New kid on the Block...or..forum :|

[MintyMike]

Sup guys,

Names Mike, or Mick, whatever suits ya.

Came across this site about a week ago, when i was looking on the net about Galants, because i was going to buy one.
I got my beauty the other day, and i must say im so far stoked.

She's a 1975 GC Galant, manual, like a khaki green atm, all the bad rust has been cut out and bogged, and a new exhaust fitted, she runs really well.
Only minor surface rust to clear up now, as well as some little bumps n bruises.

Set me back 1G but she'll be well worth it.

Now for my first question!!
She doesn't always start, and i know its not the motor, i thought it was the battery coz its pretty damn old n shit. Ive been clutch starting her 50% of the time...so swapped the battery with my old car, started at first, but now gotta clutch start again.
Could it be the alternator....any ideas?
(NOTE: i am a spastic and when i first hooked the new battery up i put terminals back to front which i quickly removed when smoke came from the fuse line.... geez im careless and stoopid sometimes....anyway i re-solded the fuse line, hooked it up properly, and it started at first...but could that have anything to do with the problem with the new battery?)

These photos were taken just after i got her...not washed.
Ive washed her since and will take some new photos.

[MintyMike]

I live in South Sydney too btw....I am a Shire Rat. just in case anyone was wondering.

Im 21, and in case u have noticed from my first post and lack of experience, and common sense (battery accident) this is my first car project haha.

Bought the car in maroubra, it was from a mates dad, but they live way out west , my galant was a country girl.
(there are sooo many dead bugs, like big fuck off bugs, stuck in and around the front guard)

[tango76hardtop]

welcome to the site, love the gc i have a soft spot for the gc and gd. Your starter motor might be stuffed seeing that you've changed the battery already, if it was your alternator the car wouldn't keep running once the battery was flat and your charge light on the dash would be on once started. does it make a clicking sound when you turn the key if so its highly possible it is the starter

[MintyMike]

It does click actually...i usually wait for the clicks to stop, then kick ot over.

[tango76hardtop]

it definitly sounds like your starter motor

[MintyMike]

ok well i'll check it out. Do i need a specific starter motor for this bad girl, or can i buy one that will fit anyway?
(sorry first car proj im a bit inexperienced)

[MintyMike]

....and where is the starter motor hidden?

[MintyMike]

I'll elaborate on what happens.... i turn the key to the 'on' position , all the usual red lights on the dash light up. the clicking starts, rather rapid clicking, its slows and stops, and then i usually turn the key and start the car.

When the car doesnt start, every step is the same until i go to kick the car on, the lights on the dash go out, and its like the power supply has failed...

[tango76hardtop]

ok, that sort of clicking sounds like a relay of some sort, that does sound like a stuffed battery and not the starter motor with the lights going out on your dash when you go to crank it. is the battery you put in it newish because ive had a faulty battery before that will start the car most of the time but sometimes you have it running turn it off and try to start it a minute later and it wont start, try a brand new battery

[MintyMike]

yeh its under 12 months old, and has been running and starting my other car flawlessly for that whole time.

I put the battery from this car, which we thought was the issue, into my other car, and its been starting fine.
:S

A mate said something about the timing, that mean anything?

[MintyMike]

could there be something that is constantly draining the battery so that its dead when i try to start it?
I thought that, but the battery i put in would have been all but fully charged, which means it would have died in the 45 mins that it was in the galant for
...seems too little time for it to drain , yeh?

[tango76hardtop]

wouldn't think it'll be the timing. the timing is when the spark plugs fires during the combustion cycle. Just a thought it might just be the starter motor after all cos i remember once my first galant did that with the lights going out on the dash but nothing happened and it was the starter motor playing up. The starter motor works in 2 stages the solenoid on it pushes a cog up into the engine's fly wheel then the motor will spin the cog cranking the engine so if the solenoid is stuffed you will hear the starter motor turning but not cranking the engine, if the starter motor is faulty but the solenoid is working you'll hear the starter click each time you turn the key to start, but if both the starter and the solenoid on it is stuffed there will be no noise at all and the dash lights could go out but come back on once you release the key from the start (cranking) position. Thats all that i can think of. Could anyone else on here shine some light on what it could be.

