Technical Can anyone help - Electical problems?

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Technical Can anyone help - Electical problems?

Arcadianred

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Aug 10, 2009
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Guisborough North Yorks
Hi All,

I have Brava 1.2 80x which has been running great since i got it (51 Reg). On friday my wife drove it and parked it on the drive 15 ins later went to restart and nothing is happening when the key is turned in the ignition. Well having said this there is a clicking near the bulkhead and after truning the ignition there is a sound like something is charging up.
The battery is fine, lights go on indicator, radio, elec windows (slowly) works but the central locking now won't (although it did work initially on Friday.
I hope I have made sense and ask any questions if this helps a diagnisis as I am not sure what to do or who to call at the moment.:cry:

Many Thanks

Mark
 
have u checked all the fuses?
if all fuses ok.. i would guess some shot circuit?
starter turns over? if not, if u turn it to start, it does anything? like darkens the dash-es lights etc?
 
Thanks for the reply. I have checked some fuses (under steering wheel) and some in a box top left under the bonnet but all seem Ok. The dashboard lights do darken when the ignition is tuned fully. The starter doesn't turn at all - nothing at all happens when the ignition is tuned fully (other than the transformer type noise which lasts for 5 to 10 secs - soundinglike something is recharging). Hope this is clear as I'm not expert.

Thanks for the help
I presume I would need to call someone out to fix?

Cheers

Mark
 
Hi there...
This is either a Duff Battery or a Duff Starter...
You could either, take battery out charge it and see if it starts then (some cars need a well charged batt to work)... Or get a hammer and while someone turns the ignition (€making sure it is out of gear with hbrake WELL ON) SAFELY knock the starter sveeral times as the key is being turned....
I think you will find it will start then...
If it starts then it is your starter that is done...
A recon one is available or a new one..
Paul
 
The Electrical Noise you are hearing is the fuel pump priming i assume ~ i hate diagnosis at a disctance but have become accustomed to it thru another car i am heavily involved with !
So as you tell me all the electrics come on excapt it starting, I would say with 80% certainty that it is either your starter is Duff, or a wire is loose/rotten/broken on
the back of alternator or starter...
Paul
:):):)
:):)
:)
 
well ... :yeahthat:
i would but my bet on loose wire - quess u would relize that bat was flat....
basically what it means that lights darken, is that starter relay gets power and it consumes decent amount of it. u could push it a little, get in hight gear and push it so u can make sure engine is turned over a little and then try agen - maybe something is stuck.
about that sound, a possible thing is, that ur starter dont get to move engine, so it turns over freely and so it does make a sound for THAT description... but really cant say for sure. Does that sound comes when the key is turned to ON? or when its fully turned and if fully, does that "charging" stops when u let key to "on" positsion? etc ;)......
 
Thanks for the replies(y).

The battery is fine although on Friday I thought it was flat as the lights were very dim and there seemed little power but after taking of and trying to charge I found the battery was full:confused:.
After reattaching the battery the electrics seem fine apart from the central locking which doesn't work (although it did on friday?).

There seems to be a couple of noises (electric type). first is what I presume is the priming, then after turning the ignition there is a sound which is like a transformer or something charging. There is also sometimes a clicking? from the bulkhead area. One last point is that when trying the indicators (with the door open) the internal light dims in time with the indicators?
It's driving me bloody mad:cry::cry:
 
turn lights on, and try thease things agen, see if it darkens ur main lights too... if it does, it shuld mean its problem with main electrics, if not... its probably with ground... or something else like that...
check for engine grounding...
i also would reccomend u to give starter a direct current... from battery... 1st try to give + to the thicker wire on the starter... try to start it...
then if it doesnt work - to the body of starter etc.... be careful not to toch anything with + when u get it... it is dangerous for u and the electrics of a car
 
Had a look at things again tonight and the problem with the central locking seems to be fixed (not sure if this was coincidence? was problem with connection at door I think).

There appears to be clicking hoises coming out of a small red and/blue box(es) which are attached to the bulkhead?

The lights do dim when trying to start. In order to rule out a stuck starter can I be thick and ask where it is exactly. Is it on the lower right (standing in front of the car) side of the engine/gearbox?

Is there any wire in particular which I should test the starter?

Many Thanks again


Mark
 
well cant say for sure... but kinda sure.. there will be going thick wire to starter motor... for my 1.6 starter was just in front of the car but it is located at the connecting area of engine and gearbox.
there shuld be 2 + connections on it... 1 thick and 1 thin wire.. thin is for "signal".
so thick1 shuld allways have positive directly connected and thin1 shuld have when u have key fully turned...

so about that charging sound?
i think, maybe the sound u describe is started spinning freely and getting rpm up
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the further help.

I've had another look (as much as the light allows) and no luck. I think I will have to admit defeat and call someone out:cry:.

The silver metal box attached to the top of the engine with 2 large scart type connectors (fastens with a lever type arrangement) is now making a metallic clicking noise when the ignition is turned:confused:.

It's reached a point where I haven't got a clue whether there should be noises or not!

I haven,t tried connecting a current directly to the starter due to the light outside (dark now) but have to admit that I'm not too confident in doing it.

By the way does anyone know what the small red and black boxes which are attached to the bulkhead and makes low clicking noises when the ignition is turned?

Thanks a lot for your help again

Mark
 
Hi,

last year (sept or oct) I had the same problem. Sometimes at starting engine I could hear that starter doesn't work correclty (slowly turning) or doesn't work at all (just click no movement).
I reported to my mechanic and he sent the starter to the guy that does starters.
2 months later when winter was in the full swing I had similar experience, told my mechanic it's again faulty starter but he insisted that it's battery.

After buying brand new battery I had the same problem and then starter again went for service.
Since then it worked almost perfectly but sometimes it again slows at starting, but then it works.
Now I am thinking I'll probably need new starter as 2 previous services didn't completly removed the problem.
 
for zed... maybe open starter yourself or ask second opinion... as for me i got away with less than 10£ just "brushes" bad service as its kinda simple design

and for main story in this post... it would be easyer to take starter off and try then... if u can get it turning....
- to the body(not near the gears - top)
+ to the thick wire between small and big "box" i think its unshielded so very easy to connect... use thick wire and dont let it turn for long and for sure, dont let sand/crap into the starter - ofc. it shuld be 30min job... and with correct tools/place u can do it with 15. i did it on the cround without lifting.. wasnt the best idea since didnt had best tools...
 
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