No start when engine hot (after a drive)

Car has been a tad strange lately. Doesn't start after a good (long) ride, after sitting a few minutes

I can start it right after stopping. But if I wait, say 10 minutes, the engine doesn't start. I mean nothing,no click, nada. If I wait 30-60 seconds and retry, it will start on try 2 or 3....for now..one day it may not start. I can think of 2 things relay or starter. I am hoping it is the relay, for obvious reasons.

It happens so infrequently that it is impossible to test properly. I am sure the under hood temp must rise after being stopped, with no air cooling, no fan cooling, and no coolant moving around. So I assume it is heat related.

Am I finally going to get an inexpensive repair (relay) or is it going to be a bigger deal?

Paul

sounds familiar....on the 72 gmc truck of dads, the starter selenoid got so hot with the new header that he'd have the exact same problem. it was "boiling" in there. solution was to get a heat shield.

however, on the B, thats probably your problem but the solution is buy a new one. shouldn't need a heat shield if you have a good selenoid (sp).

Starter solenoid is getting too hot and locking up. Check for voltage at the solenoid at the small wire and both big wires next time it does it. Bet you will have voltage at the small wire and one of the big ones and the big wire to the starter will be dead. If you have no voltage at the small wire problem is upstream, maybe wiring, relay, switch?

Problem is I never know when it will do this, and it always starts after a minute or 2. That's one reason I haven't actually tried to troubleshoot it.

So it is a good chance it is the solenoid. Is that a big deal?

Should the car always start after it cools..or should I get on this quickly?

Paul

Replacing the solenoid is no real big job. Starter has to come off. Seems like three bolts hold the solenoid to the starter if memory serves. Two bolts for the starter, one of them a PITA, then the wiring. Be sure you unhook the ground lead on your battery first or you will get fireworks! Me, I'd have the starter rebuilt while it was out. Solenoid is half the cost of a rebuilt starter around here, $70 or so. Sooner or later it will crap out all together. Fix it now or fix it later, maybe on the side of the road in the rain at night, or pay a wrecker fee to get it home. I assure you, I will not completely go out at a convienent time!

Turn on your headlights and watch them when you have someone try to start it. If it's a stuck solenoid, you should see them dim some when you try it. Hold it a while any you will likely burn up the solenoid. If you don't see a dimming of the lights, I'd check relays, connections, grounds, etc. No click or anything sounds like connection problems to me. You can also run a temporary pair of jumper wires to where you can reach 'em. One to the small terminal of the solenoid, one to the brown circuit. Touch 'em together and if it turns over, it ain't the solenoid. Just don't let the brown jumper touch ground.

Good deal. I am going to replace the relay today, just for fun. but if it happens again, I'll check it. Deep down I think it is the solenoid though.

If the solenoid is gone, I'll have to deal with it.

Paul

Just replaced the relay. See if that helps at all. But I think I will have a new solenoid soon though.

My uneducated guess is the starter relay. This exact same thing happened to my B several years ago on a 71 and a few weeks ago on my 77. Problem is I didn't learn about the 5.95 Radio Shack relay (right down the street) in time and bought a nice new Moss replacement at mega bucks. Hope you didn't do the same! Good luck.

Got the part (like most of them) from my local MG mechanic. Just drove in, he even put it in for me. I did like the bizzare look on his face trying to figure out why there was an incorrect relay on the car...and that is was installed backwards (still worked, but not correct though).

Also, the terminal connectors were very loose, not making good connection on the relay, so he crimped the connectors a tad to make a tight fit.

So far so good. Then again, havent tried to start it hot today.

Time will tell. Not looking forward to a starter and relay job at this point....or worse...a problem in the ign column in the car ..

Paul

Over a month later..more developments on this.

Car would not start one day at all. Had it towed to the shop (didn't have a ride home, or I would have push started it. )

There was a very corroded wire the fell off the solenoid. Bob replaced the connector and all was fine...for a week..then...

Yesterday, the car would not start after a good ride (hot outside 93+ and humid). Got it push started to get home. Car starts fine after it cools down. My mechanic will replace the starter and solenoid Monday. Oh well. It was good while it lasted

Paul