Intermittent starting, clicking from under dash

[mikekean]

Just went to start my 172 cup after sitting for 2 weeks and the first thing is the remote locking had stopped working. So initial thoughts was dead battery, hooked it up my other 172 and jumped it. Took a few goes to get it started as it would crank and then just stop? Car was cranking at normal speed so don't think it was due to it running out of juice. Once started there was a constant clicking (relay noise?) from around the glovebox area. I've noticed it also effects the operation of the windows, interior light and indicators.. Flashing of the remote locking is intermittent also, all seems very strange. Tried another 6 month old battery on it and same thing, will start sometimes.

Could it maybe just be 2 flat batteries or am I looking at some sort of weird immobiliser issue here? Very frustrating as I only picked it up 2 weeks ago and has covered only 33k from new.

Any suggestions?

Cheers,

Mike

 

[MikeClio172SPT]

Indeed it does sound like a weak battery. Also.... on the clio's..... when u initially crank it over, & the battery's weak.... it will crank for a few seconds.... but if the battery is that low the ignition relay switches off & kills the starter. This also happens if the car cranks for a while & doesn't fire..... the starter stops. Then when u try again.... u just hear loads of clicking for the passenger side. Ive had it on mine when ive left it for a few weeks..... as its my 2nd car.... so doesn't get run every week.

 

[mikekean]

Hmm could just be the battery then but I've had a good search on the forum and UCH failure also looks like a possibility which is £££

 

[Rob]

Have you got two keys? Sounds mental, but just try a different one.

Also try leaving the car battery disconnected for half hour or so to reset the ECU, my ph1 did the whole clicking thing once, left it unplugged for half hour, put the battery back in and it was fine, never did it again.

 

[MikeClio172SPT]

Hmm could just be the battery then but I've had a good search on the forum and UCH failure also looks like a possibility which is £££

Give the battery a good charge.....& see how it performs, if you've only just bought the car.... the battery's condition might not be great. Also the 6 month old one u say u put on.... did u charge it first?

 

[mikekean]

I've got three keys but two don't seem to work but that could just be coincidence.

No I didn't charge it but was working fine in the car that it was in. Will give it a decent charge though and try again. Thinking it could just have its knickers in a twist over unlocking the car via the door lock setting the alarm off with flat battery etc. few things to try anyway. Just thought is ask on here first so when I go back tomorrow have a few things to try out.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Andyman]

I had a similar issue a couple of years back where the car wouldn't start and there was the same clicking thing plus what looked like sparking from the fuse box. Turned out to be a dodgy earth strap.

 

[mikekean]

Earth strap in the engine bay or inside the car?

 

[Andyman]

Main earth strap in the engine bay.

 

[mikekean]

Nice one ill try a jump lead off the motor to the shell then.

 

[Andyman]

Its worth a try anyway

 

[Perry]

Did you cure this? My girlfriend has had a starting issue three times in the last two days where the car has failed to start on three occasisons, then starts and runs fine. I've just took it out (the car was warm having failed to start first from cold this morning, then after a five minute run) and it was fine, but what I noticed was an obvious clicking sound from the dash area when I operated the electric windows. The only other time the cars done anything like this was in 2010 when it had been stood for a week when it was snowing and I then used it in sub zero temperatures, think it just needed a bit of a run and the battery charging up.