Thread: Series 1 Starter Button

Same here - seemed odd first time I did it 'by accident'. I'm no electrician, but think I've worked out that operation of the starter is independent of the ignition. When ignition is on, my engine starts first push of the button. If no ignition, I can turn the starter over til the battery dies but no spark(believe me, I did this for about 2 weeks til I sorted my ignition out).

Maybe someone can tell us if this is meant to happen or if our two landies are both wired wrong?

D

Originally Posted by dreamin'

Same here - seemed odd first time I did it 'by accident'. I'm no electrician, but think I've worked out that operation of the starter is independent of the ignition. When ignition is on, my engine starts first push of the button. If no ignition, I can turn the starter over til the battery dies but no spark(believe me, I did this for about 2 weeks til I sorted my ignition out).

Maybe someone can tell us if this is meant to happen or if our two landies are both wired wrong?

D

Wat you are experiencing is correct operation of your Landy.

The wiring from the battery goes direct to the starter motor through the start switch. (so as long as the battery has electricty you will be able to turn the starter motor over) All the ignition switch does is switch the iginition coil into circuit, thereby allowing the creation of spark to the spark plugs.

Hope this helps

Regards

Wal

As above - this is the way all cars with electric start were until solenoid starter switches became common about WW2. Landrover were probably the last vehicle to change.

John

Thanks fellas!
that makes sense now!

I used to play in my uncle's Ford Consul when I was a kid and we couldn't work out why it would start as the motor always turned over on the starter - was the same as a series landies.

Starter is separate to the ignition.

Garry

It gets better. If you connect a wire from the accessories socket to the terminal on the windscreen wiper, the Land Rover is now switched on. No key necessary.

Aaron.

It gets even better still. If your vehicle is a diesel, you don't even need a battery. If you can hand start it (Hercules) or push start it (everybody else), all of the electrics will come on-line once the engine is running.

Aaron.

So what happens with crank-starting petrol models? Does there still need to be enough battery to deliver a spark even if it can't turn the starter?