Technical Hopefully just the battery?

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Technical Hopefully just the battery?

Bramski

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Hi,

My S reg marea 2.0 HLX just refused to start on me there. I turn the key and nothing happens, the lights dashlights and radio work and the headlights dim when I turn the ignition. Is it just needing a new battery?

Cheers
 
if the starter solenoid clicks out then it's likely the battery. but if all the electrics are working normally but no starter action I'd say you have an immobiliser fault. a standard immobiliser only stops the crank circuit normally, allowing everything to work including the fuel pump, whereas an aftermarket immobiliser has the option to also stop the electrical circuits working, which acts as a double protection, or failsafe. Try a jump start, if not, then either a fuse or a relay is away, or at worst the immobiliser isn't deactivating. used to fix that sort of thing all the time when I fitted alarms and immobilisers.
 
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Thanks for the info aiden. I'm not hearing any clicking when I turn the ignition, I know the click you're talking about as I've had it with other cars, the key just turns with no noise at all. All the electrics work fine so I'll try and jump it in the morning and I'll have a look at the fuses.
 
This can also be bad connections, cranking currents can be up to 500 amps so a battery clamp that passes enough to run a radio will not start the engine. Also worth looking at connections around the solenoid, starter motor and the engine earth strap but the battery is most likey as they tend to corrode, usual advice is clean then clamp up then smear vaseline over them, I seem to get away with ordinary lithium grease.
 
oh yeah never thought of that, lol. i always dive in with complicated problemsolving when it could be dead simploe like the live and earth straps to the starter being chuffed.
 
Ok I've went out this morning and checked under the bonnet. When I turn the key so that the electrics are working and I go round and look under the bonnet theres a buzzing noise coming from what I think is the Starter motor (little black thing says bosch 12V on it in the middle of the engine) I'll check the connections and the fuses and my pops is coming up so I can try his brand new battery.

In the meantime I'll try cleaning up my old connections and making sure the wires are all secure.


btw, where is the solenoid?
 
I tried getting a Jump start from my dads car but no joy, I couldn't get the battery out of his car as its a brand new car and the battery was secured by a large Torx screw which I didn't have so I couldn't try swapping the batterys. I also tried getting in at the fuses below the steering wheel but they are impossible to get out.

Im not too keen on buying a new battery just yet as Im not certain thats where the fault lies and I dont want to splashout on a battery only to find it doesnt fix the problem.

When I turn the key half way the lights go on, the leccy windows go up and down no probs, the fuel gauge goes up, the radio and fans work also, what does happen though is when I turn the key to start the ignition the fans and lights stop for as long as I hold the key in the ignition position, I don't know if this is normal or not. I dont have a clue really but it's as if the engines immobilised because it just doesn't even try to turn over.

:confused:
 
Thisa can be a shot battery, or high impedance battery clamps etc as noted above. Will the car start with a shove/roll down hill (get up a bit of speed then clutch in with the car in 3rd). You need to be careful not to crank it too long without it firing as you can poison the cat. If it starts then try the terminals first , if they are good then my recomendation is a Bosch from your autofactors and you will not be bothered for as long as you have the car. All this assumes the alternator not chargingf light was off when the car was OK.
 
Thanks renegade, I'll try bump starting the car tomorrow when I have someone to help me give it a push then I'll get a decent battery from my local Auto shop. If it doesn't do the trick I'll just get my missus to drop the battery on my head from the upstairs window, that should do the trick and at least it wont be a total waste of cash :D
 
Got it started no problems this morning with a push start, got a brand new battery, popped it in, but no joy, exact same symptoms. Took the battery back down to the autocentre and the guy gave me a refund no problems and told me that he thought it was the starter motor from the symptoms I described.

He said to give the starter motor a bit of a whack whilst someone tried to turn the engine over and see if it managed to put any life into it, he also offered me a new starter for 95 quid but knowing my current run of luck I'll get a new starter for it and and I'll be right back to square one.


Any advice?
 
Well, we are finding some things out. This has to be either the starter motor, or the circuit around it. I would clean up the connections and earth to it first, if it still wont work change it. I dont think it's the solenoid, that has to be pulling in OK to draw the high current.
 
Thanks again guys, I'll give the starter and the earths a good clean and see if I can get it to go.
 
I get the new starter, throw it back over the counter at his head if thats not the problem. lol.
 
lol with the luck I'm having Aidan the battery would probably slip out my hands and land on my toe as I went to throw it.
 
I've had a look under the car and I can't find the starter motor. I've read that it's on the front right hand side but Im not sure if the 2.0 20v is in the same location. I've downloaded the Brava service manuals but theres no mention of the starter motor in there.

I really want to fix this myself but the garage is looming ever closer :D
 
Yea mate I've been through the 4 of those manuals but I cant find any references to the starter motor in them and acrobat wont let me search the pdf as its in a scanned format. I'll have a look where you suggested, my friend is bringing up a trolley jack and some ramps later so I'll be able to get a proper look then.
 
I've just been informed that the Starter on the 20v is fixed at the back of the engine so im gonna wait until I've got the trolley and the ramps before inspecting any further.
 
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