Since the temp dropped the car doesn't start first time. Glow plug lights do what they're supposed to then as you turn the key to start, the starter motor almost 'bogs down' and all the dash electrics go off and the radio loses it's time!

If you then try again it starts fine, the starter giving plenty of chug. and it starts on the 2nd or 3rd 'neuggh' (or however you spell the noise a starter motor makes while turning over!). I replaced the battery last winter with a Bosch gel-pack battery so I can't imagine it is at fault, plus on 2nd attempt it turns over fine.

Suggestions on a postcard please?

first attempt warms battery up, so it starts better 2nd time. what was the date stamp on the new battery? maybe it was new old stock

2.2kW starter with reduction gear...with good battery it should have no problems (early 1.9 engines share same starter if you ever need to find one, newer ones have 2kW marelli or 1.8kW bosch but should still fit). Maybe first start welds the corroded contacts back together

Get someone to measure direclty from the batteryterminals with multimeter when starting. If the voltage at terminals with slow start is higher or same as on a good start, I would suspect the connections as they cannot deliver current. If the voltage is a lot lower on slow start, it could be battery warming up (never believed in that kind of stuff) or something is taking a lot of current (glowplugs?).
Tried cycling the plugs twice before starting?

Ive had a corroded link between the solenoid and startermotor (~4cm long piece of copperwire on my smaller starter) and it made starting a lot worse. Also upgraded ground from battery to 2x25mm2 since I had free cables and cleaned the contacts (almost no voltage between chassis and battery negative when running after that, before there were almost half a volt).
Ive had my share of crappy batteries, one bought late 2008 is almost completely dead, and yet my strongest battery is from 2003 (opel oem battery) and currently in my 20v weekend.

all good suggestions
- I only looked incase it was the " doesn't read key code at lower temps" type fault,

Charlie

varesecrazy said:

all good suggestions
- I only looked incase it was the " doesn't read key code at lower temps" type fault,

Charlie

Click to expand...

Nope, mine doesn't read the key when it's hot

I'm going to try a dual glow-plug cycle tomorrow morning. The day after, I might try giving it a few more seconds after the glow plug light goes out - the JTD I think uses post-heating a lot. Still, shouldn't be stopping it!

It really does sound like a battery problem to me mate.
I got a Bosch S5 last year for the 20v, which sits in the garage alot, after about 15 months the battery was buggered. Luckily the batt has a 5 year warranty so it was replaced. Get it properly checked as a precaution.

This is a daily driver, so shouldn't suffer from storage drain.

But...

Leaving it a lot longer after the glow plug light goes out before going for the start, and no electrical 'lock-up'. Was a bit warmer today so will monitor the temp & time more closely.