Hello all, i am new to this forum, can anybody help me:
I have just replaced the clutch in my 56 plate diesel, it was a heck of a job with taking lots of suspension away to get the gearbox out, especially on the driveway with the front aloft on axle stands, but its done! after reassembling the engine/gearbox components i decided to try it whilst still on the stands so fired the old girl up and 'hjey presto' fired up fine and clutch operation felt good. only 3 warning lights on the dash, a) door open, it was! b) handbrake, yep again! and c) power steering warning light, well thats odd, never came on before but i thought perhaps the wheels are off and the front is aloft, i am sure it will clear when its back on terra firma. So put the wheels on, rechecked everything again and let her down. turned the key and nothing!
the code warning lights goes out, the fuel pump activates as normal, everything is exactly as you would expect when you turn the key but it just clicks. it does not crank over. WHAT HAS HAPPENED? I have checked the voltage at the starter motor and it only reads 4v when you turn the key. Why did it start fine on axle stands and now not once it hit the ground, does the strange steering warning light have anything to do with it? please help?????

Oh sorry, forgot to add it is not the battery, tested and fine and is only a couple months old.......

Why not charge the battery, clean all battery/starter motor/earth strap contacts, and try again.
Sounds like one or a combination of those might be at fault.
Did you disconnect/reconnect engine earth strap when reinstalling the gearbox?

Have you tried your other key?

Earth strap would be my guess.

thank you for the replies thus far, i did remove the engine earth strap and refitted it in same place, i admit i did not clean the terminal so will check that. i do not think it is a key problem but will try anyway.

If the battery is good, yet the starter isn't spinning, chances are it's the starter motor.
You've had it off to do the clutch, so could be a couple of things.

Check you've connected the wiring up properly and that the cables haven't rubbed/shorted.

Check the main fuses, I'm sure a big one (which I don't know) protects the starter circuit.

Remove it and bench test it.

If it's spinning up freely on the bench and there's power to it on the car, then perhaps it's jamming when fitted, has it gone on straight?

The OP "turned the key and nothing". Sounds to me that as the starter motor is not even spinning, there is a total absence of power in the electrical system. Hence my suggestion to go over all the primary contact points. Usually in such cases it turns out to be a dodgy earth.
As Goudrons says.
Be interesting to see what he eventually finds.

Many thanks for the info, Bambou

I've cracked it! It was the earth strap on the gearbox making a poor connection. tested the theory first with a jump lead from the battery neg terminal to the gearbox bell housing and it started no problem, took the lead off and back to the clicking sound, so a bit of dismantling to get at the earth strap on the gearbox and under the battery tray, cleaned and refitted both and now is fine. thank you to all who replied and to the people who pointed to the earth strap as the possible cause, absolutely spot on.
p.s. now it is back on terra firma and running fine, the steering light has gone out, how odd!.......

Steering probably needs a good earth as well

gr J