Ford Fiesta occasionally starter just makes a noise but wont start.

motorbiking

motorbiking

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Any ideas, it makes a noise, (i.e. not just clicks). Is it starter solenoid?

Battery fully charged
alternator seems to work fine.
just every once in a while the start wont engage.
 
What year fiesta?

Some of these (generally older) have big starter problems that initially present as starter motor fault but end up with fuse box/ignition issue.

But noise (assuming clanking type) suggests starter issue
 
Can you test voltage at starter as key turned ?

It's not the age of the specific issue i'm thinking of
 
There's sure to be a voltage drop when the engine is cranking.
I think it's a good idea to pop the starter out for a clean from clutch dust, but a refurbished one sounds likely.
John :)
 
motorbiking said:
Any ideas, it makes a noise, (i.e. not just clicks). Is it starter solenoid?

Battery fully charged
alternator seems to work fine.
just every once in a while the start wont engage.
Click to expand...

Modern starters pre-engage, before they begin to rotate, so is it a clunk followed by a whirring noise, or just a clunk?

Solenoid is powered, solenoid moves bendix to engage, and at the same time, applies power to the motor.

Just the clunk, suggests battery too weak, or poor connections, see if headlights dim much.
 
Burnerman said:
There's sure to be a voltage drop when the engine is cranking.
I think it's a good idea to pop the starter out for a clean from clutch dust, but a refurbished one sounds likely.
John :)
Click to expand...
I would be double checking the voltage at cranking before removing the starter.

Sounding like its not drawing power?
 
Harry Bloomfield said:
Modern starters pre-engage, before they begin to rotate, so is it a clunk followed by a whirring noise, or just a clunk?

Solenoid is powered, solenoid moves bendix to engage, and at the same time, applies power to the motor.

Just the clunk, suggests battery too weak, or poor connections, see if headlights dim much.
Click to expand...
No we get the whirring but the engine doesn’t turn over. It’s intermittent too. Try it again and it starts. Sometimes it 2 or 3 goes then vroom. Other times it goes first time.

Will drop it out and clean it
 
motorbiking said:
No we get the whirring but the engine doesn’t turn over. It’s intermittent too. Try it again and it starts. Sometimes it 2 or 3 goes then vroom. Other times it goes first time.

Will drop it out and clean it
Click to expand...

It must be a none pre-engaged starter. A clean of the bendix should fix it. The bendix, is flung along the shaft to engage, by the inertia of the bendix.
 
motorbiking said:
No we get the whirring but the engine doesn’t turn over. It’s intermittent too. Try it again and it starts. Sometimes it 2 or 3 goes then vroom. Other times it goes first time.

Will drop it out and clean it
Click to expand...
Sounds like an intermittent power supply issue, but not ruling out faulty starter.
 
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