wont crank :(

[Struggler]

I go to get in my car this morning.
Turn the key first click......radio comes on fine
Second click....everything comes to life and you can hear the pump prime,
Third click.......nothing.

little whine from the starter motor, and you can hear the fuel pump loose power,
but no crank??

its been pouring with rain all night,
but the car with absolutley fine yesturday,
and the battery is of good quality and only 3 years old!

what could possibly be wrong NOW!!

 

[daz182]

I go to get in my car this morning.
Turn the key first click......radio comes on fine
Second click....everything comes to life and you can hear the pump prime,
Third click.......nothing.

little whine from the starter motor, and you can hear the fuel pump loose power,
but no crank??

its been pouring with rain all night,
but the car with absolutley fine yesturday,
and the battery is of good quality and only 3 years old!

what could possibly be wrong NOW!!

Crank sensor?

 

[Struggler]

when thats gone,
doesnt the engine just crank over and over without catching??

replacing it is on my to do list anways but any other suggestions?

 

[Kele.B]

When that happened to me if was my battery!

 

[mantis946]

TDC sensor maybe ? Little thing above your gearbox
Mine went and it was dead as a door nail when trying to start

 

[Struggler]

oh really??
i really thought a knackered TDC sensor left the car just spinning over and over and over without catching??

hmm, that might tie in with my misfiring problem

 

[JackJack]

Sounds like it may be the connections to the starter or battery.

 

[Stuiemc]

Could be e battery radio doesnt use that much try turning on the heaters and see if they come on or headlights.

 

[Christopher]

It's not a sensor. It'd still crank if it was a sensor.

Starter solenoid, I reckon.

 

[Struggler]

well im pretty sure its not the battery,

had the lights on,
stereo going,
and blowers on full,
and nothing gave any sign of complaint.

ive still taken the battery out and put it on charge.

can you replace just the relay for the start motor??
or do you have to replace the entire starter motor??
or SHOULD i replace the starter motor out of good measure??

 

[Brian]

:dapprove:

At this rate you'll be walking on saturday!

 

[Struggler]

haha i fear you may be right

im sure she'll work fine as long as you bump it!
ill just come kangarooing down and call on the CS might to get me going again! lol

i really want to be there,
ive finally got her looking how i want!
shes actually worth looking at now,

just not driving

 

[Christopher]

You can just replace the solenoid, but it's not that much cheaper than a recon starter motor.

 

[Struggler]

ill probs just look for a reconned start motor then,
and hope to hell that is solves at least one of my on going problems

can anyone recommend where to get a good reconned start motor for an F7 engine?? (not sure if starters from other cars will fit)

thanks

 

[Struggler]

also, you can hear the starter motor solenoid working,
(asin you can hear it click in and click out)

but the motor just doesnt spin!
ill have to go over all the connections while im chaging everything.

 

[Christopher]

Might just be a bad earth or corrosion.

 

[Arney]

even with all the electrics on your car your not going to be pulling the curent the starter motor needs to turn the engine over like upwards of 60amps. Id suggest trying to start it with some1 using a mulitmeter to look at the level on your battery. get some1 to jump start you and that will pretty much tell you if its the starter motor. Poor earth connections from battery to chassis and from engine to chassis could also cause this.. Again use a multimeter and check the resistance from block to - terminal on abttery.. My guess is Battey or starter.. if a sensor was foobard it would jus keep rotating sensors dont affect the starter motor.. well not that I have ever heard of before.. get some jump leads on it and see what happens.

 

[Struggler]

well the battery is on charge in my garage,
ill put it back in tomorrow and see if it starts,
if it does then i guess its the battery or a drain on the battery,

if it doesnt, then ill start checking earth straps,

ill get a multi meter from my mate,
how can i check the resistance from point to point?? and what are the expected values of said resistance??

 

[Arney]

interesting question I have never measured the resistance from block to battery..set the multi meter to resistance and just touch ya negative terminal and the a good clean surface on the block.. or right next to the earth strap. It will be the return rather than positive. id suggest you shouldnt reeally be seeing much more than a few ohms..

 

[Struggler]

ok so i charged the battery for 48 hours,
put it in the car, and still, the starter motor will not run!

bumped it and it started first time,
took it for a good hour long drive and it didnt miss a beat.

however, everytime i turned it off and attempted to run the starter motor,
it just clicks..

once when you turn the key to stage 3,
and once again when you let it go back to stage 2 again.

im thinking new starter motor time??

 

[sideways danny]

sounds like the starter motor solenoid has been cooked. time for a new one

 

[sophiesdad]

sounds like the starter motor solenoid has been cooked. time for a new one

same as this ,
you try giving the starter a tap with hammer while someone cranks it to see if it springs into life.

 

[Jonny1*2]

Does all point to starter motor. What's the immobiliser light doing? Is this a f4r?

 

[Struggler]

noo F7R, thankfully no immobiliser to worry about,

i dont think its the solenoid, i thought if you heard it click in and out then the solennoid is working,
its just the motor isnt spinning.

ON THE OTHER HAND!
i got in this morning and tried to start it normally just to humor it.

and it worked fine!!

turned it off and tried to do it again,
and its back to nothing! grr
think im just going to buy a new starter motor tbh.

 

[f0xy]

Your solenoid may well click, but thats the thing that passes 12v to the motor itself, so it has to be fully contacting inside (which its probably not doing). Id say new starter and all will be well, since you can bump it and it runs fine...

 

[Struggler]

yesh, new motor

can i use an F7P starter in an R?
and any suggestions where to get one from??
or should i bite the bullet and go to a parts shop??

 

[Christopher]

GSF.

 

[f0xy]

I used a valver starter on my F7R when I put it in, so yeah.

GSF, Euro car parts, local factors if you want new, or williamsclio / clio16valver if you want second hand. I might have one somewhere, depends how much of a rush you are in... Can check later this evening if required.

 

[Struggler]

i would like it sooner rather than later,
but my local factors want £87 for a new one (though thats before adding my trader discount)

if you could have a look, that would be great!

 

[f0xy]

Il PM you this evening when ive had a look. More than likely got one, il test it on the bench if I do

 

[Struggler]

nice one buddy!

 

[Struggler]

ok today the engine has been starting first time every time!!
wtf is going on??

ill give the connections a jiggle tomorrow when im working on it, and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Struggler]

this has started again

has been starting fine on the button for 2 months, and it started doing it again,
no warning, just went to get in my car expecting it to work and.......nothing.

however, ive discovered if you repeatedly turn the key back and forth trying to run the starter motor, after a few times, it does one of two slow, painful attempts and then will work fine again!!

i guess ill have to push getting a new started up my to-do list lol