Citroen c2 starting problems please help!
Discussion
I'm new to the forums, but I'll try to be as precise as possible with the problems I am having.
-problem started around the time the battery in my key fob died. Plop battery spent message on dash, tried the spare key when one wouldn't work and it was fine for about two days.
-both fobs suddenly didn't work and when I turned the key in the ignition my car didn't turn over, all lights and radio worked in position 1, but car would not crank there was just a clicking sound.
-changed the batteries in both key fobs.
-car started first time but I did not drive it anywhere. Came to drive to work and my car cut out once, started again fine for anther 100 yards and cut out and refused to start.
-had greenflag out to look. Battery fine, alternator fine and no diagnostic faults showing. Mech had it running fine for a good half hour. Came to finish work and although it turned over it cut out after 5 minutes idle. Engine management faulty displayed once and only once on the dash, this is not the engine management warning light.
-took it to garage the next day, couldn't find any faults and had their diagnostics on it, again no old or new faults showing on it said it ran fine so I drove it home. Came to start it again and it did the same thing and wouldn't turn over just clicked.
-a week later after it was sat doing nothing the battery ended up dying so I charged it up, started first time. Moved it about 15 yards and it cut out having been idling fine. Started up once so I could park it up and then refused to turn over again.
So what could be the problem? Normally when my key comes into contact with the ignition barrel there's an audible whirring sound as either the immobilser cuts off or the fuel pump kicks in, or both.(I'm novice) but this doesn't happen when the car won't turn over it just clicks.
I thought maybe this was an immobilser issue but I'm not aware that it can kick in once the engine is running. And if it were the starter or solenoid then I wouldn't have thought that they could cut off the engine either.
Any help would be appreciated, holding off taking it to Citroen or an auto elec, as it could be costly with no idea what it could be. Thanks in advance!
-problem started around the time the battery in my key fob died. Plop battery spent message on dash, tried the spare key when one wouldn't work and it was fine for about two days.
-both fobs suddenly didn't work and when I turned the key in the ignition my car didn't turn over, all lights and radio worked in position 1, but car would not crank there was just a clicking sound.
-changed the batteries in both key fobs.
-car started first time but I did not drive it anywhere. Came to drive to work and my car cut out once, started again fine for anther 100 yards and cut out and refused to start.
-had greenflag out to look. Battery fine, alternator fine and no diagnostic faults showing. Mech had it running fine for a good half hour. Came to finish work and although it turned over it cut out after 5 minutes idle. Engine management faulty displayed once and only once on the dash, this is not the engine management warning light.
-took it to garage the next day, couldn't find any faults and had their diagnostics on it, again no old or new faults showing on it said it ran fine so I drove it home. Came to start it again and it did the same thing and wouldn't turn over just clicked.
-a week later after it was sat doing nothing the battery ended up dying so I charged it up, started first time. Moved it about 15 yards and it cut out having been idling fine. Started up once so I could park it up and then refused to turn over again.
So what could be the problem? Normally when my key comes into contact with the ignition barrel there's an audible whirring sound as either the immobilser cuts off or the fuel pump kicks in, or both.(I'm novice) but this doesn't happen when the car won't turn over it just clicks.
I thought maybe this was an immobilser issue but I'm not aware that it can kick in once the engine is running. And if it were the starter or solenoid then I wouldn't have thought that they could cut off the engine either.
Any help would be appreciated, holding off taking it to Citroen or an auto elec, as it could be costly with no idea what it could be. Thanks in advance!
How old is the car and how old is the battery?
When the battery was flat what did you charge it with and how long for?
Dead/dying batteries cause all sorts of problems with modern electrics.
If no faults are showing - assuming it was done with Peugeot/Citroen dedicated diagnostic kit not just a general code reader - my suspicions would fall on:
Dead/dying battery not holding charge.(Notwithstanding GF saying it was fine)
Poor connection at either end of battery cables.
Poor earthing between engine & body - try a jump lead from battery earth terminal direct to a good clean part of the block & see if that makes any difference.
When the battery was flat what did you charge it with and how long for?
