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45 diesel won't turn over

3K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  stevexyg 
#1 ·
Be grateful for some advice on this.

Over the last week or so my car has shown signs of a failing battery - on one occasion I had to jump start it. I ordered a new battery over the weekend which should arrive in a day or two. However, went out to it this morning and it turned over a few times but didn't start - same as before with the solenoid clicking. Got a spare battery and hooked it up to the car via jump leads. When I tried to start it the engine now didn't turn over at all - the ignition lights come on but when the key is turned to start it just goes dead. It does the same without the auxiliary battery connected and also when I connected it via the jump leads to another car.

What could have happened? I guess starter motor or solenoid, but it was perfectly fine before the battery problem.
 
#2 ·
starter motor

hi mate, is it a single click? my starter motor went last year, i tried a solonoid refurb kit bought online (just some new internal copper contacts and plunger), after p-ing about for an hour i finally got it all back together but was rewarded with that dreaded click (more of a knock), so that was a waste of £10 plus postage, so best bet is to take the starter motor off, pull and turn the sprocket to see it it spins without any sort of roughness or grinding, a new motor will set you back bout £120, hope this helps.
 
#3 ·
hi mate, is it a single click? my starter motor went last year, i tried a solonoid refurb kit bought online (just some new internal copper contacts and plunger), after p-ing about for an hour i finally got it all back together but was rewarded with that dreaded click (more of a knock), so that was a waste of £10 plus postage, so best bet is to take the starter motor off, pull and turn the sprocket to see it it spins without any sort of roughness or grinding, a new motor will set you back bout £120, hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply. There's not really a click at all, when the ignition key is turned then nothing happens apart from the radio and clock lights going straight off.
 
#4 ·
Check you have not burnt out or broken the earth cable (either to the chassis or to the gearbox) - The one to the front slam panel is a favourite.

If not that then check the small spade connector on the starter motor.

If you can feel the starter motor click when someone tries to start the car then it'll need a starter motor rebuild (see my website for info). If not then check the car electrics first.
 
#6 ·
Radio and clock lights going off??? Sounds like batt is totally dead.

IF it's not that you have wiring problems. A dodgy starter won't make your electrics fail so look elsewhere. You can remove non-essential fuses from various circuits to narrow down fault eg remove lights, heater fuses etc and see if car starts then replace a fuse and see if it starts again. Repeat.

You may also have fried your ecu so that is something to check if you can't trace a wiring fault.
 
#7 ·
The battery isn't totally dead because all electrics operate apart from when I try to start it - even the electric windows operate. The radio and clock lights go off when I operate the starter - it is the same when I connect another battery to mine via jump leads. Could a faulty ECU stop the car from turning over?
 
#13 ·
Cool got ya. They way you described it I obviously thought you meant 'off' permanently but it was just when 'cranking' which your car was trying to do at the time. Defo a classic red herring and one to remember! You will know exactly what to do next time this happens - unless you have smothered the spade in petroleum jelly in which case it shouldn't happen again;)
 
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