Rover 200 problem

You have a problem with the contacts on the starter I would say - the click is the solenoid pulling in. It's either dirty switch contacts or an armature/brush problem.

Looking in my manual for my ex 214 it's possible to swap the brushes and the solenoid. How handy with a spanner are you or your hubby?

Sounds like a starter motor/solenoid problem. Firstly check all the connections to the starter motor and solenoid and check battery connections and earths including engine earth straps. It may be that the water has caused corrosion on a connection.

If no joy there then, when it's in failure mode waggle cables and see if that gets it going - you may have a broken cable i.e. one that's fractured inside the insulation that you can't see. Failing that does a thump on the solenoid or starter motor get it going? If so then it may be the solenoid that's failed.

Starter motor solenoid sticking. Whack the starter motor with a hammer. Won't neccessarily be a long term solution though. Best thing would be to take it to someone who repairs starter motors. It'll save you paying full whack for a replacement new one, and take the risk out of spending a similar amount on a second hand one that may well pack up like the current one has.

Peter

-- "Diamonds are what I really need - think I'll rob a store, escape the law, and live in Italy. Lately, my luck has been so bad, you know the roulette wheel, it's a crooked deal, I'm losing all I had."

I had exactly that on a Nova. It was the earth strap corroded. Unbolt both ends, clean up the ends and the place they bolt on to(use sandpaper) and bolt back. Cover them in vaseline to stop it happening again as well. It was allowing enough current to pass to pull in the solenoid but then the starter current caused a huge voltage drop and killed everything.