Problems starting 411 on slight slope

[Martin9645]

Would any one have any ideas why my Bristol 411 has problems starting on my drive which has a slight slope so the car points upwards.
The ignition will click as if in gear (auto) but will not turn over.
At the moment I am putting this down to the gearbox oil running back (levels all good)
I may have to turn the key 20-30 times and then it will catch

Any ideas ??????

[Thor]

Are you saying that when the car is level it starts fine ? Just doesn't like the slope ?

[Martin9645]

That is exactly the problem

[robert sands]

I think you should check your battery connections.

[Thor]

Well I guess there's just a faint possibility that when the car is on the slope, the drivetrain shifts backwards a couple of millimetres and this changes the tension in the cables of the gearbox, so it thinks it is in 'R' not 'P', leading to a lock-out switch cutting the ignition ??? Or I suppose a similar effect on the electrical cables to the starter motor, although that seems impossibly unlikely.
Maybe the rubber engine mountings could do with renewing, and the cable tension adjusting.

[Kevin H]

Have you tried starting it in neutral rather than P?

[Roger Morrall]

It occurs to me that you may have a dodgy connection between the Chrysler starter solenoid and the safety cut out switch in the gearbox. This safety switch applies an earth to the solenoid only when the box is in either park or neutral ensuring that the solenoid and hence the starter will only operate under those conditions.

(Or perhaps the safety cut out switch in the gearbox itself is faulty, but in my limited experience they just fail, at the moment you’re setting off to drive from Wales to Morocco!)

This connection, solenoid to starter motor, is made by a thinnish white wire with a brown tracer that disappears down from solenoid towards the gearbox.

Alternatively, there may be a dodgy connection between the ignition switch start position and the starter solenoid. This is a thinnish white wire with a red tracer.

[Sam410]

Park with the car facing the other way?

[Martin9645]

Thank you everyone for your advice.

I think I may have found the problem. The starter motor leads go to a box on the rear engine bay fire wall. I played with these wires and she started up perfectly. I am going to clean up all connections and failing this try to replace.

Any ideas what this is called?

[Roger Morrall]

As I suspected.

Bristols 411 wiring diagrams identifies it as "‘Chrysler’ switch solenoid" whilst their earlier efforts, eg the 410 wiring diagram, identified it in more prosaic English as "Starter Solenoid Switch"

It’s a very simple very high capacity relay, which has the added bonus of requiring an external earth feed from the gearbox safety switch to make sure that one can only operate the starter whilst in Park or Neutral.

Starting a V8 Bristol whilst it is in gear is extremely exciting and much better avoided, but is all too easily done if one has had to short out a faulty gearbox safety switch to get to Morocco in the first place.

The Chrysler solenoid is remarkably compact compared to contemporaneous British practice.

[Martin9645]

Thnak you Roger for your advice
Starting an auto without this sounds fairly scarey and not for the faint hearted.

In your experience should you replace both?

Wiggling the wires has got it going ok, I thought I would clean up the terminals and hope that sorts it ????

[Roger Morrall]

I think it most unlikely an intermittent or attitude problem will be either the safety switch or the solenoid. My vote is that the problem will lie with the wiring. But remember to particularly look at the wiring connection at the safety switch itself. This is perhaps the point most exposed to stones, mud and oil.

[Thomas591]

You are talking about the „starter inhibitor relay“ can be obtained from Standard Motor Producs. Part no SR105

Regards

Thomas

Originally Posted by Martin9645

Thnak you Roger for your advice
Starting an auto without this sounds fairly scarey and not for the faint hearted.

In your experience should you replace both?

Wiggling the wires has got it going ok, I thought I would clean up the terminals and hope that sorts it ????

[Giles]

you can test whether it's an issue with the safety switch by disconnecting the gearbox to safety switch connection and instead connecting that wire from the gearbox to the chassis (or some other good earth). obviously be careful!

[Martin9645]

Thanks Giles,

I have cleaned up all terminals and that seems to have sorted the problem.

Fingers crossed