Starting (pardon the pun) to get intermittent start faults with 2001 P38. After driving a few times and a quick stop of say 5 minutes, when I turn key to start I get a “click, click, click” sound and no turnover. This will happen about another 4 or 5 times during start attempts and then the vehicle will start. Has happened 3 times over past 10 start attempts.
I’m leaning on replacing the starter. Vehicle has 151,000 miles and the original starter. Ground and positive cables all look good and power is getting to starter. Difficult to replicate the issue when underneath ……

Anyone have this problem in past?

Thanks in advance

Ahhh.....
You have an alter ego on the dark side!
Kinda like Richard/ Gilbert.....
Yep!
Sounds knackered. See troubleshooting procedures on dark side.
Cheers!

If it is a hefty clunk or just a click will tell you what the problem is. A hefty clunk and all dash lights stay on, it is the starter solenoid pulling in but the contacts are burnt so no power gets to the starter motor itself. A hefty clunk and the dash lights go out, means a bad battery connection and a gentle click means the relay is operating but the starter solenoid isn't clicking in. If it isn't the battery connection, it is new starter time.

Thanks for replies. It’s a gentle “click, click, click”. Starter ordered from Rockauto and should be sorted soon…

New starter didn’t fix the problem!!!
Same issues as originally posted.
Any suggestions?

Check earthing between engine and chassis and back to battery.

Try pulling the starter relay and putting a wire jumper between the 30 and 87 pins (opposite each other), the starter should engage and spin. If it doesn't, check that you have power at the socket where pin 30 goes. If it isn't, it is a fusebox problem, if it is, then a starter or wiring problem. I've seen some starters that have two spade terminals on them and the trigger wire has to go on the correct one, so if there are two, try putting the thin trigger wire on the other one and testing it again. Or it may simply be a break in the trigger wire between fusebox and starter, so with your jumper wire in the fusebox, check that the 12V is getting to the trigger wire at the starter.

I’ve always found it frustrating when someone posts a problem they need help with on a forum and then never follow up when the issue gets resolved.
I changed out the original starter (which after resolving the issue I probably didn’t need to BUT with 150k miles on it probably wasn’t a waste of money).
After installing it I had same click, click, click and no starter engagement.
Checked relays. Power to relays. Continuity across relay plug. Power to plug 30. Cleaned all the connectors on battery cable to alternator and starter. Confirmed continuous power from battery to starter. Confirmed power from Engine Start relay to the exciter on side of starter. Everything checked fine but starter would not engage. Did everything Gilbertd suggested.…… Still nothing.
Sat down and had a think about it all over a cup of tea and was almost convinced that I had been sold a dodgy starter BUT thought the odds of the old and new starter being unable to start the car, along with the slow decline of the original starter pretty rare. I was, however, about to take the wheel off, remove the wheel liner and take the starter out to bench test it when I thought “It has to be electrical. Maybe the starter isn’t getting grounded”.
Went out and connected a jump cable from battery to the case of the starter and tried to start. BINGO… car started. Disconnected jumper cable from battery and nothing. So, I ran a ground cable from one of the nuts holding the case to the starter and ran it to the Negative of battery. Problem solved. Has started 15 times in a row.
Can’t for the life of me understand how I got to this situation with the starter and how it could have lost ground but that’s how the issue was resolved….. for now….
Comments welcome.

The main engine ground is bolted to the alternator bracket and connects to the RH suspension turret. Corrosion at either end of that will cause it as it doesn't need much resistance to prevent the full starter load being passed. I suspect you'll find one end of that cable is burnt, that is the end with the bad connection.

Ive now fabricated new battery cables (both positive and negative). I’ve run ground from battery directly to alternator mount/engine, also directly to right side suspension turret and from that turret directly to the alternator mount/engine. Positives are run as designed.
Thanks for all the input.