VAZ 2114: the starter does not turn - 6 reasons and solutions

Even experienced motorists complain that the VAZ-2114 does not start and the starter does not turn. What are the causes of this problem and how can it be solved? To understand this, read our article, which provides detailed expert advice on solving the described problem.

What is a starter on a VAZ-2114

The starter is one of the main elements of an internal combustion engine. Its function is to drive the crankshaft in the power plant. It does this until the fuel mixture ignites. As soon as this happens, the camshaft will immediately begin to spin on its own, and the car will start.

In normal mode, the VAZ-2114 starter begins its work as soon as the driver turns the key. The entire process can take less than a minute – about fifteen seconds. If this mechanism experiences increased loads during vehicle operation, it may quickly fail and not start. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the electric starter is in good condition and is correctly attached to the engine block.

Possible reasons why the starter does not turn and how to eliminate them

Experts name several reasons as a result of which the starter stops turning and the car stops starting. The first, most common, is when the battery is discharged. It can discharge in many cases. For example, if the driver does not turn off the lighting devices in the vehicle for a sufficiently long period. This situation can be encountered especially often during winter, when it gets dark early and you have to use additional lighting in the car.

It is easy to understand that the starter does not turn due to a discharged battery. Experts advise that while turning the ignition key, listen to how the relay operates - it will make a characteristic noise. In this case, you can use several methods to correct the situation:

charge the battery;
replace the battery;
warm up the battery (if the problem occurred during the cold winter period);
“light” her.

If you do all the above procedures one by one, then in one of the cases the car will definitely start.

The second common reason why the starter may not turn is the lack of ground on the solenoid relay. In such a situation, the owner of the VAZ-2114 needs to pay attention to how the negative wire from the solenoid relay is attached to the battery ground. If deviations from the norm are noticed, the following steps should be taken:

the first step is to clean the terminal;
the second step is to secure the ground to the solenoid relay.

Such actions will help the starter resume its functions, it will begin to spin, and the car will start.

Mechanical reasons why the starter may fail

The above problems associated with the operation of the starter are electrical in nature. But experts note a number of other reasons for the failure of this automobile part. They are mainly mechanical in nature. These include wear of the following parts:

Drive gears (namely, their teeth).
Overrunning clutch.
Flywheel ring gear.

These malfunctions are united by one common characteristic feature - a metallic crackling sound when starting the internal combustion engine. Experts explain this phenomenon as follows: in good condition, the electric starter spins the flywheel with virtually no extraneous sounds. The driver will not hear any squeaks or whistles. As soon as these parts wear out, the starter, vigorously spinning the flywheel to start the valve-piston group, will begin to make extraneous sounds, which should alert the driver and make him think about repairing the vehicle.

Expert advice: checking the operation of the starter

To identify the reason why the starter does not turn, experts advise using the following instructions:

We check the wire contacts on both the starter and the battery for oxidation of the wiring:
clean the electric starter contacts.
Checking the battery charge:
its standard indicator is from 1.25;
if the indicator is lower, then we simply charge the battery.
We check the pull-in electrical winding of the relay to see if there is a short circuit between its turns:
We check the wiring supplying electric current to the relay on the starter for breaks:
Then we diagnose the ignition switch plug.
We check the ease of rotation of the electric starter armature (this can be done manually):
Check to see if the manifold is burning:

In order for the VAZ-2114 to always start properly, the driver needs to carry out timely maintenance of the battery and electric starter, which are responsible for the smooth operation of the vehicle.

Dead battery

As a rule, a problem with starting the engine using a starter device does not arise without a reason. The condition of this unit should be checked regularly. The frequency of vehicle operation directly affects the service life of the device. Frequent engine starts gradually consume the starter's life.

Useful : Where is the starter fuse on the VAZ 2114?

Rarely driving a car can also lead to problems with normal starting of the car. A dead battery is a common and not the most serious reason for starter inactivity. Operating the car in home-work mode leads to the fact that the generator does not have time to restore the battery charge, which it spends on starting the engine.

