The Student Room Group

how to start a car with broken starter motor?

is there eny other way i can start it? because i need to take it to get it fixed.

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It's manual I assume? If so you could bump start it. Get someone to push it along, have the key switched to the on position, in second gear, foot on the clutch. When you have enough speed let the clutch up and it hopefully will start.
Reply 2
chupacabras
It's manual I assume? If so you could bump start it. Get someone to push it along, have the key switched to the on position, in second gear, foot on the clutch. When you have enough speed let the clutch up and it hopefully will start.


no, its automatic.
Reply 3
If it's an auto, then to my knowledge, there's no way of starting it. This is exactly why they should bring back starting handles.
Reply 4
SyncMaster_770
If it's an auto, then to my knowledge, there's no way of strating it. This is exactly why they should bring back starting handles.


what about the things u see in the movies, where they cut the wires and link them. lol. does that actually work?
w8wizz
what about the things u see in the movies, where they cut the wires and link them. lol. does that actually work?


yes. but the starter motor doesnt work so you might aswell use the key....


looks like you might have to tow it
chupacabras
It's manual I assume? If so you could bump start it. Get someone to push it along, have the key switched to the on position, in second gear, foot on the clutch. When you have enough speed let the clutch up and it hopefully will start.


i would go with 4th gear. engine will turn over easier
Reply 7
w8wizz
what about the things u see in the movies, where they cut the wires and link them. lol. does that actually work?


lol, yeah it works, but it still relies on the starter motor to get the engine to fire.
Bump stating kills cats. No decent breakdown cover?

I would estimate £25-30 for the average price of getting it taken to a garage up to 10 miles away IME, look in the yellow pages :smile:
i would imagine somewhere around £0 if you know someone with a car and have a tow rope...
Reply 10
This is exactly why they should bring back starting handles.

Your right. It would make engine building/rebuilding/timing alot easier too, well, a bit easier
Reply 11
Not to mention that they'd be bloody useful for when you've got a flat battery....
Reply 12
get a hammer, whack the starter motor a few times when someone is turning the engine over, should get it going. Usually its a stuck solenoid which causes the issue so that frees it up.

As has been mentioned, bump starting a car with a catalytic converter is a pretty bad idea.
Reply 13
If its an auto dont even think about bump starting it - very easy to wreck the transmission. Sometimes when starters get old they dont work if they are in a certain position (happens randomly depending on where it stops). By either spinning it or just tapping it you can sometimes nudge it enough to get it going - you have to be feeling pretty lucky for it to work though. If youre sure its the starter at fault then id be inclined to get a new one from a local motor spares place and bolt it in myself. (you usually have to return your old starter when you buy your new one or pay a surcharge - alternatively you can have a hunt round a few local scrappies) If you do decide to replace it yourself you MUST disconnect both battery leads before you start - there is a permanent unfused live feed to the starter which is very easy to short out if you dont.

p.s. if you decide to get a tow to a garage be careful - remember without engine running there is no power steering and no servo assitance on the brakes (crash into the tow car) :eek: Also goes without saying use a proper tow rope - not some rubbishy bit of rope/string you found lying around :biggrin:
Reply 14
Go with Ynox, i have seen this method work several times so its worth a try.

Good luck
Also depends on what happens when you try to start it.

When you turn the key, does it make a loud, fast whirring/spinning noise but the engine doesn't sound likes it turning over? This might be due to a chipped tooth on the flywheel or starter gear. See if the engine can be turned by hand using the crank pulley or use one of those big wrenches that fit in there to just turn the engine just a tiny bit. Then try again.

The tip on hitting it with a hammer is another easy attempt and has worked plenty of times in my experience. Things get stuck and jammed up all the time in old starters.

Also check that the starter motor is bolted snuggly up to the engine block. If it's a little loose, the starter gear may not be making contact with the flywheel. This happened once to me.

If when you start it, it does nothing more than make click sound (if that), it might be an electrical problem. Check fuses to make sure. These are all little things that might have happened which you can fix easily with having to pay a garage.

Don't try to push-start an auto, it just won't work.
Reply 16
stevoboy
p.s. if you decide to get a tow to a garage be careful - remember without engine running there is no power steering and no servo assitance on the brakes (crash into the tow car) :eek: Also goes without saying use a proper tow rope - not some rubbishy bit of rope/string you found lying around :biggrin:



It is an automatic you can't tow them, unless you are not worried about fecking the gearbox up.
Of course you can tow an automatic. It's called 'N' for Neutral.

When towing any car, remember that the towee should brake for both cars. This will ensure that there is always tension in the cable/rope. If there is too much slack, and the tower drives off a little too quickly and jerk the cable/rope, it could cause some hefty damage.
wind the wheel on the front bonnet vigorously until she starts chaugging
Reply 19
You can tow an auto - but check the handbook. My dads car is an auto and it recommends you should not tow it over 45mph or for further than 100 miles.

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