Car won't start....

[Mattt]

I spoke to Mick @ Corse and have got a recommendation for a good auto electrician, so will get him to give it the once over.

[Mattt]

Went to start it tonight and didn't have enough power.

After 30 minutes of driving around last night I thought that would do the job - so maybe the battery is screwed as well.

[tamore]

Mattt said:

Went to start it tonight and didn't have enough power.

After 30 minutes of driving around last night I thought that would do the job - so maybe the battery is screwed as well.

could try the conditioning cycle on your ctek or accumate? thought i read on another thread that you had both, or that might have been another matt.

[Mattt]

Had a chat on the phone with Jamie at Kerridges who was helpful as ever!

He's given me a list of things to check when I borrow a multimeter tomorrow.

[Mattt]

The battery viewing window says it's still good btw.

maybe alternator.

I recall that it's a Land Rover alternator, can anyone remember which specific model?

[Mattt]

Battery is hooked up indoors to the Accumate anyway just to be sure.

[Mattt]

Just dropped off the car at Henshaw Auto Electrical in Brookvale (Sydney) who came recommended from a few people.

Will see what they can find!

[Mattt]

Frustratingly they can't find an issue with it now. They wonder if I've managed to fix the problem while I've been investigating and changing fuses and bolting things up again.

They are going to keep it for a couple of days to check

[tamore]

Mattt said:

Frustratingly they can't find an issue with it now. They wonder if I've managed to fix the problem while I've been investigating and changing fuses and bolting things up again.

They are going to keep it for a couple of days to check

did you change the battery or do a conditioning cycle?

[Mattt]

I just put it on the Accumate, it doesn't have any options it just does what it does.

It took 48 hours so assume some conditioning rather than just charging.

[Mattt]

I have changed the 80a fuse in the meantime and unbolted/rebolted the earth lead from chassis to battery.

[tamore]

i've had 2 polar experiences with my ctek....

my dad's car. he left it with us over christmas while he visited my sister in florida. his car (vaux omega) lives outside in rural county durham (bloody freezing!). his battery had been losing charge after about a week to the point it wouldn't start the car, despite charging it slowly from a standard charger. i hooked it in to the ctek, and gave it a couple of conditioning cycles over a fortnight or so. he swears blind that i put a new battery on it while he was away. it wasn't going flat even if left untouched for 2 weeks.

my tamora. it had a new battery about 4 years ago (courtesy of cactussed and his garage facilities at the time), and since then it's needed the odd jump start. i never had a garage with a power point until november just gone, so could never use a trickle charger/conditioner. the battery eventually died despite being on the ctek for a good while (been a bad winter in the peak district and it hasn't gone out much). come chatsworth weekend, i tried to fire it up on the saturday evening, and even though just being taken off the charger, it wouldn't start the engine. cue a mad scramble to get a battery from halfrauds on the morning of the chatsworth meet, a racing jack borrwoed from gazzab, and i was there by 11.30.

sometimes batteries just take so much punishment that the chemistry irreversibly changes and the only answer is a new one. not saying this is what's happened to you, but just my experience of battery woes!

[Tom The Cat]

Hi All,
Matt

st happens , I've exactly the same problem with my Tam!
having all time a Battery Conditioner on my Battery (Batt. was out of the car).
The Battery seems really strong during the nearly 3 Years of using ... of course not in Wintertime.
This Year after replacing the Battery in no worries at all!
then the Battery-Devil comes to me.
2 Weeks ago , the car would nearly not start .... was outside a little cold 2 degC!
but she comes to life!

Yesterday ..having the same prob. as showing in your vid.
Today I take the Battery out of the car.
measuring the Voltages --> 10,7 V!
I think its over.
will get a new one.

2 Pic´s are following...

Has anybody an Idea , for what is this other single Cable?
and
Do we really need this 2 Fuses?




|


Maybe of interest:

Battery Data:
Type : 072T
Voltage 12 Volts
Capacity 72 - 80 Ah
CCA 680 - 720 A
Length 265 mm
Width 175 mm
Height 206 mm

Thanks in advance ttc

Edited by Tom The Cat on Friday 10th May 13:32

[Mattt]

Right, charged battery up on the Accumate this time - car started fine, drove it down to an Auto Electrician and left it with him for a week.

He couldn't find any issue with the car, said alternator was fine.

I picked the car up (after one week of being fine and starting up fine) drove it 45 minutes home and put it in garage (Thursday night).

Went to drive it this morning and wouldn't start (seemed fine initially, fuel pump primed) - wouldn't even turn over, dash dials did their usual thing of going up and down etc.

[shep1001]

Tom The Cat said:

Hi All,
Matt

st happens , I've exactly the same problem with my Tam!
having all time a Battery Conditioner on my Battery (Batt. was out of the car).
The Battery seems really strong during the nearly 3 Years of using ... of course not in Wintertime.
This Year after replacing the Battery in no worries at all!
then the Battery-Devil comes to me.
2 Weeks ago , the car would nearly not start .... was outside a little cold 2 degC!
but she comes to life!

Yesterday ..having the same prob. as showing in your vid.
Today I take the Battery out of the car.
measuring the Voltages --> 10,7 V!
I think its over.
will get a new one.

2 Pic´s are following...

Has anybody an Idea , for what is this other single Cable?
and
Do we really need this 2 Fuses?




|


Maybe of interest:

Battery Data:
Type : 072T
Voltage 12 Volts
Capacity 72 - 80 Ah
CCA 680 - 720 A
Length 265 mm
Width 175 mm
Height 206 mm

Thanks in advance ttc

Edited by Tom The Cat on Friday 10th May 13:32

Thats for the power steering pump

[Mattt]

Another video of today:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mb0phe9wp6ss9eg/2013-05-...

Shows alarm going off too, which is new!

[Mattt]

Can anyone tell me exactly where the earth are?

One is behind battery to chassis, then believe 2 more?

[ChrisPap]

How incredably frustrating this must be for you!

There is an earth on the RHS of the engine under the airbox near alternator to chassis.

I would do the following if you can...

• run a jump cable with crocodile clips on it from the battery Neg to the engine. Clip it on to the block, or some chunky exposed metal part (Fuel rail?). This will confirm or rule out the bad earth theory.

• use a multimeter or similar device to measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals while you crank the car. Probably shouldn't drop below 11 volts, def not below 10 under cranking load. Just checked my battery and it's 12.1, so maybe 11.8v is a little low. Maybe the battery has an intermittent internal fault (shorting plates)? Unluckily it didn't show while at the sparkys.

• Is the starter motor really hot after one of these attempted starts? Maybe it has a internal fault?

• tried taking the PAS relay out to reduce load at start-up?

Best bit of advice is probably to try a new battery.

[ChrisPap]

Watching your video again it looks just like my car.
I tried jumping off another car with a good battery, same car running, big jump battery. Nothing worked- it still nipped up like in your video.

A new battery fixed it straight away. Give it a go.

[Mattt]

I'm going to take the battery back to the shop today and get them to test it.

Unfortunately it was bought through a garage back in Brisbane (600 miles away) in November (just found invoice), so the warranty process won't be easy!!