Dead/dying batteries cause all sorts of problems with modern electrics.
If no faults are showing - assuming it was done with Peugeot/Citroen dedicated diagnostic kit not just a general code reader - my suspicions would fall on:
Dead/dying battery not holding charge.(Notwithstanding GF saying it was fine)
Poor connection at either end of battery cables.
Poor earthing between engine & body - try a jump lead from battery earth terminal direct to a good clean part of the block & see if that makes any difference.
Edited by paintman on Thursday 7th January 08:53
Thank you for the responses guys.
The car does get serviced, last time it got serviced was about 6 months ago and a new battery was put in then.
I charged it up when it died with a slow trickle charger that plugs into the mains,
Hardly affirmative but when greenflag tested my battery after it had cut out on me, the reading came back at full charge and 90% health.
I'll try cleaning off the terminals and reconnecting them today providing it's not chucking it down!
The car does get serviced, last time it got serviced was about 6 months ago and a new battery was put in then.
I charged it up when it died with a slow trickle charger that plugs into the mains,
Hardly affirmative but when greenflag tested my battery after it had cut out on me, the reading came back at full charge and 90% health.
I'll try cleaning off the terminals and reconnecting them today providing it's not chucking it down!
It might sound daft, but, the way the battery is tested it would be fine 100% of the time, as this is normally done directly on the battery terminals.
The car gets this electricity through the leads though, so if one is not tight, or is dirty then the cars supply of electrickery is compromised/intermittent.
The car gets this electricity through the leads though, so if one is not tight, or is dirty then the cars supply of electrickery is compromised/intermittent.
As an update to this topic.
I took out the battery and left it on charge until full. In the hope that it would reset the ECU. Also cleaned up the contacts and when I reconnected everything I resynced my keyfob.
Now, when I did this, my car actually started up. Idled fine. And managed four trips up and down the roads near me and round the block. (Daren't go far)
And I was happy.
Left it Parked up, came back to it next day and alas. The same problem. Battery light was fine. But me trying to turn the ignition resulted in the clicking sound which after numerous attempts dropped the car into Eco mode. Had my windows down and car refused to jump start so I called out Greenflag again.
Greenflag could not get the car started. The battery "seems" fine. The starter is drawing power etc. He did say the earth was deteriorated, but him manipulating the cable while I tried to turn the engine did nothing. So this will be my first port of call to replace in the hope that this could be the issue.
However he also has an inclination that there is possibly some gremlin in between the ECU and the starter or something like that. In order to get the windows up he had to do a static reset but the car is still in Eco mode because he couldn't get it fired up. I'm dreading the idea that the ECU is dead but I've heard this is relatively rare.
I also stress that when I put the key in the ignition there was no audible sound of things coming to life in the engine bay as usually is. Just gutted that it worked for a good day driving around and does this to me. Any more help would be appreciated.
I took out the battery and left it on charge until full. In the hope that it would reset the ECU. Also cleaned up the contacts and when I reconnected everything I resynced my keyfob.
Now, when I did this, my car actually started up. Idled fine. And managed four trips up and down the roads near me and round the block. (Daren't go far)
And I was happy.
Left it Parked up, came back to it next day and alas. The same problem. Battery light was fine. But me trying to turn the ignition resulted in the clicking sound which after numerous attempts dropped the car into Eco mode. Had my windows down and car refused to jump start so I called out Greenflag again.
Greenflag could not get the car started. The battery "seems" fine. The starter is drawing power etc. He did say the earth was deteriorated, but him manipulating the cable while I tried to turn the engine did nothing. So this will be my first port of call to replace in the hope that this could be the issue.
However he also has an inclination that there is possibly some gremlin in between the ECU and the starter or something like that. In order to get the windows up he had to do a static reset but the car is still in Eco mode because he couldn't get it fired up. I'm dreading the idea that the ECU is dead but I've heard this is relatively rare.
I also stress that when I put the key in the ignition there was no audible sound of things coming to life in the engine bay as usually is. Just gutted that it worked for a good day driving around and does this to me. Any more help would be appreciated.
