Help please: 390 won,nt start

[wedgienauld]

Hello chaps wonder if you can help me sort out me non-starting 390: Late model - low miles, been stood on my drive for a good while, under cover but not getting used so the battery was a little below par when I came to start her last weekend, and although she turned over she would,nt catch and start.
After charging with a battery charger and then putting the battery on an optimate for the week, the optimate confirmed the battery was goosed. New battery fitted today and hooked up, tried again. All I get is the sound of relays (clicking and such like). I,ve checked the fuses, seem fine, and looked in vain for the 'interia plunger cut out thingy', but Ive come to the conclusion that my car does,nt have one. Is it likely relays, fuel pump? electrics not my strong suite -any advise appreciated.

[blaineuk]

is it turning over, if so make sure the air flap is moving freely in the air flow meter.

[rev-erend]

When you get that noise - it's just the battery has no voltage.

You can confirm this with a volt meter - if you see much less than 12.3 volts you have no chance of it starting..

Try a jump start with another car ..

When it's running - check the voltage again - if there is less than about 13.8 then the alternator is probably at fault..

[blaineuk]

also check the earths

[honestjohntoo]

wedgienauld said:

All I get is the sound of relays.

So if its NOT turning over the sound of relays is either

1 the starter relay is energising but not closing.

• Check the starter relay connections and the relay itself, replace if necessary.

or
2 the starter motor solenoid is not switching the high current to the starter motor.

• Check the cleanliness of all the heavy duty connections (+ & -) to starter motor, engine block and chassis, also the earth strap.
• The starter solenoid can be removed and cleaned but you may prefer to fit an exchange starter motor/solenoid.

[adam quantrill]

Or 3:

The white and red wire to the starter solenoid is broken, it goes past the exhaust manifold and is quite vulnerable. Make sure you get good volts to the starter solenoid during cranking. This wire carries quite a hefty current - probably 20A or so, so an ohmmeter might not be good enough to test it.

[wedgienauld]

Appreciate the replies Boys: Yeah - it won,nt turn over at all - just the sound of relays (doing what relays do I suppose) did I say that I fitted a new battery - but never thought to test to see that it was fully charged - if its been on the shelf in the auto factors (general auto factors, not a battery specialist) it may require a full charging before use

The horn works and the lights, wiper, and stuff, but if the battery is depleted to a certain extent I guess that these will still work but simply not sufficient power to affect any sign of turning over the motor.. Is that right?

In the meantime I'll check the battery, and then the connections that you have all kindly suggested I check.

These relays - where do I get them from and are they should i expect to see their i.d. so I can ask for direct replacements. If not does anyone have a list of application against relay, please. Regards Garry

[matt-man]

As my Dad always told me, check the most simple things first!!!

If it just clicks, as the guys have pointed out, you either dont have enough juice or (as you have a new battery) more likely that the starter has jammed...

Try rocking the car back and forward in gear a couple of times which can help to free it...

Also, well worth checking the terminals on the starter motor. Its a 5 min job, whip the drivers side wheel off, take the terminals off, clean and put back on again.

[ed_crouch]

I had a funny one a while back. sounds similar to your problem.

Car wouldnt turn over, but the relays were clicking away.

I took the starter out and started to strip it down, and there was a piece of plastic jamming the solenoid, and preventing it from fully closing and engaging the motor.

I dont know where the hell that piece of plastic came from (I did look!), but I removed it and all was well!

Odd...