Tuscan will not start - help!

[higginssj]

I have a 4.0 mk1 Tuscan. When I turned the key yesterday, instead of the usual fuel pump priming whirr, I got 4 strange thunks and then nothing. When I turn the key to try to start the engine I get nothing. Any time I try the ignition again I get exactly the same thunks then silence. Any ideas?

[Dudley99]

Flat battery?

[higginssj]

Battery is fully charged and the trickle charger light is showing green

[Dudley99]

Still could be faulty. It shows fully charged, but doesn't have the CCA to turn the engine over. They nevcr last on a Tuscan because of where they are cooks them. I would put some jump leads onto another battery and try again, assuming that you can get to the battery in the wheel arch.

If it isn't the battery, it could be a jammed starter motor, but you need to rule the battery out first.

[sixor8]

Much more likely to be the immobiliser, especially if its the original. Or high resistance wiring to the solenoid.

Starters do jam, but it's rare. Lots of TVR owners have changes starters unnecessarily. Including me.

[Basil Brush]

Can you tell where the noises are coming from? Is it fuel pump priming related?

[higginssj]

Sounds like the noise is coming from around the passenger footwell
I did notice the immobiliser led is flashing and I can’t disconnect the immobiliser with the black key, so I will try to reset that first unless you have any other suggestions

[Curdster]

I have a MK1 and the clunks you are hearing are from the heater fan located on the passenger side under the parcel shelf. Its therefore likely to be a dead battery or an issue with the immobiliser. If you can't hear the fuel pump prime is likely to be the immobiliser. If it primes than the battery has gone and there aren't enough amps for the starter motor.
Tyr getting out and locking the car and then opening again to see if this sorts the immobiliser issue before you start taking wheels off and batteries out.

[Basil Brush]

Has your car been sitting without battery power at all? If so, it can mess up the immobiliser.

[higginssj]

No, it’s always left on trickle charger light when not in use
Ir does sound like it’s the immobiliser, so I will have a look at that one back from holiday
Thanks for everyone’s help

[Basil Brush]

It's not a big job to bypass the immobiliser if a reset doesn't work.

[mcosh]

Have you got a kill key in the dash?

[higginssj]

What’s a kill key?