There is only one symptom of starter inactivity due to a discharged battery - the retractor clicks. In order to verify this problem, you can turn on other electrical appliances in the car. You can also try to close the starter directly - using a thick screwdriver. If there is insufficient charge, the retractor will click and the starter will not operate. Now you have an understanding of why the starter clicks but does not turn. When considering the reasons why the VAZ 2114 starter does not turn, you should first check the condition of the battery. The most reliable test option is to use a multimeter to measure the current charge.

What is a starter on a VAZ 2114

A starter is essentially a small engine, only electric. Its main task is to move the crankshaft. It does the main work until the fuel mixture ignites. Then the camshaft comes into operation and the car starts.

Like any electric motor, it consists of a rotor and a stator (armature), which are started electrically from a battery.

Ignition switch relief relay

In addition to the retractor relay on the housing of the starter device, its operating circuit includes another unloading relay, located under the hood or on the steering column. The main task of the unloading relay is to protect the device from overload. Often, replacing this element allows you to restore the starter's functionality.

Since the unloading relay is not much different from the standard elements that are located in the mounting block, to check its malfunction it is enough to install a similar relay for testing. If the starter starts turning, the problem is in this element. The reason for its failure is a voltage surge in the device circuit.

The main problem if this relay malfunctions can be finding it. Since the element was placed differently in cars of different years of production, when searching, take into account the following possible locations for installing the relay:

Under the hood, near the vacuum booster;
Under the steering column in conjunction with other wires;
On the interior body panel under the car panel.

If replacing the relay did not help and the starter on the VAZ 2114 still does not turn, you should carry out further diagnostics.

Useful : Replacing the starter on a VAZ 2114 (step-by-step instructions)

Possible reasons why the starter does not turn and how to eliminate them

Poor mass of minus battery on the body

Because For the normal operation of any electrical appliance, the condition of all contacts and wiring is important - you should check the condition of the negative ground of the battery on the car body. Mechanical damage to the wiring or its destruction due to oxides often causes the starter to not work. The photo below shows the exact location of the battery negative ground wire on body 2114.

The rather inconvenient location of this wire leads to the fact that during manipulations with the battery it breaks. Loss of ground causes the starter device to fail to operate. To solve the problem, just screw a new ground wire onto the body and securely fix it. If, after replacing the ground wire, the VAZ 2114 does not start - the starter does not turn, you should investigate further.

Important ! In addition to the ground wire, you should check the condition of the chip on the starter itself. Unreliable contact fixation makes starting the motor through the starter device impossible.

Checking the fuel pump

To check the fuel pump, you need to measure the fuel pressure in the fuel rail and check the pump itself for pressure “into the wall”.

To check the fuel pressure, you need a special device, a fuel pressure gauge; you can also use a regular pressure gauge with a hose, connecting it to the ramp through clamps.

On a car with a 1.5-liter engine, the pressure in the fuel rail should be: 2.7-3.4 bar;
On a car with a 1.6-liter engine, the pressure in the fuel rail should be: 3.5-4.0 bar;

Then the pressure of the fuel pump is checked, which it presses into the wall; for this it must be dismantled (on 1.5-liter engines you can simply clamp the return line). In this way, the power of the pump is checked when checking the pressure “into the wall”; a good pump presses pressure up to 8 bar.

contact Group

To influence the starter, first of all, the driver turns the key in the ignition switch. The condition of this unit and wiring is also worth checking, especially if the starter does not operate when starting the engine. Damage to wires in the contact group is a common problem on domestic cars.

The status of the contact group can be checked in the following ways:

Visually check the condition of the wiring and terminal blocks. Increased voltage on the node causes carbon deposits, melting of wires and burnout of the group tracks. In case of serious problems, these defects are visible to the naked eye;
A more complex diagnostic method is to use a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. If there is no resistance on the device when the ignition is turned on, the contact group should be replaced.

For accurate diagnostics, you can install a known working contact group from a working machine.

