Starting problem
Discussion
My S2 has had no problems starting until last night.
I had started the car 10 minutes earlier to warm the engine up with no problems. This time the engine turns for a split second then nothing. Try to start again and completely dead, no gauges working but horn, dipped lights, internal lights, clock etc all seem fine.
I have read somewhere that unless the RPM's shift over 2000 during warm-up the battery is effectively doing all the work. Would a flat battery cause the symptoms above, bearing in mind the things that do work? or should I at least get some indication on the voltmeter gauge?
Phil L
I had started the car 10 minutes earlier to warm the engine up with no problems. This time the engine turns for a split second then nothing. Try to start again and completely dead, no gauges working but horn, dipped lights, internal lights, clock etc all seem fine.
I have read somewhere that unless the RPM's shift over 2000 during warm-up the battery is effectively doing all the work. Would a flat battery cause the symptoms above, bearing in mind the things that do work? or should I at least get some indication on the voltmeter gauge?
Phil L
My S2 has had no problems starting until last night.
I had started the car 10 minutes earlier to warm the engine up with no problems. This time the engine turns for a split second then nothing. Try to start again and completely dead, no gauges working but horn, dipped lights, internal lights, clock etc all seem fine.
I have read somewhere that unless the RPM's shift over 2000 during warm-up the battery is effectively doing all the work. Would a flat battery cause the symptoms above, bearing in mind the things that do work? or should I at least get some indication on the voltmeter gauge?
Phil L
It doesn't sound like the battery.
It could be an immobiliser, if you have one fitted. I had trouble with mine and discovered that if you disconnect a battery terminal and then reconnect it, the immobiliser reboots and the car will start. But the power drop may set off the alarm, if you have one.
Your problem does sound like the one I had and it was the battery.
I had been out only a couple of days previously and thought everything should have been OK. Everything seemed to work apart from the ability to turn the engine over. Apparently it only started the first time because of a "surface charge" left in the battery, enough to kick it into life the first time but not the second.
Connected a second charged battery to the flat one and its fine now.
With an alternator, once its running your re-charging the battery, not so with the old dynamo, a short run would only drain the battery.
Try jump leads if you have them and see what happens.
The battery light stays on until the engine runs to 2000rpm then it goes off, the bible says best not to rev. the engine from cold but wait for a few minutes whilst it ticks over.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
(ps did you notice if your red diode warning light on steering cowl had gone off, if it had it does sound like flat battery)
I had been out only a couple of days previously and thought everything should have been OK. Everything seemed to work apart from the ability to turn the engine over. Apparently it only started the first time because of a "surface charge" left in the battery, enough to kick it into life the first time but not the second.
Connected a second charged battery to the flat one and its fine now.
With an alternator, once its running your re-charging the battery, not so with the old dynamo, a short run would only drain the battery.
Try jump leads if you have them and see what happens.
The battery light stays on until the engine runs to 2000rpm then it goes off, the bible says best not to rev. the engine from cold but wait for a few minutes whilst it ticks over.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
(ps did you notice if your red diode warning light on steering cowl had gone off, if it had it does sound like flat battery)
Thanks Roy and John.
It turns out to be a melted connector directly off the ignition barrel. The main supply was getting directly to the ignition barrel itself but the live feed on turning the key was being lost. - I think whoever fitted the immobiliser didn't fit a connector block capable of sustaining the current draw!
For information in case anyone experiences the same problem, none of the gauges worked, no red charging light all other electrics appeared fine.
Cheers
Phil
It turns out to be a melted connector directly off the ignition barrel. The main supply was getting directly to the ignition barrel itself but the live feed on turning the key was being lost. - I think whoever fitted the immobiliser didn't fit a connector block capable of sustaining the current draw!
For information in case anyone experiences the same problem, none of the gauges worked, no red charging light all other electrics appeared fine.
Cheers
Phil
Phil L said: Thanks Roy and John.
It turns out to be a melted connector directly off the ignition barrel. The main supply was getting directly to the ignition barrel itself but the live feed on turning the key was being lost. - I think whoever fitted the immobiliser didn't fit a connector block capable of sustaining the current draw!
For information in case anyone experiences the same problem, none of the gauges worked, no red charging light all other electrics appeared fine.
Cheers
Phil
Connector block, you're lucky! The experienced and conscientous professional alarm specialist who fitted my imobilizer did it by twisting the bare ends of the wires together, and earthed it via the steering clumn (so it was earthed via the steering UJs - sometimes). Cheers mate, how much time did I waste sorting that lot out?
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