won't start

[elenitro]

I've just popped out for lunch in my car and when I've tried to start it to come back it won't start. Everything seems OK in that the car unlock, the lights come on and fuel pump primes but nothing happens when I either press the start button or turn the key.
Any ideas?

Leon

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

If the ignition lights go off when to turn the key the immobiliser is still on.

[AMG Merc]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

If the ignition lights go off when to turn the key the immobiliser is still on.

+1?

[YellowShed]

Sounds like the starter relay or fuses - if pump is priming then immobiliser has deactivated. Check the relays and fuses in the engine bay (pull them out and plug them back in again).

YellowShed

[Mike Tuckwood]

YellowShed said:

Sounds like the starter relay or fuses - if pump is priming then immobiliser has deactivated. Check the relays and fuses in the engine bay (pull them out and plug them back in again).

YellowShed

One at a time so you don't mix them up?


Mike.

[elenitro]

YellowShed said:

Sounds like the starter relay or fuses - if pump is priming then immobiliser has deactivated. Check the relays and fuses in the engine bay (pull them out and plug them back in again).

YellowShed

Thanks. I'll give that a go but it seems strange that it started fine 15 mins before that!
I found an old thread as well which suggests rocking the car back and forth in gear and then try again??
Typical that it does it when I'm away from home in a public car park!

Leon

[slipstream 1985]

used to have to do that with old transits.

[Gadgeroonie]

will it bump start ?

it may only be the starter motor

[daddysumo]

YellowShed said:

Sounds like the starter relay or fuses - if pump is priming then immobiliser has deactivated. Check the relays and fuses in the engine bay (pull them out and plug them back in again).

YellowShed

Yep had this problem before... it was the supply to the ECU so as stated above, the relay is the one on the end right and the one next to it. The fuses (bank of 4) are near the ECU and get cruddy in this weather

Steve

[elenitro]

OK so I rocked the car back and forth in gear, tried it...same... tried keeping the key turned to start but after a few secs the immobiliser seemed to kick back in?? so I removed/replaced all the relay's (1 at a time) and then checked the fuses (all OK). When i tried to start it then the fuel pump wasn't even priming. I left the ignition on and wiggled the wires going into the bottom of the relays then the fuel pump came on.
I got someone to then give me a push and it bumped very easily. I've got it back to where I'm staying now and didn't have the heart to try and restart it straight away.

Is this looking like a new starter motor?

[daddysumo]

elenitro said:

OK so I rocked the car back and forth in gear, tried it...same... tried keeping the key turned to start but after a few secs the immobiliser seemed to kick back in?? so I removed/replaced all the relay's (1 at a time) and then checked the fuses (all OK). When i tried to start it then the fuel pump wasn't even priming. I left the ignition on and wiggled the wires going into the bottom of the relays then the fuel pump came on.
I got someone to then give me a push and it bumped very easily. I've got it back to where I'm staying now and didn't have the heart to try and restart it straight away.

Is this looking like a new starter motor?

test it first, get a jump pack or battery and jump leads and connect directly to the starter motor soleniod and chassis, if it cranks then its not the starter.

[The devil]

I had an intermittent problem with mine a week after I bought it and it turned out to be the relay bases behind the driver seat in the engine bay, Skip put new bases and relays in and the job was a goodun. I did find that rocking them about made it work then not so bad connections

[jimbooo]

i have exactly the same problem and have been living with it for about 6 months now. The car ALWAYS starts first time when cold but once warmed up it does exactly as you say if i turn off and try to restart (eg in a petrol station). dash lights and fuel pump come on but no cranking at all. nothing. I then sit there for between 1 and 20 minutes (varies each time!) and keep trying and eventually it starts like there was nothing wrong in the first place. I have had dodgy connections in the rear fuses, the 4 in the engine bay but these stop the fuel pump priming when not working, they do not effect the cranking as long as you can hear the fuel pump. Jetstream have had a look at it and have yet to find the cause but to be honest they were concentrating on rebuilding my engine at the time rather than focusing on this.

it gets very embarrasing when you are blocking the pumps in a small petrol station for 20 mins looking like a stranded idiot in a rather impractical car! lol

i have also checked all the relays and they are all fine. so i am thinking starter motor... dave at jetstream shorted the starter motor one time it did it to him and it fixed the problem instantly, only to do it again 30 mins later after a test around his track and subsequent switch off and restart.

let me know if you lot have any other ideas as this is getting really annoying.

oh also my alarm is going off at least 10 times a day, mainly in the early hours!! any ideas on what that is as well while im typing (sorry to hijack!)

[SimonJW]

How long has it been sat doing nothing and how far are the shops? If you have only travelled a short ditance and it has been sat for a few weeks there is a posibility that you will only have enough power in the battery for one start!

HTIOH

Si

[elenitro]

The devil said:

I had an intermittent problem with mine a week after I bought it and it turned out to be the relay bases behind the driver seat in the engine bay, Skip put new bases and relays in and the job was a goodun. I did find that rocking them about made it work then not so bad connections

When I got back to my car to go home it seemed to be OK. It didn't start on the first turnover (maybe 3-4) and didn't sound quite right. Still at least it was turning over! So it could be a combination of dodgy connections and dodgy starter?

jimbooo said:

oh also my alarm is going off at least 10 times a day, mainly in the early hours!! any ideas on what that is as well while im typing (sorry to hijack!)

