Thanks bro. I replaced the starter and didn’t work. Spent ages scratching my head, multimetering everything and researching and this video got me back on the road. Legend.
Hey good day, thanks for your video. I had a look at your video and now I am realizing after digging around on this topic that this is a voltage drop problem. What you actually saw is not 8-9 volts reporting to your starter but the voltage lost through the cabling. Therefore, your starter actually used around 3-4 volts. Which is well below the minimum requirement for your starter motor. Math: I.e. 4 lost at the starter motor + 8 volts lost through cabling = 12 volts at +ve battery terminal, Theoretically, the total EMF is 12 volts in the circuit. To measure the voltage drop across any component or wire in your circuit you need to ensure that the system is on or loaded with actual current flow. Then measure in parallel across your component using your multimeter. Then only can you see if the required voltage is delivered at the component terminal. A voltage reading of less than 1 volt while the current flows in the circuit is probably better than a reading above 1 volt ....depending on your component's voltage requirement.
Gday I think I get what you’re saying… but yes it’s a voltage drop problem as I said in the video… I think I did say the same as what you’ve mentioned but I haven’t watched the video in a while :) There are a bunch of technicalities to it as you’ve highlighted, but the intended audience for the video is people who just want to know the cause and the solution/fix in simple terms :)
How did you go? It can be a real pain to diagnose. Measuring voltage at all the connecting points will show you what’s screwing up. But this fix is probably required if the symptoms are as I described.
Thank you so much for that clue. Tested mine and got 12.3V. I could hear the starter trying to engage, once every 30 attempts it would engage. Concluded bent shaft... I did find the top motor bolt about 2cm untightened... felt secure but presumably torque of engaging with the untight bolt was source of problem. Motor being looked at now. Thanks again.
@@heyholetsgo_461 my auto electrician replaced the (brass?) contactor and with the bolts properly tightened, success. My skills can't help you I'm afraid. Best of luck.
Contact point wearing and being dirty is common, but most vehicles with good wiring will have that without presenting an issue because there's enough voltage to get through the contact regardless. But if there's a voltage loss due to issues i've described, it will struggle to get through a dodgey contact. You'll clean or replace the contact or even the starter, it will work for a while, but then it will happen again. Which will bring you back to needing to try this fix.
ALSO - an important note here - some people replace their starter and it fixes the problem at least for a little while! But the starter was never the issue! Why? Good quality starters need the right current to work. LandCruiser ones are notorious for this, they’re just heavy duty. Maybe you bought a cheap replacement one, which is happy to engage with a little less voltage. And you think - great! Fixed! Then it happens again as the voltage drop gets worse. In this instance it was never the starter.
This is a great explanation, thanks for taking the time and the diagram… In your research or on findings, do you think that the culprit of the wire is just degradation at the wire internals itself?… Heat, kink, scathed, Bad connection?
Hey mate, Just age… Asian wiring exposed to Australian heat and dust. I’ve had an auto elec teach me all this, and he said that it’s the wiring itself degrading. Connectors will be part of the problem, but i actually had this issue with a HJ75 and tried replacing all the connectors and it still didn’t work… so yep, it’s the wiring itself.
Hi, i tested my BJ40 and got 11.5 v, just clicks from the relay and non-turning starter motor with clunking sound from the bendix gear hitting the flywheel. Shorting the small black red post to the large one connected straight from a brand new battery with 12.6 volt and still no crank. I guess your trick won't help my problem right? Oh forgot to mention, it will crank the first time in the morning every day and that's it
About to troubleshoot the same problem in mine. But why wouldn't you just unplug the factory starter relay and see if it is getting 12V there first? I suspect, as I do for mine the contacts in the starter relay are sad which is where the voltage drop is occuring. Alternatively you could have just pulled the trigger wire out of the plug for the factory starter really, seems dumb to use 2 relays to start it.
Hey mate, seems you misunderstood a few things… Brand new starter won’t fix this problem as I said in the video. Most people having this issue have tried replacing their starter, relays, etc… this is for all the people who have tried the normal stuff and haven’t got anywhere. Diagnosing the exact point of failure/voltage drop takes some time, and usually it is actually failing at multiple points due to age. We could be talking about degraded wiring hidden beneath an otherwise perfect looking shielding/loom. And we’re not using two relays to start the car. We’re using factory wiring to trigger new relay, not start the car. The factory relay etc WOULDNT start the car, which is the problem we’re fixing :)
So when you had the multimeter hooked up to test the starter voltage going in, you show the red lead in the starter plastic connector... where was the black multimeter lead connected to?
Hello, just wondering. it looks like you have left the original wire from the OEM relay to the starter in the drawing. do you mean run the pin 87 on new relay to the starter wire red/black. Then pin 86 to the other connection on the starter red/black wire? so the original crank wire now is formed into the relay circuit?
