help needed, me got a problem

[Helios_Blue_Valver]

I have to agree with the earthing strap. probably be a good idea to change that starter lead as well if it was smoking.

[muppetsport]

thanks evryone, totally agree with all of that so have done the following.

re stripped and crimped the main battery to starter wire although i am changing it for a new one when i get to the scrappy tomorrow.

removed earth wire from gearbox mount and with sand paper cleaned it all down, was a bit rusty.

the car started last night but im a bit unsire as to whats up with it still. we were turining it over for ages and ages and nothing was happening. jumped it off a mates cally turbo and it tried to start once. then next time a few more times and so on. by adjusting the timing slightly we could make it fire, but it wuldnt actually spark into live.

after about 20 mins of fannying about with the coil, dizzy etc we tried again and it fired but would only run if the throttle was wide open otherwise it died. we kept on trying this by adjusting the timing a fraction and it kept on starting but spluttering like hell and needed full throttle. gave up with the timing as we couldn actually notice any difference really by adjusting it. then started it again and it was spluttering then all of a sudden it would drop onto all 4 cylinders but still choke itself if the throttle was let to drop.

5 more mins of that then without doing anything it would run with no throttle but die with it. then again 5 more minutes and it would rev up and then after a while it was runnign perfect. have absolutely no idea why or what happened as it makes no sense at all.

any ideas? i hevent tried to start it yet today for fear of my neighbour coming round and me hurting him

[mk1]

Have seen the starters draw a lot of amps when the bush in the g/box that supports the starter pinion shaft is worn or damaged (worth a look as the box has been changed). As for the running fault, sounds like the ign or cam timing is out.
Steve.

[muppetsport]

where abouts is this bush and how do i check it? the starter motor has been changed aswell you see for one off a vento, same as the gearbox.

[golfvr6]

The bush sits in the gearbox, where the starter motor goes in. I changed mine when i did my clutch as it wasn't sat in straight and was holding onto the motor when it tried to disengage.

[muppetsport]

hmm, yeah sounds right in a way as after the engine starts the starter motor makes a bizarre noise which i thought was happeneing when it disengaged. would this really draw more power out of the battery though?

[mk1]

Posted by: muppetsport
would this really draw more power out of the battery though?
Yes.
If the bush is damaged or worn, it will allow the motor shaft to move around and the pinnion will not engage/disengage cleanly. The motor will also "pole", this is when the magnetic fields are not alligned correctly and the current draw will be a lot higher than it should be(smoking cables).
This is assuming that the fault is a motor fault and not a "parasitic" draw flattening the battery.
Steve.

[muppetsport]

i think it is something to do with the starter motor. im gonna try and change back to the one that came off the car as there probably wasnt anything wrong with it, just a flat battery and i had the one off the vento sitting about anyway.

im more owrried about how poorly it started, was as if it had got seriously flooded or something.

i will definitely look into the starter motor fault though as it used to turn over and start fine with the old starter on