Design and principle of operation of the fuel pump

In order to find the cause of the breakdown, you must first know the design and operating principle of the fuel pump.

Design

The gasoline pump is made of many parts and resembles an electric DC motor. Its body is made of plastic and metal; inside the body there is a magnet and a rotor, on the shaft of which an impeller is mounted on one side, and a current collector on the other. The fuel pump itself is a brushed motor, which greatly reduces its reliability; many modern cars (foreign cars) have already switched to brushless electric pumps.

One of the important elements of the pump is the check valve, which maintains the built-up pressure in the system and does not allow it to flow back into the tank through the valve.

Principle of operation

When voltage appears on the fuel pump block, it begins to rotate, the impeller pumps fuel into the system, as soon as it reaches the required amount, the fuel pump valve closes, thereby closing the path to the outflow of fuel back into the tank. After which you can start the engine. You can clearly hear the operation of the fuel pump by turning on the ignition and listening to its operation. The fuel pump will make a characteristic squeak and stop after a few seconds - this will mean that the pressure has been pumped into the system.

Egnition lock

Next, you need to understand how to check the ignition switch. This unit is directly related to starting the engine. The absence of an electrical circuit between the solenoid relay and the ignition switch is a common cause of malfunction.

In addition to externally inspecting the lock for damage, you can inspect the condition of the wiring inside the device body. Measuring resistance with an ohmmeter will also allow you to accurately determine the serviceability of the part. If it is not possible to turn on even the first position (ignition on) through the lock, then starting the starter directly will also not be possible. In such a situation, you should understand the wiring of the device and, if necessary, completely replace the part.

If you cannot turn the key in the lock, check the hole for foreign objects. If the key is stuck, you should call in specialists.

The most common reasons: what is the problem?

It is worth noting that a malfunction can be determined by indirect signs without even opening the hood of the car. For example, if the starter turns, but the engine does not catch on or immediately stalls, the problem lies in the fuel system.

Without exception, all the reasons for the inability to start the engine can be divided into two main groups:

malfunction of one of the fuel system components;
lack of contact of the electronic ignition system.

It is also necessary to include the following in a separate category of faults: the engine “knocked”, the timing belt broke. In this case, expensive repairs will be required. In other cases, you can get by with a little bloodshed.

Solenoid relay

An important element in the engine starting device circuit is the solenoid relay. Its malfunction makes it impossible to start the engine in the standard way. Checking the functionality of the element is simple - if a characteristic clicking sound is not made when turning the key to the start position, the relay is faulty.

When the machine is idle for a long time, the mechanism in the device can become sour, so tapping on the body often solves the problem. If the element is completely faulty, the procedure for replacing the part is inevitable. For a convenient replacement procedure, it is better to remove the starter completely. As you can see, all problems with the starter device can be resolved on our own, so understanding all the intricacies of diagnosing breakdowns will help save time and money.

Fuel pump system

The fuel pump itself does not work; it is part of a special station, the so-called “fuel pump cup”. This part is a bracket for mounting the fuel pump in the tank. Also, a special coarse fuel filter is put on the fuel pump, which allows you to keep the fuel pump from dirt getting into it. A fuel level sensor and a fuel pressure regulator are installed on the glass. Together, all these parts form the fuel pump station, or popularly the “glass”.

Differences from its predecessor

The VAZ 2115 car is a more modernized version of model 21099. The improvement of the “ninety-nine” contributed to the updating of the electrical wiring diagram.

It should be noted that, unlike 21099, the VAZ 2115 injector is equipped with newer body parts, in particular, we are talking about:

Toy models VAZ 21099 and VAZ 2115 Of course, the changes also affected the engine compartment. Compared to 21099, the VAZ 2115 is equipped with a more powerful engine. Changes also affected the interior - a more advanced center console, instrument panel, and seats. An on-board computer was also added to the design of the car. Accordingly, the overall dimensions of the VAZ 2115 also underwent changes. But in general, this car remained the same - a front-wheel drive, five-door and five-seater sedan.