lowlander Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My 1994 1400SS won't start. The ignition system is fine and there is plenty charge in the battery. When I turn the key to engage the starter motor I can hear a rapid clicking noise but engine doesn't turn over. I'm assuming the starter motor is goosed. Any other thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Check both ends of all fat cables - including earth cables to engine and chassis. What voltage across battery - at rest and when cranking ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul McKenzie Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Probably the battery's knacked ☹️ Put some jump leads on it and you'll confirm or otherwise. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 It's the K series click. I'd suspect the battery, what is the voltage under load, when the starter is on? What you are hearing is (probably) the starter solenoid going in, motor load comes on, battery wilts, voltage declines, solenoid can't remain on, so it clicks out, then the battery recovers, the solenoid fires again, and the cycle repeats. The result is a rapid clatter from the solenoid but no go. If your battery is under 9V under load, it's goosed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlander Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Battery was new 5 months ago so don't think it will be dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 If a wet battery - are liquid levels ok in every cell ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Pop it in 5th gear. Take the handbvrake off, and roll it forwards slightly. Put the handbrake on, take it out of 5th gear and try again. This sometimes helps. Failing that, you need to check the battery voltage at rest, and under load. Just because the battery is new, it does not mean it is ok. If all looks ok, check the state of the starter and battery connections, If they all look ok, check the resistance of the solenoid feed. This passes close to the exhaust manifold and gets slowly cooked after time. If it looks dodgy, replace it by splicing in a new wire, and route it round the back of the starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanC Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Edited - sorry, missed that it isn't turning over. If its not the starter motor solenoid... Last week, my mate called the AA to his wife's car - a rover 200 1.4 engine I think, which was churning over but not starting. The mechanic asked if it had moved recently, ( yes, reversed onto road and back to make space for sons car ), and he suggested that its probably flooded. In his experience he suggested that 90% of his calls like this are because the car wasn't warmed up, had been switched off cold so had a rich mixture in the cylinders. He pulled a fuse to stop the injectors working, turned the car over, popped the fuse back in and away she went. Smiles all round. Just a thought. Not witnessed but told to me last night so it might be worth a check. Personally I'd pull the plugs to do the same thing. Edited by - BryanC on 2 Jan 2012 15:23:16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich N Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Yeah the AA once told me I'd flooded my car too. It needed a new sensor which solved the problem. I think they use that a lot, probably because it used to happen a lot "back in the day". My k-series will also do the repeated fast-clicking when there isn't sufficient voltage to keep the ECU active during starting. Check cables, but more importantly just check it with another battery - I know yours is new, but check it all the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlander Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 An update on my car. I jump started the car using my daily driver (mondeo) and some jump leads and it ran fine and idled smoothly Took if for a run for about 20 minutes keeping the revs up once the car had fully warmed up. Everything seemed fine. I only used the local roads near to my house as I was concerned about stalling the car and not being able to start it again. Got back to my house, parked the car in the garage and then turned it off. When I tried to start it again there was silence.......... No starter motor click, engine not turning over, nothing. I'm guessing it is the battery that's goosed which will be disappointing as it's only 6 months old. The ignition circuits work as the temperature gauge, fuel gauge, heater, etc work when the ignition is on Any other advice? Could the alternator be faulty? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted March 10, 2012 Member Share Posted March 10, 2012 Could be a duff battery Could be a bad connection that can't take high current: clean and refit all relevant connections, including earths. Could be a charging problem Stick a voltmeter on the battery: what's the voltage at rest and when you try and start? Is the ignition light on at rest (sounds as if it is) and did it go out while you were driving? Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadsport06 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Alternator check is easy. Multimeter across the battery before the engine is on and then tick over. Tick over should give you a higher voltage as the battery is charging. As said, age of the battery makes no difference. Do you have a battery conditioner to use when the car isn't in use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnutLP Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Sorry to thread hijack but I have the same problem. Car will jump start fine but not from the original battery. The battery is a couple of years old but was left to go dead flat by me this winter :( Is there any way to sort a dead battery that is reliable? There are lots of home science type things on the interwebs http://www.alton-moore.net/batteries.html but most look like a pain and possibly not that reliable. I have a cheap charger but it is hard to tell if the battery is taking charge at all. I am going to leave it to charge overnight and see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Have you checked the liquid levels in each cell ? If completely flat, I recall a suggestion to hook it up in parallel with another battery and charge them together overnight with a conventional charger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnutLP Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I left the battery charging overnight, the cells are topped up and there is some bubbling while they charge which suggests something is happenig. After charging overnight the voltage read 12.9 v but still not enough umph to start the car. I couldn't find anything on the web about charging in series so I am not keen to try it in case I knacker another battery. Guess it is time to buy a new battery :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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