Hi mate Yes the drawing is exactly how I had it wired - I left the OEM wire in place and just tapped into it, sending juice to pin 86 on the relay (which is the signal to open/close the relay - full voltage isn’t needed) …Pin 87 sends the new power circuit to the starter (a ring terminal bolted on with the existing wiring on the starter terminal)
Brother please HELP like SOS my Series 80 Yr. 2000, has a mistery issue. When the truck gets hot, and turn it off and you wanna turn it ON again the truck crank stay ON 5 seconds and puff off again When my mechanic put the scanner on the ECU displays on the cluster that is the immobilizer module I change the amplifier but the trouble stays this trucks is making me crazy. I don’t Know if you heard about this problem
Thanks for the tip. Any ideas which battery on the 80series is the starter battery when you have dual factory batteries on a diesel VX? Having some alternator issues and need to charge the starter battery.
@@izakiel93 no worries. Mines a jap import model and it’s actually a 24v starter (12v alternator) so I just got to replace both batteries :( the old ones lasted abit over and abit under 3 years, not too bad I guess. Still $440 for the pair :(
@@pauladams4890 yes, IF that’s the only issue then that’s a great option. However with this era of cars, that’s usually the start of many wiring issues so replacing that section is cheap insurance. Plus, if the factory loom has been offering resistance for a while, that means heat! Right through the loom. Once a circuit suffers voltage drop due to one component, it’s likely other components have deteriorated
Also, this is a DIY fix for enthusiasts, not an auto elec certified fix. For the guy that’s spent hours trying to work it out, perhaps doesn’t have lots of auto elec knowledge, this is a great option.
I get what you're trying to say, and thumbs-up.... it is helpful - but man you really need to NOT refer to the OEM relay on the inner guard as the "solenoid". Its just distracting to listen to.
Thanks bro. I replaced the starter and didn’t work. Spent ages scratching my head, multimetering everything and researching and this video got me back on the road. Legend.
glad you showed the diagram at the end - i was lost until then
Hey good day, thanks for your video. I had a look at your video and now I am realizing after digging around on this topic that this is a voltage drop problem. What you actually saw is not 8-9 volts reporting to your starter but the voltage lost through the cabling. Therefore, your starter actually used around 3-4 volts. Which is well below the minimum requirement for your starter motor.
Math:
I.e. 4 lost at the starter motor + 8 volts lost through cabling = 12 volts at +ve battery terminal,
Theoretically, the total EMF is 12 volts in the circuit.
To measure the voltage drop across any component or wire in your circuit you need to ensure that the system is on or loaded with actual current flow. Then measure in parallel across your component using your multimeter. Then only can you see if the required voltage is delivered at the component terminal. A voltage reading of less than 1 volt while the current flows in the circuit is probably better than a reading above 1 volt ....depending on your component's voltage requirement.
Gday
I think I get what you’re saying… but yes it’s a voltage drop problem as I said in the video… I think I did say the same as what you’ve mentioned but I haven’t watched the video in a while :)
There are a bunch of technicalities to it as you’ve highlighted, but the intended audience for the video is people who just want to know the cause and the solution/fix in simple terms :)
What a bloody hero of a video. Mines just 'starting ' this bullshot. Will check it tomorrow
How did you go? It can be a real pain to diagnose. Measuring voltage at all the connecting points will show you what’s screwing up. But this fix is probably required if the symptoms are as I described.
@@izakiel93 it was the new starter I got that was fucked. I just hit it everything with a metal bar and she fires up
OMG! I been having this problem for years and nobody could work out what was up! Didn't help that it wouldn't do it while a mechanic was lookin
Thank you so much for that clue. Tested mine and got 12.3V. I could hear the starter trying to engage, once every 30 attempts it would engage. Concluded bent shaft... I did find the top motor bolt about 2cm untightened... felt secure but presumably torque of engaging with the untight bolt was source of problem. Motor being looked at now. Thanks again.
Hey Neil, I have a similar problem as yours but I've replaced the starter with a brand new one and still no crank. Any ideas?
@@heyholetsgo_461 my auto electrician replaced the (brass?) contactor and with the bolts properly tightened, success. My skills can't help you I'm afraid. Best of luck.
@@neilmckay8649 thanks for the reply anyway mate
@@heyholetsgo_461 what are the symptoms?? And what have you already tried?
Contact point wearing and being dirty is common, but most vehicles with good wiring will have that without presenting an issue because there's enough voltage to get through the contact regardless. But if there's a voltage loss due to issues i've described, it will struggle to get through a dodgey contact. You'll clean or replace the contact or even the starter, it will work for a while, but then it will happen again. Which will bring you back to needing to try this fix.
ALSO - an important note here - some people replace their starter and it fixes the problem at least for a little while! But the starter was never the issue! Why?
Good quality starters need the right current to work. LandCruiser ones are notorious for this, they’re just heavy duty. Maybe you bought a cheap replacement one, which is happy to engage with a little less voltage. And you think - great! Fixed! Then it happens again as the voltage drop gets worse.
In this instance it was never the starter.
This is a great explanation, thanks for taking the time and the diagram… In your research or on findings, do you think that the culprit of the wire is just degradation at the wire internals itself?… Heat, kink, scathed, Bad connection?
