Cold Start (or cold not start)

[Alex Rae]

Help!

 

Being still in the throws of being a new owner (well August anyway) I decided to take the Caterham to my badminton club last night.

 

However, it wouldn't start. Has not run for probably the last 3 or 4 weeks, and been in a cold guarage. The fuel pump sounded like it worked, and the battery is not flat (the lights work).

 

Switched the immobilisor off as usual, but all I got was a high speed clack-clack-clack sound, which i guess came from the startor motor.

 

Is a 1.6k SS. Anyone any ideas? I don't really want to call the AA, and is there anything I can do to stop it happening again?

 

I'm not too clued up not mechanical stuff, so i hope it's simple

 

Thanks in advance.

 

AJ02RAE

[F355GTS]

Sounds like the battery is a bit flat and doesn't have enough power to turn the starter correctly.

 

charge the battery, if that cures it and you intend to leave it for a few weeks at a time buy a battery conditioner that you leave connected contiuously while in the garage and it automatically ensures the battery is kept charged

 

Mark

[Alex Rae]

Cheers for that.

 

Is it then possible for everything else electrical to work, and still not be enough to turn the starter motor? And what's making that clack-clack-clack sound?

 

The real reason for not wanting to call the AA is that I had to call them out while on a tour of the highlands. On advice, I was driving with the headlights on. I then went wandering round Inverness for a couple of hours, still with the headlights on!

 

Felt a bit silly there. AA were very helpful, especially as my membership was suspended as I had RAC cover with the tin top. RAC wouldn't come out to the Caterham (shower of ********), so I called the AA who re-activated my membership, and I was on my way within 20 minutes.

 

AJ02RAE

[ewenm]

Sounds very similar to a problem I had last year. All electrics working, occasional whine/clunk from starter motor but no starting. Jump leads from a tintop worked, hinting the battery was shot. Ratrace examined it and the power in the battery was fine UNTIL the key was turned when it plummeted and no starting. Fixed by a new battery and no re-occurence as yet.

HTH

E.

 

Ewen Malloch

P979TMV - Yellow 1.6 K Series

[F355GTS]

the clack sound is the starter or solenoid trying to work, it is possible for lights etc to work OK whilst there isn't enough current ofr hte starter to work properly. as Ewen suggests Jump Leads would prove it either way

 

Mark

[ian balson]

Alex,

 

Same happened to me during the summer. The battery was below par, my fault, it was short of water 😳. A new battery fixed the problem.

 

Rgds

Ian

 

HPC150

 

ian_balson@yahoo.co.uk

[Tarek]

Ditto the above. Tried recharging the battery - no use. Just bought new one and no problems. I now have a battery conditioner as well and I'm gonna use it

[Alex Rae]

Thanks folks, but I'm a bit miffed a battery does not last longer than from August to November.

 

Can anyone suggest the place to get one, and what type/make I should be looking for.

 

AJ02RAE

[mark4newman]

phone banner batteries 01889571100. Battery number is 530 34. They will tell you the nearest supplier.

 

Su77on Se7enS

 

M100EOW....

[F355GTS]

Alex

 

Try the jump leads first, the battery may just be a bit drained from the Immobiliser etc.

 

If it starts OK then invest in one of the battery conditioners (available from Halfords, Airflow and a number of others) this will keep the battery in good condition.

 

If you go out and buy a new battery it might last a bit longer before being to weak to turn over the engine but you could easily end up with the same problem

 

Mark

[Peter Carmichael]

Alex,

 

You left the lights on and deep discharged the battery. This damages the battery and is why it has now failed.

 

You need a new battery.