Geoffers

Didn't get it :-( Sold to someone else, subject to conditions though so possibly a chance.

This one looks like the ground or earth will be the body. The large bolt on the left will be power from the battery. The small terminal in the upper middle will be the solenoid positive.

Yes that would do it. There will be 3 connections, ground, and the positives for the solenoid and motor. The motor will be the thick connector, solenoid a smaller one. Connect the ground and motor, then bridge the positive of the motor to the solenoid. The solenoid should kick in and the motor should spin. Or you could just test the solenoid as above first. I'll see if I can find a piccy.

Good that it's now working. A bit of both - you hear the clicking because the motor isn't spinning which you don't in normal operation as the cranking is louder. The solenoid could have faulty contacts and still pulling them in, but often it is the motor itself. The connections depend on the starter but usually marked as S, B and a terminal that's earthed but has no marking or sometimes marked GND. GND and B have thick connectors, Solenoid has a small connector as it needs very little current. The solenoid is effectively a big relay inside connecting the B the to the + of the motor. If you put negative to GND and 12v to the solenoid, you should hear it click trying to engage the contacts to join B to motor terminal. The motor won't spin unless you put b to positive as well. (B and GND would have to be quite thick if the solenoid works and you wanted to test that part. Old mains cable will do it).

I'm ok with spiders.... to a point. I certainly wouldn't like in my car. Imagine that dropping while I'm driving Here's a smaller one in the car but but still....

Bet they blamed the road surfaces!

It probably would actually - last solenoid I swapped was on my Escort!! I'm only suggesting earthing the engine block as that will give a good earth path to the starter and solenoid. As the engine is on rubber mounts, there is no path to earth so needs to be on each connector but large earth paths like the starter and alternator have a separate braid. (Generally - not sure on yours) because of the additional current draw. Humour me and just see if there is anything different. (extra clicks, etc.)

I'm not sure if I'd feel something missing - it will be so different. I don't live in the best of areas so feel safer upstairs as there's that extra level of safety and nobody going to try and get in the bedroom window. Where that bungalow is though I don't think I'll feel the same!

If you can't hear a click in the engine bay when you try to turn it over, it sounds like the solenoid either faulty of not getting power. (May not be relay controlled) Can you get to it to see if it's getting 12v using a meter or 12v lamp? Visual check which you've probably done is the earths to the motor or engine if there isn't a direct one to the motor. Probably not the same as my ex girlfriends Fiesta as it was a 2008 petrol but the earth braid to the engine had decayed so if it fell a certain way wouldn't make a good enough connection. Randomly it just wouldn't turn over and no click. A quick test would be to get a jumper cable and take it from the earth of the battery and onto the metal of the engine/starter/alternator.

Sorry to divert from the thread but it depends where and in what state too. I'm happy to renovate so looking at auctions and that sort of thing. The more North, the cheaper. I've put an offer in for this one £124k. I didn't really want a bungalow but look at the views you wake up to... plus it's detached with decent land and lovely environment.. At the moment I'm in a semi in a very built up area. When it's done up it should make a few pennies if I move. Structure is sound and the rest I can do myself. I've blanked out the road and not given more pictures with it being a public forum - I don't want to miss this!

The quarry I believe it is a bit of a trek now. I only found this out last night that it's not officially open to the public anymore. Idiots kept leaving rubbish and all sorts there so they have blocked up the access tunnel. You have to go over the top. I'll be going in a few weeks to specifically find this route so I'll keep you informed. Quite a few Castles in the area then of course the mountains which are brill to drive through and climb, also the Mach loop valleys where the RAF do the jet fighter training. I love the place and looking to buy a house somewhere around there. They are still dead cheap.

It's in the lower third of Snowdonia. I only touched part of it as I was in Porthmadog so got there quite late about 2pm'ish. When I have more time there I'll find the old quarry, it looks really nice. Old Quarry.

Barmouth in Wales yesterday looking inland. I bit chilly but nice walk. From the opposite side looking out to sea.

Could something have hit the car? I mean like a nut dropped from a bird or something? Makes a hell of a crack. Or maybe something kicked up by a vehicle in another carriageway? Field nearby with farm machinery in? In Formby up here loads of people complain about their cars being hit by farm machinery kicking stuff out of the fields. Just guessing obv. hoping it's nothing to do with your car.

If there's separate electric motors on each wheel, then both on one side of the car in one direction and two the other side move opposite just like a tank but without the tracks? Not sure it would do the tyres much good though.