[MintyMike]

yeh that last thing u said about the lights coming on when i turn the key back is true, which makes me think its not the battery :S

Thanks for all your help, its much appreciated, hopefully we can find out what this is

[tango76hardtop]

no worries glad to help we all started off having limited knoledge of cars , try taking out the starter motor and get an auto electrician test it. The starter is located on the passenger side under the intake manifold and bolted to where the engine is mated to the gearbox it has 2 bolts holding it in and make sure you disconnect the battery first cos the main positive wire from the battery goes straight to the starter

[75wagon]

Firstly welcome to the site.

Can you get your hands on a volt meter?
The battery terminals should measure 12 volts when everything is turned off.
The battery terminals should measure 14 to 14.5 volts with the motor running.

If these are fine that means your battery and alternator are fine.
It sounds like your starter to me, but check your battery and alternator first anyway. It could just be the brushes in your starter by the sound of it. They cost about $12 from a parts shop (if they are still available?), but if you are inexperienced (not good at diagnosing) then maybe you should just buy a new or reconditioned starter motor (remember check the battery and alternator first).

South Sydney Ay?
Coming on the next Sydney cruise? check my signature for details...

Dave...

[TVM006]

Welcome!

I'm only a first year auto elec.
Pretty much repeating what has been said lol
That rapid clicking (machine gun) sounds like a flat battery prob... so try a multimeter and test for battery drain and of course check voltage.
Get Starter checked out

Im having probs with my Sig atm.. turn the key and nothing happens, then second time will be fine

Anyway GoodLuck!

[MintyMike]

Yeah im sure i could get a volt meter,i'll check it.
Just saw a mate whos an auto-elec, reckons maybe a voltage drop, possibly a starter relay fix?
Who knows, i'll have a look tomorrow with some mates more educated than I.

Thanks for all ur inputs guys.

I'll check the Sydney Cruise out see if i can make it.

[C_Fernance]

I'll elaborate on what happens.... i turn the key to the 'on' position , all the usual red lights on the dash light up. the clicking starts, rather rapid clicking, its slows and stops, and then i usually turn the key and start the car.

That clicking doesn't sound like the starter to me. I think it's an electric fuel pump as the one in my Sigma is exactly the same. I have it wired to the ignition, so when you turn the key to 'ON' it starts pumping. As it builds pressure it slows right down, this takes around 2-3 seconds. I then turn the key to 'START' and start it up.

If it was me i would be checking/changing the following - Battery terminals, main earth to body/engine and the power cable to starter. If none of these help I would then consider changing the starter.

[rob020]

beat me to it...

check the battery cable to the starter...

on my lancer it had the exact same symptoms as what you describe untill one day when i went to leave work, the cable fell off the back of the starter completely and i couldnt even roll start it anymore, took me about 10 minutes to realise what had happened so i "wedged" it back in, drove home and put a new terminal on the end of the cable

[ThisWayUp]

Well only one hour and already doin a reply..... Yep to all said above. The clicking when turned on that slows sounds exactly like an electric fuel pump ( it slows as the float chamber in the carby reaches full because it canna pump any more captn )and I had the same problem with my holden hx. It would quite often not start but bugga coz it was auto!!!! cant push start that.... I needed a new battery for the scorp I've just bought but that didn't start the thing either which left, you guessed it. The starter. 15 bucks and a bit of sweat later I got a starter from a belly button ( Commodore!!! everyones got one ) and never a problem since. If it was the alternator you would lose power to lights and eventually coil etc. A crook Alt is usually obvious by the way the car just loses electrical power to everything which is usually caused by worn brushes ( about $4 a pair if its a servicable unit ) or a regulator fault but i doubt itas the regulator divvys the power between system and battery. Good luck with it and the car looks sweet. My cuz has had three, one the same colour and model as yours and two of the squarer earlier models. All three of his were named BERT....

[MintyMike]

Hey all,

Thanks for all the inputs, helped muchly, and i also learnt a few things.

Turned out a simple issue...the battery was dead....not too sure why since it was powering my other car fine but hey!
I got a volt meter, noticed it was dead, jump started her and drove her round for an hour...hasnt been a problem since...we'll see how it is tomorrow, if she's dead again theres something draining it when she's off.

[shuggy]

chek your alternator also, my first GC was like that, it would charge my battery but not much, if i left it for a few day sit would go flat..

and welcome!