Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Starter click

I'd have worried stupid with the no oil pressure and cooking hot - strange how the fan doesn't cycle -perhaps it Klicks instead.


My Plus8 only cycles in stop start traffic.

Hi, I did have my starter motor replaced at Miller's several years ago in half the time quoted by Morgan dealers.Every thing was ok for a few years then the dreaded click came back.Check if your floor has been removed before and the fastening has been modified it is easier afterwards.After checking all the obvious battery,live connection on bulkhead (which sometimes need cleaning) my starter motor was removed, checked ok but the solenoid was faulty.
Replaced the solenoid and now ok.
As for the fan not cutting in their is a control module for heating fans under dash (replacement available) and car cooling/air conditioning module Infront of radiator (not available).

I have a Ser2 with the click/no click starter problem. I see the button cleaning as a potential fix. How do you remove the button from the dash panel so I can have better access to the contacts for cleaning?

There are in fact three elements involved in the operation of a typical pre-engage starter motor.

Operating the starter button or key energises a light relay (which alone makes a faint click). This allows a larger current in the order of tens of amps to flow to the starter solenoid which sits piggy back on the starter motor body. It serves two purposes, engaging the starter motor pinion with the flywheel mounted toothed starter ring and in so doing, at the limit of its travel, closing two high current contacts to deliver current in the order of hundreds of amps to the starter itself. The starter solenoid makes a loud and obvious click and has a second holding winding to maintain the mesh of the starter pinion whilst cranking takes place. In normal operation the clicks are usually drowned out by the near simultaneous churning of the starter.

The most common problems are with near flat batteries and/or connections, or the solenoid itself.

In the former cases the solenoid can be heard clicking sometimes without powering the starter. In other cases the starter is energised but the high current draw drops the already low battery volts such that the solenoid can't maintain mesh, and the motor feed is broken. The battery volts recover quickly and the process repeats at a rate.

The latter case typically involves a partially stuck solenoid armatuture. For electro-magnetic efficiency this is quite a tight fit in the surrounding field core. Any corrosion within can inhibit movement of the armature. This leads to a loud click but no starter action as the contacts are never closed. Often a tap with a hard mallet (not hammer - this may damage the fragile iron core) will free the stuck armature to allow full travel and so energise starter motor - a get you home fix only.

Given this info it should be possible to narrow down a starter issue. Its not unknown for the starter motor itself to fail due to faulty brushes or burnt out windings, but if the battery AND connections are good I would look to the solenoid first.

Thanks Richard. I am trying to check all components in the starting circuit. Last October 2017 I had a problem with the START Push Button and found the F2 5 amp "Light" fuse, blown. I replaced the fuse and the starter worked until recently. The contacts on the button are suspect. I don't know how to get the button out of the instrument panel. I went through the radio hole to access the wiring but would like to remove the switch for better cleaning.

I would advise taking off the dash in one piece rather than extract the button.

hi BAM
I had a problem with the dreaded click and was told it could be the starter button contacts dirty or corroded. I disconnected the battery and squirted WD40 into the front of the pushbutton switch, then pressed the switch in and out for a few times. This has seamed to work for me, it was done about a year ago and is still OK. Give it a try.