Strangely enough mine has also now started going off. I went through the turning the ignition on/off etc to get the code for why it was doing so and it said it was the internal sensors....so i've stopped it by double pressing the fob for the time being!

I'm starting to think that driving in the rain has caused this as I noticed that my speedo had got misted up from the inside but none of the other dials?!

Leon

[snuffy]

I've had a few things go wrong with starting etc, so I'll list them and they my help :

a) Battery had it when I first got the car. Charged it and blew the fuse on the bulk head.

b) Alarm going off all the time and unable to shut it up. The battery was draining in a day or so and that sets the alarm off. New battery fitted and seemed to cure it.

c) Not able to start the car. Turned out the starter motor had packed in. My theory was it may have been shorting to ground internally and that was draining the battery.

d) Alarm went off ( always in the middle of the night ) a few weeks ago. Flat battery but I think the interior light was left on after I fiddled with the switch. Charged up the battery, but the interior light to always off and it's been fine since.

If you dont drive the car much and dont have a battery conditioner/trickle charger on it then the constant discharge and subsequent starting, then charging by driving will not do it any good. That's why it's best to have a trickle charger. There are a lot of thing to drain the battery, i.e. alarm, radio, immobiliser, tracker. It does not take long to drain with all those things.

Also, once a battery "goes" it does it very quickly. One day it can be fine, the next it's had it and will then refuse to hold it's charge, i.e. you can charge it, drive it, leave it for a couple of hours and it's flat again. A spell of cold weather can tip a dying battery over the edge.

When did you last replace said battery ? That would be the first thing I'd replace ( and as we know, fitting a new one is no small task ! )

[jimbooo]

so does double pressing the fob lock the car but disable the alarm? if so thats great news as i am becoming rather unpopular in my cul-de-sac lol.

in my case
A) - new battery 3 weeks ago to try and solve another problem where the car was conking out in traffic. theory was not enough charge to jump the spark plugs. batter was reading 14V but then 4 after sitting still for a while, then 14V after a drive etc. so changed the battery.

B)- alarm still goes off - no change after new battery

C) - i have not considered this. im no mechanic and dont know much about these things but that may explain the previous problems. however the non starting symptoms are not a flat battery. there is no turnover at all. nothing, not even the faintest movement, then 5 mins later try again and it turns over on full power with no issues at all. that cant be the battery surely. but maybe a dodgy connection or something in the starter motor causing an intermittant fault. (note only happens when car has warmed up, never when cold)

d) definitely not the light, nothing plugged into the lighter socket and tracker not activated although apparently there is one fitted (never bothered signing up after i boutht the car as previous owner did not use it either. been on there for the whole time ive had the car (14 months or so) so doubt its that either

Car is a daily driver, 30 miles+ day 16K so far since ownership so not due to limited use.

Odd hey?!

OP: how does your problem / my situation compare. Mines a 2.5GTO by the way.

snuffy said:

I've had a few things go wrong with starting etc, so I'll list them and they my help :

a) Battery had it when I first got the car. Charged it and blew the fuse on the bulk head.

b) Alarm going off all the time and unable to shut it up. The battery was draining in a day or so and that sets the alarm off. New battery fitted and seemed to cure it.

c) Not able to start the car. Turned out the starter motor had packed in. My theory was it may have been shorting to ground internally and that was draining the battery.

d) Alarm went off ( always in the middle of the night ) a few weeks ago. Flat battery but I think the interior light was left on after I fiddled with the switch. Charged up the battery, but the interior light to always off and it's been fine since.

If you dont drive the car much and dont have a battery conditioner/trickle charger on it then the constant discharge and subsequent starting, then charging by driving will not do it any good. That's why it's best to have a trickle charger. There are a lot of thing to drain the battery, i.e. alarm, radio, immobiliser, tracker. It does not take long to drain with all those things.

Also, once a battery "goes" it does it very quickly. One day it can be fine, the next it's had it and will then refuse to hold it's charge, i.e. you can charge it, drive it, leave it for a couple of hours and it's flat again. A spell of cold weather can tip a dying battery over the edge.

When did you last replace said battery ? That would be the first thing I'd replace ( and as we know, fitting a new one is no small task ! )

[jdearden]

my alarm goes off if i only lock it once. i thought it had to be double locked and that set the immobilisor. but im new to this game so nnot sure.

[elenitro]

jimbooo said:

so does double pressing the fob lock the car but disable the alarm? if so thats great news as i am becoming rather unpopular in my cul-de-sac lol.

I'm sure I read that just one press arms the system as normal and the second press deactivates the passive arming of the ultrasonic sensors which is what was setting mine off. Have you got the instructions on how to use the ignition to get it to report what is setting it off? It's in the build manual you can get on nobleparts.

My battery is less than 6 months old so unlikely to be this as when the last one was on it's way out it wouldn't start and when jumped the steering would be really heaving, the windscreen wipers slow and headlights none existant with the battery light in the car flickering.

I've never had alarm problems or this no turnover problem when the battery was duff last time.

As this is the first time I've had the problem today and it was after I had driven about 2 miles to the shop and left it there for 20 mins, it shouldn't have been warm so although it sounds like we have the same problem it must be different causes, although perhaps dodgy connections is both our probs?

Mines a 2004 3R btw.


Leon

[mgbond]

These are CAT 1 Alarms. So when you arm the unit and then press the button again it disables the internal sensors, this is incase you have left a child or dog in the car so the doors lock but car still armed.

Bondy