Clicking noise and starter motor doesn't start

[adamsears]

When I leave my car for a day or more without starting it up, when I go to start it and turn the ignition; I hear a clicking noise, the clock flashes on and off and the starter motor doesn't start.
After a few attempts of turning the ignition with the problem mentioned above occuring, the starter motor finally starts up perfectly normally and everything runs perfectly. Any time I try starting up the car during that day or the next day it starts up normally too, only if I leave it for longer the problem comes back.

What would you say the problem is and what do you recommend I should do?

 

[Tom]

Battery is dead or the starters fucked/jammed.

 

[adamsears]

The battery seems fine though, on my mates car when the battery was dead the interior lights dimmed etc. when he turned the key.

The motor is fine when it actually attempts to work, it just doesnt turn on sometimes. Maybe a loose connection?

 

[powey]

have you tried rocking the car in gear

 

[adamsears]

To get it started?
It does start after a while using the starter motor, just isn't very reliable.

 

[powey]

When it jams put the car in gear, rock the car, take it out of gear, try to start it.

See if that does it, could be the starter sticking.

If that doesnt work try tapping the starter with something, could be the solenoid sticking

 

[Ben..]

Spade connector on the starter motor is corroded, take off the only wire you can see trhat its going to the starter and clean the contact

 

[adamsears]

okay i'll give that a go
you experienced it before or something?

 

[mattjk]

Spade connector on the starter motor is corroded, take off the only wire you can see trhat its going to the starter and clean the contact

Sounds like the case

 

[Tunst]

Spade connector on the starter motor is corroded, take off the only wire you can see trhat its going to the starter and clean the contact

I had the same problem but i just cleaned up the contact on the spade connector and touch wood its been fine since then..

 

[Tomroberts2k8]

i found that the starter reley needed replacing also a wire on the starter motor ithink it is under the bonet got full of s**t so i took the lead off and cleaned the connector with some wire wool

 

[bmh.01]

Which engine is this though? On a 1.2 the starters easy to get to, on everything else its very much not.

 

[adamsears]

it's a 1.2 engine

 

[fosbrook6695]

Tap the starter motor while turning the key, worked for me. Although i then had to spend 98 quid on a new starter motor

 

[Ben..]

okay i'll give that a go
you experienced it before or something?

yeah , ahppened all the time , even at really randon times, like the second after switching the engine off ...try again ...nothing

given it a go yet?

 

[adamsears]

went on holiday for a week to spain, just got back expecting to have trouble with starting the car.

no problems at all!
maybe this is just a randomly occuring problem, not a major one?

 

[n00ber420]

checked the solenoid?

 

[Jonff]

went on holiday for a week to spain, just got back expecting to have trouble with starting the car.

no problems at all!
maybe this is just a randomly occuring problem, not a major one?

My starter motor is exactly the same, it'll go for weeks/months without any problem then randomly decide to play up and start sticking, it'll do it for a few days or so then start working fine. Giving the solenoid a whack normally solves the problem so under Powey's advise I carry a long metal bolster chisel in the car incase it decides to stick.

Like mine it'll need replacing eventually because it'll get worse and worse over time.

 

[adamsears]

okay cheers mate!

 

[powey]

My starter motor is exactly the same, it'll go for weeks/months without any problem then randomly decide to play up and start sticking, it'll do it for a few days or so then start working fine. Giving the solenoid a whack normally solves the problem so under Powey's advise I carry a long metal bolster chisel in the car incase it decides to stick.

Like mine it'll need replacing eventually because it'll get worse and worse over time.

Mine has got to the point now that sometimes I need to hold the ignition on and whack the solenoid, must make an amusing scene to others as im not the tallest of people...

 

[Jonff]

Mine has got to the point now that sometimes I need to hold the ignition on and whack the solenoid, must make an amusing scene to others as im not the tallest of people...

LOL! Can just imagine the scene, feet off the ground, doing your best to try not to fall inside the engine bay :rasp:.

When mine decides to stick it always seems to do it at the worst possible time, i.e when it's pissing down with rain.