I still believe the battery's faulty. Unfortunately unless you have access to another one that will fit the only way you're going to determine that is by buying a new one.
Cold weather shows up dead/dying batteries. That it's only 6 months old means nothing. I had a number of issues with Lion batteries from ECP a few years ago. Lasted 9 months then as soon as the cold weather arrived wouldn't hold charge. 2 replacements did the same. When I took the 2nd back the chap behind the counter presumably thought it was from a customer's car (I'm trade) & cheerfully told me they get around 1/3 of them back within the warranty period. When the last one went I replaced it with one from Halfords (again, I'm trade & the discount is substantial) & no further issues.
If by 'the battery light was fine' you mean the battery has one of those little windows on it then that will tell you that that one cell is OK, not all of them.
When you try to jump start is the engine turning over or not?
Are you connecting the jump leads to the battery or one to the battery one to the block?
Are your jump leads substantial bits of wire or the thin - and more or less useless - cheapies?
Have you checked for excessive parasitic current being drawn from the battery when everything is off?
Cold weather shows up dead/dying batteries. That it's only 6 months old means nothing. I had a number of issues with Lion batteries from ECP a few years ago. Lasted 9 months then as soon as the cold weather arrived wouldn't hold charge. 2 replacements did the same. When I took the 2nd back the chap behind the counter presumably thought it was from a customer's car (I'm trade) & cheerfully told me they get around 1/3 of them back within the warranty period. When the last one went I replaced it with one from Halfords (again, I'm trade & the discount is substantial) & no further issues.
If by 'the battery light was fine' you mean the battery has one of those little windows on it then that will tell you that that one cell is OK, not all of them.
When you try to jump start is the engine turning over or not?
Are you connecting the jump leads to the battery or one to the battery one to the block?
Are your jump leads substantial bits of wire or the thin - and more or less useless - cheapies?
Have you checked for excessive parasitic current being drawn from the battery when everything is off?
By battery light I mean the warning light on the dash board. Which tells me when it is low. Apologies.
The car will not turn over when jump started, and i have used both chunky jump cables and a charger I have that plugs into the mains capable of jump starts or trickle charging. Have attached the cables to both the battery terminals and to the block to try. Neither currently work although did in the past, even if it was to just start the engine.
When I put my key in the ignition and I can hear the car coming to life I know the car will start fine. Although when it does, it dies shortly after driving. When the key makes no sounds there is no turn over just the relay clicking near the glovebox. I'll buy a new battery as soon as I can to eliminate that factor.
The car will not turn over when jump started, and i have used both chunky jump cables and a charger I have that plugs into the mains capable of jump starts or trickle charging. Have attached the cables to both the battery terminals and to the block to try. Neither currently work although did in the past, even if it was to just start the engine.
When I put my key in the ignition and I can hear the car coming to life I know the car will start fine. Although when it does, it dies shortly after driving. When the key makes no sounds there is no turn over just the relay clicking near the glovebox. I'll buy a new battery as soon as I can to eliminate that factor.
I also wonder if there is a problem with the charging system of the vehicle not working correctly so any charge in the battery doesn't last long. Once the voltage drops below a certain point the car will just stop, which is what you're getting.
Beginning to sound like time for a specialist auto-electrician or at least an indy with Citroen dedicated diagnostics.
(edit for spellings!)
Beginning to sound like time for a specialist auto-electrician or at least an indy with Citroen dedicated diagnostics.
(edit for spellings!)
Edited by paintman on Monday 18th January 17:54
I'm just wondering if this issue was ever resolved?
We have a C2 VTR with very similar symptoms. Car starts normally, can drive 1 mile or 200 miles without any problems. Can stop and turn off engine while filling up or popping into a shop and it will start perfectly but, occasionally we can do this (like yesterday), popped into the supermarket and when we tried to start the car it just made a clicking sound. All dash lights and electrics working fine. Hooking up jump leads makes no difference. We have discovered waiting 45-60 minutes seems to cure it and the car will then start. The first time this happened, the RAC guy said it was a faulty starter motor so we have replaced the starter motor with a brand new one, the problem continued and so we also had fitted a brand new battery, new batteries in the key fobs and then a new BSi unit. The issue STILL exists and this mornings £75 Citroen main dealer diagnostic check revealed no issues. No fault codes. Nothing. The car is in exceptional condition with very low mileage and has never failed an MOT. It is serviced and maintained to a high standard. Very very very disappointing. If anyone managed to find the cause of this fault please do let me know.
