problem starting

[Matt99man]

So its been a week since I last started the chim and two weeks since I drove it. I've come to start it turns I've for a second and then comes a drilling sound! All the dash lights up too! Any ideas of what it could be??

[s p a c e m a n]

Starter motor not engaging. Try sticking it in gear and push the car to turn the flywheel a little bit, then try and start it. If that doesn't work, jack the car up and check that the starter motor is bolted to the car. If it is, whack it with a heavy hammer a couple of times.

If it still doesn't work, take it off and fix it.

I had a starter with a sticky solenoid on an Astra that I used for work years ago, had to whack it with a metal pole that I kept in the boot once a week. Lasted like that for a couple of years

[PH430]

I had the same problem. Turnout to be the voltage to low in the battery. So you have to charge it.

[Matt99man]

I figured it was the starter motor making the noise, never heard that kind of noise come from issues with them though before. Thinking about it though it's been with lot bigger sound proofed cars in the past!

[s p a c e m a n]

It sounds like a drill because that's more or less what it is, it's just a drill with a cog on the end that runs the teeth on the edge of the flywheel, if the solenoid doesn't engage then it just spins the cog and sounds like a drill. Heat/dirt can make the solenoid stick so whacking it sometimes frees it. Could be a dodgy tooth on the flywheel stopping it engaging, so rolling the car in gear moves the teeth around. It could be hanging off of the car, could be a dodgy electrical connection..

[J400GED]

Charge your battery first before anything else, it's been sat for a week and probably was low last time you started it up and 2 weeks since it was driven to give it a decent charge.

If that cures it, get yourself a trickle charger. If not then start looking elsewhere for the cause.

Ged

[WOO5IE]

It's probably the battery

How old is the battery if over 4 years then it will need changing
Worth charging but it is unlikely to last. if battery not completely knackered it should at least start

[WOO5IE]

It's probably the battery

How old is the battery if over 4 years then it will need changing
Worth charging but it is unlikely to last. if battery not completely knackered it should at least start

[QBee]

Just had the same issue with my Audi this weekend. Drill noise is not enough oomph from the battery to engage the starter.
Advice as above, try charging the battery.

In my case it was a knackered battery, would only charge to 10 volts. New battery today, car starts.

[s p a c e m a n]

I don't get it, why would a low battery stop the solenoid from firing? Normally when you have a low battery it'll just click or have a slow turn because it has enough power to work the solenoid but not enough to turn the motor.

[QBee]

Easy test - jump leads, try a jump start from a car with a good battery.

[Matt99man]

Accumate trickle charger and cigar lighter has now arrived and doing its job. 9 hours in and still on yellow! Hoping to kick it up tomorrow

[steve j]

A little info for those that hit a starter motor, the magnets on the starter casing can be dislodged or damaged.

[Tyre Tread]

The chattering noise is ususally the solenoid being energised enough to try and engage and then disengaging and renegaining and disnegaging (rinse and repeat very quickly) usually as a result of too little charge in the battery to maintain it long enough to engage.

Sound like the battery is on the ay out if its discharging in a week.

Time for an Odyssey 925?

[Matt99man]

The charger has done it's job and the car started straight away! It's been on charge for 30 hours now and it's still not green saying fully charged though

[QBee]

Check the battery voltage with a multimeter.

[pb450]

Give the cigar lighter plug a quick wiggle too.

I used to charge my battery this way, until I moved the battery to the boot. Unless you have a good connection for the Acuumate it can stay yellow indefinitely. If this happened in my case a quick wiggle would quickly turn the light green.