out working at Dalkeith but hearing I had a track evening booked, he was willing to drop this and head into Edinburgh to take a look. I ended up risking it as it was so intermittent and didn't want to put Ali out that much - a guy I hadn't even met ! Intended taking the car there next month for its annual service anyway but that is 100% defo now with that kind of service on offer.

Hi DJ glad you had a good night
A standard starter motor from Elise parts is not too expensive
http://www.eliseparts.com/shop/index.ph ... cts_id=280

Cheers for link Alan. I am guessing with my lack of techy knowledge that is the solenoid sitting on the back of the starter motor. Looks like it comes all as one. Might price out re-conditioned ones first as still not 100% sure that is the problem but good to know £150 looks like most expensive bill I'll suffer if I just go for a whole new lump of kit.

Popped past the track on my way home . . .











Fd

Fergus,
Were you there in an s1 elise?
a couple of nice photos there BTW - you must have been the one with the huge lens that dickson was asking about

Ross

ps, there was some very nice machinery there last night...

Cheers Fergus and Ross for stopping by and taking the photos . We had a guy from work taking photos too so might put a wee collection together in the gallery section once I see them.

Thanks also to Robin for the PM and tips to narrow down the issue. I'll be having a go at it this weekend.