We have a C2 VTR with very similar symptoms. Car starts normally, can drive 1 mile or 200 miles without any problems. Can stop and turn off engine while filling up or popping into a shop and it will start perfectly but, occasionally we can do this (like yesterday), popped into the supermarket and when we tried to start the car it just made a clicking sound. All dash lights and electrics working fine. Hooking up jump leads makes no difference. We have discovered waiting 45-60 minutes seems to cure it and the car will then start. The first time this happened, the RAC guy said it was a faulty starter motor so we have replaced the starter motor with a brand new one, the problem continued and so we also had fitted a brand new battery, new batteries in the key fobs and then a new BSi unit. The issue STILL exists and this mornings £75 Citroen main dealer diagnostic check revealed no issues. No fault codes. Nothing. The car is in exceptional condition with very low mileage and has never failed an MOT. It is serviced and maintained to a high standard. Very very very disappointing. If anyone managed to find the cause of this fault please do let me know.
Sounds like the starter solenoid is not engaging the starter properly. A cooked starter motor would be my first guess but you say you already replaced it. I suggest you need to look at the voltage across the solenoid when the problem happens. If it is very close to battery voltage and the battery voltage is at least 12.5V, you probably have a problem in the starter itself. If it isn't getting full voltage then you have an electrical problem.
Hello, I’ve just come across this reply on this post and really need your advice.
I have the exact same problem as you, my car has been in the garage for 2 months. New BSI, new battery, a new fuse, endless testing... and still intermittent
I can stop and start the car heaps of times fine, and then it’ll just refuse to start randomly. Leave it for 10-20 minutes and it’ll start no problem.
I can drive any mileage once running but dare I switch it off at a fuel station or to pop in a shop.. as it will refuse to start again unless I leave it to rest for a bit.
What happened with yours? Did you solve it?
I’m thinking my next shot will be a fuel pump relay.
Thanks. Tom.
I have the exact same problem as you, my car has been in the garage for 2 months. New BSI, new battery, a new fuse, endless testing... and still intermittent
I can stop and start the car heaps of times fine, and then it’ll just refuse to start randomly. Leave it for 10-20 minutes and it’ll start no problem.
I can drive any mileage once running but dare I switch it off at a fuel station or to pop in a shop.. as it will refuse to start again unless I leave it to rest for a bit.
What happened with yours? Did you solve it?
I’m thinking my next shot will be a fuel pump relay.
Thanks. Tom.
Tomitchell1718 said:
I’m thinking my next shot will be a fuel pump relay.
Total waste of time unless there is a problem with the existing one - and that would be easy to check.As you describe it, I think the engine is not cranking over when you turn the key. In that case you need to check whether the battery voltage is correct and whether you're getting full battery voltage across the starter solenoid. If you have full voltage and the starter is not engaging, you have a mechanical fault in the starter - it's common for them to suffer heat damage and get caked up with dirt and burned grease. If you don't have full voltage but the battery voltage is good, you have an electrical fault. If the battery voltage is not good, you have a battery and/or charging fault.
I am having a problem with my citroen c2 1.1 2003. I was in Blackpool and turning around in a car park the oil light engine management light came on and it juddered and stopped. I tried to restart the car but it just keeps cranking but will not start at all. Once towed back to the house I have had an OBD reader on it and it is coming up with an issue with the coil pack I replaced this but nothing. I then realised that no fuel is actually coming to the engine even with half a tank in. I changed the fuel pump and nothing at all it will not spark or send fuel to the engine at all. The car has a black box in it and after recently cancelling my insurance and 're insuring it they have deactivated the box I'm wondering if it could be that or someone can help me at all as to what it could be.
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