Starter motor or?

[maritimesbob]

My Peugeot Partner 2008 diesel had a starting issue at lunchtime. It's been fine up until today other than needing the alternator pulley replacing.

I have noticed on occasions it sounds bit hesitant cranking, other times it sounds fine. But after parking up today I return ten minutes later to no cranking at all. Nothing.

I have power, lights etc. Not cranking over.

I had an electrical meter in the back and checked the battery, was getting 12.65 ish which seems ok to me. I called a friend to give me a boost start, hooked up the cables and still nothing. With his car running and hooked to my battery I was getting 13.5 which shows the boost cables were connected.

After a while of getting annoyed I looked under the hood fuse box, but it was pouring rain never got to see much. Poked at some fuses and sat back in the van. After trying a few more times I called recovery.

During the half an hour of waiting I turned the ignition on and off several times, then suddenly it came to life, cranked over and fired up like nothing happened! So I cancelled recovery and headed home.

This of course leaves me with little faith and I need to find out what is happening?

I am hedging on the starter motor slowly dying, or could this possibly be an immobilizer issue? I thought if the latter, doesn't an immobilizer light come on the display?

Don't want to start throwing money at it just for fun.

Thanks.

[rustednut]

Sounds like starter motor or earth, or both.

But without proper testing it is only a guess.

[gazza285]

No solenoid click?

[Penelope Stopit]

As above

Next time fault occurs, check for volt-drop between battery negative and engine block, should be around 0.25 volts max

If no volt-drop found.................have someone hold key over in crank position and hit the back of the starter motor by holding a piece of wood to it and applying the hammer

In short...give motor a whack but don't break it

[maritimesbob]

gazza285 said:

No solenoid click?

Not that I could hear, it was almost as though the battery was dead (but it wasn't). I wonder if the solenoid went kaput?

Problem is it's now starting fine as always, but I'll always be apprehensive until it happens. Maybe tomorrow when it's dry I'll check all the grounds are clean.

Next time it happens I'll check with the volt meter the procedure mentioned, other do the old school thing and hit the top of the starter.