Hi we have purchased a Ducato 2.3 2006 knowing that it needed the turbo replaced. When limping the van home it cut out and had to be towed home. After investigation we discovered a starter motor problem. Now having purchased a new one checked it and fitted it the engine will not engage. When you turn the key the lights for the coil and the immobiliser come on and go off as expected, but when you turn the key fully there is a loud clunk which we think is the starters dog kicking out but nothing else. We have a fully charged batter on and have checked the earth lead but still nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi.

Test the old starter.. on the ground with your foot on it

Use your battery..and jump leads

If it flicks over ok that answers 2 things:

Battery -good

Starter..? - If it spins it highlights bad wiring


The 'coils' is actually glowplugs

Charlie

Got that starter and battery are both good but as I say no turn over ?

Hi

It's a pre-engaged starter (they all are these days). When you turn the key, a medium current (say 20 Amps) goes through a solenoid on the starter, which pulls the pinion gear into mesh with the starter ring on the flywheel. The solenoid's second job is to closes two fat electrical contacts within the motor assembly, which allows a much larger current (Over 500 Amps) to flow from the battery and turn the motor itself.

If you hear a feeble click, it means that power is reaching the solenoid but it isn't acheiving enough movement to close the main contacts. This will happen with a tired battery or bad contacts anywhere in the ignition key switch and solenoid circuit


If you hear a distinct click but the engine won't turn, it means the battery and the solenoid circuit is probably OK but there is a bad contact somewhere in the main starter circuit. I suggest you check and/or clean the battery connections, battery leads, starter leads and the earth strap between engine and body (its on the right hand side under the air filter).

These big high compression engines need many hundreds of amps to flow through the starter motor to turn them, so they will expose any weakness in the battery, cables and connections.

check that the engine turns freely and isn't seized

In amplification of a small section of Anthony489's ecellent post, I have read reports about engine earth straps that appear OK on visual inspection, but are in fact U/S. A relatively simple check would be to connect a jump cable between a sound earth point (battery -ve if within cable lenghth) and a clean point on the engine or bell housing.

Tracey ryan said:

Got that starter and battery are both good but as I say no turn over ?

Click to expand...

Ok.. so..
As youve ruled out the battery and starter

And presumably the motor dodnt seize as you were driving..

Use the jumplead test:

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/318839-electrical-gremlin-thread.html

'Depress the clutch' when attempting to start.. as it will reduce the load on the starter