...it didn't want to start, any ideas?
Discussion
Today I tried to start my car and in start position I got nothing. Similar to trying to start in 'drive' but was definitely in 'park'.
I had the usual look under the bonnet and found a loom connector disconnected. It is between the air filter and headlight, on the right hand side. Its blue and has two pins. I connected this and it started. Disconnected and still started.
I'm not convinced this is the cause of the problem. I've reconnected the connector and had no problems since.
Two questions; what is the blue, two pin loom connector for, and are there any known faults/symptoms I've described?
Mark
I had the usual look under the bonnet and found a loom connector disconnected. It is between the air filter and headlight, on the right hand side. Its blue and has two pins. I connected this and it started. Disconnected and still started.
I'm not convinced this is the cause of the problem. I've reconnected the connector and had no problems since.
Two questions; what is the blue, two pin loom connector for, and are there any known faults/symptoms I've described?
Mark
Sounds like it might be the bonnet lamp connector to me. Garages often disconnect them whilst servicing the car then forget to hook them up afterwards. 
Do you know of the problems with the original batteries ? The early AGM batteries are known to be of poor quality and are often U/S within 18 months to 3 years. Often they would fail for no good reason, but a worryingly high proportion had a distressing habit of leaking acid which dripped down from the battery compartment straight onto the electronics. The design of the battery was supposed to make this impossible !
Have a good look around your battery compartment and check for leaks. While you're down there have a look for rubbing/shorting cables, Vetteheadracer experienced a problem like that last year, though his Z06 blew a fuse and wouldn't go without the AA's assistance.
Do you know of the problems with the original batteries ? The early AGM batteries are known to be of poor quality and are often U/S within 18 months to 3 years. Often they would fail for no good reason, but a worryingly high proportion had a distressing habit of leaking acid which dripped down from the battery compartment straight onto the electronics. The design of the battery was supposed to make this impossible !
Have a good look around your battery compartment and check for leaks. While you're down there have a look for rubbing/shorting cables, Vetteheadracer experienced a problem like that last year, though his Z06 blew a fuse and wouldn't go without the AA's assistance.
Presuming this was your first "non-start", I'd wait to see if it happens again in the near future.
If it does - albeit intermittently - I'd reckon that one (or more) of the segments on the starter motor has burned out... Since the motor has e.g. 4 or 6 wound segments, if you're unlucky (Russian Roulette here
) to stop with the dodgy segment, you won't start... but sometimes a little wait and try again and the magnetic field bumps round to the next segment and you can be OK...
A friend of mine had such a problem in his '99 Cadillac, solved by a new starter motor
... not too expensive though.
If it does - albeit intermittently - I'd reckon that one (or more) of the segments on the starter motor has burned out... Since the motor has e.g. 4 or 6 wound segments, if you're unlucky (Russian Roulette here
) to stop with the dodgy segment, you won't start... but sometimes a little wait and try again and the magnetic field bumps round to the next segment and you can be OK... A friend of mine had such a problem in his '99 Cadillac, solved by a new starter motor
... not too expensive though.mark387mw said:
Today I tried to start my car and in start position I got nothing. Similar to trying to start in 'drive' but was definitely in 'park'.
Mark - I had the exact same problem just once, about 15 months ago. Can only assume that the mechanical "Park" can occasionally be engaged without the lever being pushed far enough or firmly enough to satisfy some electrical switch. You didn't say whether you'd had the key out of the ignition or were re-starting after a stop when the key had not been removed; there is presumably some similar electrical interlock that prevents the key being removed unless the car is in Park.
5USA said:
You didn't say whether you'd had the key out of the ignition or were re-starting after a stop when the key had not been removed; there is presumably some similar electrical interlock that prevents the key being removed unless the car is in Park.
I was starting the car next day so key had been out. No problems before or since. I'm tending to think like you Steve that its a gremlin! Still concerned each time I leave it that it'll not start again.
Its got the UK alarm fitted, wouldn't be immobiliser type snag would it??
Mark
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