Hey mate,
Just age… Asian wiring exposed to Australian heat and dust. I’ve had an auto elec teach me all this, and he said that it’s the wiring itself degrading. Connectors will be part of the problem, but i actually had this issue with a HJ75 and tried replacing all the connectors and it still didn’t work… so yep, it’s the wiring itself.
@@izakiel93 thanks for the quick reply. Where is the ignition control module mounted? I can’t seem to find a diagram or photo other than the part.
@@GatorOverland I’m not sure sorry!
Awesome diagnosis
Hi, i tested my BJ40 and got 11.5 v, just clicks from the relay and non-turning starter motor with clunking sound from the bendix gear hitting the flywheel. Shorting the small black red post to the large one connected straight from a brand new battery with 12.6 volt and still no crank. I guess your trick won't help my problem right? Oh forgot to mention, it will crank the first time in the morning every day and that's it
I think it's my problem with my LJ 70 🤞
thx so much
About to troubleshoot the same problem in mine. But why wouldn't you just unplug the factory starter relay and see if it is getting 12V there first? I suspect, as I do for mine the contacts in the starter relay are sad which is where the voltage drop is occuring. Alternatively you could have just pulled the trigger wire out of the plug for the factory starter really, seems dumb to use 2 relays to start it.
Hey mate, seems you misunderstood a few things…
Brand new starter won’t fix this problem as I said in the video. Most people having this issue have tried replacing their starter, relays, etc… this is for all the people who have tried the normal stuff and haven’t got anywhere.
Diagnosing the exact point of failure/voltage drop takes some time, and usually it is actually failing at multiple points due to age. We could be talking about degraded wiring hidden beneath an otherwise perfect looking shielding/loom.
And we’re not using two relays to start the car. We’re using factory wiring to trigger new relay, not start the car. The factory relay etc WOULDNT start the car, which is the problem we’re fixing :)
@izakiel93 So with what you have done in your video if you unplug the factory starter relay will it start?
So when you had the multimeter hooked up to test the starter voltage going in, you show the red lead in the starter plastic connector... where was the black multimeter lead connected to?
Earth/neutral
Just subscribed great video thank you for your hard work good sir
This video was so helpful! Thank you so much!
Hello, just wondering. it looks like you have left the original wire from the OEM relay to the starter in the drawing. do you mean run the pin 87 on new relay to the starter wire red/black. Then pin 86 to the other connection on the starter red/black wire? so the original crank wire now is formed into the relay circuit?
Hi mate
Yes the drawing is exactly how I had it wired - I left the OEM wire in place and just tapped into it, sending juice to pin 86 on the relay (which is the signal to open/close the relay - full voltage isn’t needed) …Pin 87 sends the new power circuit to the starter (a ring terminal bolted on with the existing wiring on the starter terminal)
Very nice solution
The relay you used. Is it just a generic starter relay?
Brother please HELP like SOS my Series 80 Yr. 2000, has a mistery issue. When the truck gets hot, and turn it off and you wanna turn it ON again the truck crank stay ON 5 seconds and puff off again
When my mechanic put the scanner on the ECU displays on the cluster that is the immobilizer module
I change the amplifier but the trouble stays this trucks is making me crazy. I don’t Know if you heard about this problem
Mines fine first thing. If I drive/heat up I can't restart without pushing it or waiting for a cool down.
Thanks for the tip. Any ideas which battery on the 80series is the starter battery when you have dual factory batteries on a diesel VX? Having some alternator issues and need to charge the starter battery.
Sorry, I won’t be able to tell you as they can be setup a number of different ways. You’ll have to disconnect one and see what still works!
@@izakiel93 no worries. Mines a jap import model and it’s actually a 24v starter (12v alternator) so I just got to replace both batteries :( the old ones lasted abit over and abit under 3 years, not too bad I guess. Still $440 for the pair :(
Amperage considerations for the new relay/wire and fuse?
what relay did you use to solve this issue, can you share that name/part number or link?
Just a standard run of the mill relay from supercheap, like you’d buy to wire up some spotties!
Thanks mate.
I have the same problem
My car just started doing this 88 “60
If the starter solenoid is outputting 12v…& it works…just replace the wire from the solenoid to the starter. Problem solved.
@@pauladams4890 yes, IF that’s the only issue then that’s a great option. However with this era of cars, that’s usually the start of many wiring issues so replacing that section is cheap insurance.
Plus, if the factory loom has been offering resistance for a while, that means heat! Right through the loom. Once a circuit suffers voltage drop due to one component, it’s likely other components have deteriorated
Also, this is a DIY fix for enthusiasts, not an auto elec certified fix. For the guy that’s spent hours trying to work it out, perhaps doesn’t have lots of auto elec knowledge, this is a great option.
Im having a cold start,can u help?
Legend
Legend ✌🏽
Ive done the exact connection but it still cannot start. What else should i look for?
What voltage are you getting at the starter with factory wiring?
Do you have a 24V starter or 12V? Thanks
I get what you're trying to say, and thumbs-up.... it is helpful - but man you really need to NOT refer to the OEM relay on the inner guard as the "solenoid". Its just distracting to listen to.
Haha - as I said in the description ;)