Hi Guys,

Hope you can help, My wife's elx has went dead on her and will not start. All the lights come on (new battery 5months ago) turn the key and nothing apart from a couple of clicks under the bonnet. the only warning light that stays on apart from the normal red ones is the eobd one (yellow) not sure if it should stay on ? . there has been no problems with the car until last weekend when it did the same for her, I went out a couple of hours later and it started well, it has run for a few days with no problems, then it happened again this morning. Any help would be appreciated....

hey,

u might need new spark plugs or u av a short somewhere along the line.

its best to get a mechanic to do it but you can check the spark plugs

hope that helps

Remus

thanks for the reply, but it can't be the plugs coz the engine would need to turn over first ! like i said in my post, engine is dead, nothing is happening, got battery power but thats it !

hmmmm then im puzzled with u cos i dont no then

sorry


Remus

Hi mate,
Starter motor is most probabbly stuck. try rocking the car back and forth in first, and then give it a go, or tap the end of the starter motor with a hammer.

Alan

.try 'bump starting' it,
if it starts then your connection from the battery is faulty,
either at the terminals or at the starter,
turn on the window wipers, if they go at normal speed then
the battery connection is ok, could be a faulty starter?
D.T.

Is it mk1, mk2, mk2b???

Sometimes, especially in this cold weather, when I turn my key, I'll get nothing but a strange sort of clicking sound. But that's just the alternator sticking, and after a few more turns it usually fires up nicely.

And whats a eobd light

The clicking you are hearing is most probably the starter solonid trying to engage.

the OBD lamp will be on until the engine is running - this is normal. I had exactly the same problem, IT was the starter motor, the brushes had worn away to the wires, giving the starter a whack with a wooden pole while someone holds the key in start position will confirm the problem - it will either start or make an buzzing noise! On these starters the solenoid will not energize if the brushes have gone! the starter is at the back of the engine on the gearbox side (accessible from top)

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the info, we are getting closer, I bump started it tonight and it fired up right away, so I assume that it is now one of the 2 suggestions that it is a faulty connection or the bushes are gone. going to whack it with a brush handle shortly!! Anyone know how much it is likely to cost to replace the starter motor ?

a1ant said:

Hi mate,
try rocking the car back and forth in first

Alan

Click to expand...

and wot would this do to help lol except maybe make ur car sea sick

FiatFXR said:

and wot would this do to help lol except maybe make ur car sea sick

Click to expand...

it will "unstick" a "stuck" starter motor.

Thats what i used to start my car when the starter moter kept jamming. you put it in first, turn the key then let the handbreak off and it frees the starter. Worked for me. Didn't know a car could get sea sick, espcially on a road lol

Lizzie

Davie Thistle said:

.try 'bump starting' it,
if it starts then your connection from the battery is faulty,
either at the terminals or at the starter,
turn on the window wipers, if they go at normal speed then
the battery connection is ok, could be a faulty starter?
D.T.

Click to expand...

If it's an ELX, it will be a Mk2

If you bump start it you could knacker the O2 sensor/Cat.

usually starters get stuck while disengaged (not contacting flywheel ring)

remember starter have to jump out to mesh with the ring gear on flywheel and then turn the the flywheel to start a car

the starter gear spends most of its time tucked away inside its housing and only ever pops out to start the engine so it shouldn't be constantly connect to the flywheel gear and you would know because of the noise the starter would make while driving around

so rocking the car wouldn't do anything because the flywheel wouldn't be touching the starter gear and the boy never mentioned driving about with a funny whining noise so the tell me it was seized while disengaged

LizzieR said:

Thats what i used to start my car when the starter moter kept jamming. you put it in first, turn the key then let the handbreak off and it frees the starter. Worked for me. Didn't know a car could get sea sick, espcially on a road lol

Lizzie

Click to expand...

it's a figure of speech anyway if you put your car i 1st gear and rock it

the wheels will turn the driveshafts, the dirveshaft will turn the differential, the diff will turn gearbox, gearbox turn clutch/flywheel ok

no how can a sticky starter motor be free'd of
if the starter gear is not contacting the flywheel gear as they usaully get stuck while disengaged

On mine, the little gear thing was popping out ok, it just wasnt turning. i turned the key and held it and the let the car rolll a bit in 1st then it started. Had to do it every time i wanted to start it for about a week. Which was a pain if i werent on a hill! Im only little.

Lizzie

Hi again, went out to whack the starter motor with the brush handle.... Could not find the bloody starter motor!!! maybe that is my problem it has fallen off !!! seriously though, where is it on this car, I found the alternator, oil filter and a few other bits. my excuse is it was a little dark when I went out..

the starter is on the back o the engine on the drivers side

EDIT: oh when you hit dont use a brush handle use a metal pole place downwards onto the starters housing and whack (good hits like but dont go mental and hit crazy hard cos u will break the housing)

meganwest said:

Hi again, went out to whack the starter motor with the brush handle.... Could not find the bloody starter motor!!! maybe that is my problem it has fallen off !!! seriously though, where is it on this car, I found the alternator, oil filter and a few other bits. my excuse is it was a little dark when I went out..

Click to expand...

fair enough but this guy aint gettin nothing by the sounds of it if you hear it click thats just the relays trying to make it jump out and turn but if you hear a louder clickin it will be jumpin out but it dont mean it will turn like ur's

most of the time u won't be touching flywheel so theres no point wasting time trying this cos i could or could not help but hittin starter will almonst nearly always free hem it save time