Stupid A''hole

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Righty

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
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Location
Bristol UK
So dumbass award of the year award, I'm getting ready to ship my car so just replaced my battery in the Barracuda and got some spare keys cut, any way i used the new keys to start the car and the ignition key didnt spring back (probably catching because it's new) so the starter kept cranking. It was pretty noisy where I was and i have to be honest I was really not paying any attention, so I must have left it spinning for a good couple of minutes. So no surprise once I realised I popped the hood and the starter was smoking away! What a dumbass!
I let it cool a while, the solenoid clicks once when I turn the key but the motor doesnt spin. Before I do any more damage a couple of questions.

I assume I've burnt out the windings in the motor, so rather than make things worse I might as well leave it until I get the car to its destination.
or
Is could I have drained the battery and is it worth charging up the battery or using a booster to see if it will spin up, I dont want to risk any more damage at this stage.

Lesson - dont do stuff with cars when you havent got your brain engaged.
 
First, I would check battery voltage, should be over 12 volts to be able to crank. If not jump it to see if it cranks or possibly charge the battery. If voltage is good try jumping the starter solenoid and no crank maybe starter replacement in order.
 

The first thing to do is turn the crankshaft back and forth to make sure the bendix is not stuck in the flywheel teeth. The smoke could have been coming from the bendix clutch. Retry the starter after doing this. If that doesn't work the starter needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Been down this same road. Now is when you wish it was a slant six.
 
Thanks both of you guys, I’ve tried turning it over with 2 conditioned batteries, same deal, solenoid clicks in, but no crank. It disengaged from the flywheel because once I heard the noise and my frazzled brain realised what it was, I flicked the key back to run and the awful noise of something mechanical being ruined by someone stupid stopped! Anyway new starter on the way from RockAuto, typically all my tools are packed and the car is being picked up on Monday so I’m going to have to pay the garage that’s doing the asbestos inspection and quarantine clean to fit the new starter. One day I will learn to think before doing anything, at all, ever.
 
Are you trailering the car? Or having it transported? Cause transporters usually aren't happy about non-op cars...

Sounds very much like a smoked starter...
It’s going to Australia from the UK, so trailer to the asbestos inspection/quarantine clean and now a new starter motor. Then into a container and off to Oz. The trailer guy has a winch so he can haul it onto the trailer.
 
I have seen fiberglass insulation but no asbestos like material. Perhaps in some electronic insulation but I suspect it's bakelite

Please let us all know what if anything is found and where.

I guess there could be asbestos dust form the late 90s brake pads and shoes
 
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Asbestos inspection??? What's that about ?
Australia has an extremely strict, stringently-enforced ban on the import of asbestos – including in car parts. Brake pads/shoes, clutch discs, exhaust gaskets, etc.; if they contain asbestos (or the inspector finds they're likely to contain asbestos) they have to be changed to non-asbestos parts before the car is released from quarantine.
 
Yeah so it’s a bit weird, our whole house in Australia was clad in asbestos cement sheets, but they have gotten tough on it being imported into the country. The story is someone bought a bunch of buses for public transport from China and the pads and shoes had asbestos in them. Of course this meant the union that represented the mechanics for the state banned them from working on them even to change the items.
So when you import a car to Oz now you have to declare that your car is asbestos free and present proof that any suspect parts have been removed. It’s cheaper to get a professional report done, because if Oz customs decide to inspect it they will impound the vehicle and the costs can get crazy.
 
Yeah so it’s a bit weird, our whole house in Australia was clad in asbestos cement sheets, but they have gotten tough on it being imported into the country. The story is someone bought a bunch of buses for public transport from China and the pads and shoes had asbestos in them. Of course this meant the union that represented the mechanics for the state banned them from working on them even to change the items.
So when you import a car to Oz now you have to declare that your car is asbestos free and present proof that any suspect parts have been removed. It’s cheaper to get a professional report done, because if Oz customs decide to inspect it they will impound the vehicle and the costs can get crazy.
I've always wondered if any of the insulation (firewall insulation backer), shoddy pad or even the undercoating has an asbestos content. Back in the day, they put that **** in everything.....Anything is possible. Let us know.
 
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