My wife drove the car home (no problems with the car) parked it on our drive at 2pm, I attempted to start the car at 7.30pm all the dash board lights came on as usual but the car would not start, no cranking, I could only hear the ECU clicking every time I turned the ignition.
Ran Lexia – no error codes.
Eventually breakdown services came, pulled the car onto the road and jump started the car which clearly pointed that the problem was with the starter motor.
Solution
Car was back on the axle stands. I didn’t have to take the under engine shield or the Exhaust flexi pipe off to take the Starter Motor (SM) off. First I undid the two 13mm & 8mm nuts from the Solenoid to release three wires. There is just enough room to put your hand through the gaps and undo the two torx bolts. You have to undo some plugs, push some wires and pipes to a side in order to undo these bolts. You have to take the battery casing and the air box out from top of the engine. Then form the top of the car, on the transmission side, below where the battery casing was, you can access the 3rd torx bolt. Now the Starter Motor should come away from the engine with the metal bracket attached. There isn’t big enough gaps to take the Starter Motor out with the bracket. With a 13mm spanner undo the bolt to release the metal bracket, you should be able to manoeuvre the Starter Motor out of the car.
- Citroen C3 Starter Motor and Bracket
- solenoid connection on citroen c3 starter motor
When you put the Starter Motor back in the car you have to thread the lower torx bolt from bottom of the car, then the tricky bit. You have very little access, you can’t see what you are doing, your senses are limited to feel & touch. You have to somehow get the bracket into the correct place and thread the 13mm bolt with only using feel & touch. This took me the longest time.
Put the Starter Motor back onto the engine and tried starting the car but same problem. While the Starter Motor was in place I got a multi-meter tested the three points whilst another person was turning the ignition. I was getting 12v on all points. This gave me the indication that the motor was faulty and not the Solenoid (I had installed a new one anyway).
Out came the Starter Motor for the second time, I tested the SM again using the above method (Test A). The Starter Motor was working as above and that was confusing.
This time I dismantled the motor and found that the brushes had worn out anyway and ordered some replacements from here. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1609508......
The brushes in the plastic brush carrier
- the brush carrier in the starter motor of a Citroen C3
Whilst replacing the brushes I let the spring arm hit the brush box hard which led to the brush box cracking.
Ordered this one that came with a replacement brush box. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PSX144-145K- ... /290915120........
The spring fitted to the brush carrier
- brush carrier showing spring for brushes
I have put the SM back onto the engine and the car is working fine (for the last 4 months).
I have come to the conclusion that the sudden death of SM was caused by worn brushes. This is a lot cheaper than getting a even a reconditioned Starter Motor.
- D6RA110
