Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 12:04:56 -0500
From: "Shawn Mayer" <shawn@domain.elided>
Subject: [alfa] Starter solenoid or starter relay
Hello all -
I've heard a whole lot of spider owners talk about the "hot start"
problem common to so many of the cars. I own a 79 SPICA spider and I've
got a related -but somewhat different - problem. When it first happened
several years ago, it was just a hot start issue. I'd drive for a while,
stop the car, try to restart. and hear only the hum of the fuel pump.
The starter would not engage. However, in recent months, I've had
problems after long highway drives - even if the car sits overnight to
cool down. This doesn't usually happen with city driving, but only if I
drive about 60-80 miles or more. I've learned to temporarily correct
this by pulling the power cable off the spica pump and touching it to
the bolt of the starter to briefly "hotwire" the starter. after that,
it'll be fine until another long drive. This is a pain to do because I
have to pull the airbox every time.
So - my question is: do I fix this by getting a new starter solenoid, or
do I fix it by installing a starter relay? If the answer is a relay,
does anyone know where I can find good instructions on doing so?
Thanks-
S
I had this nagging problem on my '73 spider that has the same 1.1 starter
as your 79. It was a temperature dependent problem, worse on long hot
drives, and worse in generally hot ambient temperatures. I would effect a
roadside fix by using a stick like a pool cue to give the solenoid a
whack. The final solution came with a replacement starter solenoid. No
problems since replacement. BTW, I think this condition is (more) common
with the 1.1 hp starters.