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Car won't start


bramble111s

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:huh: battery is not dead, fuel ok etc

Just clicks once on turn of key then short wirr every few seconds, similar to one forgetting to disarm the alarm/immoblisiser

Was garaged last night and drove to work okthis morning, it has been raining this morning, not sure what bits I should have the hairdryer on???

Interestingly the radio has lost its code, as if the battery had been unplugged, which it hasn't. Again this was fine this morning.

Any ideas, as I will need to drive home later ! :o

I 'guess' somethings wet?

Please HELP!

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:huh: battery is not dead, fuel ok etc

Just clicks once on turn of key then short wirr every few seconds, similar to one forgetting to disarm the alarm/immoblisiser

Was garaged last night and drove to work okthis morning, it has been raining this morning, not sure what bits I should have the hairdryer on???

Interestingly the radio has lost its code, as if the battery had been unplugged, which it hasn't. Again this was fine this morning.

Any ideas, as I will need to drive home later !

Edited by CNH
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thanks Calvin, just rang the dealer who agree it could well be the battery. I will see if it can be jump started....... crossing my fingers I'll just need a new battery.

If I do, any recommendations for my 99 GT3 battery? or shall I go to Halfords?

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I had a very similar problem to this when I first bought my car. I had stopped to fill up at the garage came to leave and nothing would happen :huh:! I thought I had a problem with the immboliser. It turned out to be one white wire with single spade connection had come loose in the engine bay off the starter motor IIRC. Got Green Flag out to it and after about 10 minutes with a flash light they found the blighter. Crimped up the spade connector pushed it back on and I was away!

Sat in the boot facing the engine its on the right hand side about half way along the engine and about a third of the way down. You will need to get your head over the engine and look back on yourself to see it. This is from memory and obviously my be totally unrealted to your problem.

Good luck and be thankful your some where a little less public than a busy petrol station holding everyone up :o !

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Bought my battery from Halfrauds 3 years ago - no problems since. Can't remember the battery type though + my cars on the slow boat to Oz so can't really check either - sorry.

Simon  (94 S4)      My Esprit will be for sale in late 2017

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OK, RAC man arrives and manages to jumpstart with his van AND a battery, just the van didn't work. Then pronounces battery dead.

Change to new battery, try to start car, same problem.... illogical....

we are going back to old battery as it now passes test and then I don't know...

Edited by bramble111s
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Hi James

Have you checked the earth lead to the engine to see if it is tight and not corroded, also that the leads to the starter are ok.

If battery is ok with the headlights on when you try starter do they dim a bit then come strait back up to fall strength .

if they do then suspect bad earth or bad starter motor. if they stay the same then suspect leads to starter.

Hope this helps

Ray

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I bet it's your starter motor - mine does this.

Position 3 and there is a 'click', the wirr is the vacuum pump.

What happens in mine is that the contactor on the motor doesn't make good contact and although it comes forward there is not enough surface area to pass the current required to crank the motor - OR - the contact is simply not making.

If mine is being stubborn I can usually get it to go with 2-3 rapid clicks.

See the Starter motor page I did for LEW. IMO the drain hole is the wrong way up so the thing fills esp when it rains.

Looked at mine and all the terminals I cleaned up a few months ago were corroded again :huh: the little bummers.

The other thing I can do which seems to work is to put it in 3rd and rock the car very sightly to turn the fly wheel - my pinion / fly wheel is slightly burred (poor starter motor) and it's just one of those stupid things that happens esp if you don't use it.

Test - do you get lights and other services as well ?

You might have an electrical fault or the starter motor thing - have a look and see.

Let us know - I can usually guide people though it, it's actually pretty easy when you know what does what.

facebook = jon.himself@hotmail.co.uk

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Is the permenant live to the radio there?

If the immobiliser is on the same fuse as the radio perm live then this

might be a cause? the ignition live to the radio might be from a different

fuse (so turning ignition lights up a codeless radio). Unlikely i know.

:huh:

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I bet it's your starter motor - mine does this.

Position 3 and there is a 'click', the wirr is the vacuum pump.

What happens in mine is that the contactor on the motor doesn't make good contact and although it comes forward there is not enough surface area to pass the current required to crank the motor - OR - the contact is simply not making.

If mine is being stubborn I can usually get it to go with 2-3 rapid clicks.

See the Starter motor page I did for LEW. IMO the drain hole is the wrong way up so the thing fills esp when it rains.

If it turns out to be your starter then I have one spare from when mine packed in i bought a new one and had the old one repaired ust pm me if your interested.

regards rob

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Ok, its 9pm, been home about an hour, low loadered to the dealer.....

RAC man checked the wires and is pretty certain it is the starter motor, as you all agree.

I hope they diagnose this instantly and then I can get the job done on my warranty. Cheers for the offer Rob, but if its covered I will go for a new one.

Is there a fix for the rain on this Jon? Am off to your page just in case its already there.....

thanks all!

Good page Jon, is the tape still stuck on? Seems like a good question for the Lotus bods at Oxford meet? A drain hole the wrong way up does however seem very Lotus.... :huh:

Edited by bramble111s
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That is a tough one. Sometimes a few light taps on the starter solonoid can get it to engage in an emergency if the starter is just clicking and not turning if the solonoid is stuck.

The starter on a newer car usually does not go out. oh well it's a Lotus.

Edited by CNH
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EDIT ->> :o Im on about a whole other issue here - Sorry guys!!!

Couldnt agree more, the tail gate drain is a shockingly bad idea and appears to be a total design oversight :huh: . It would have been so easy to create a nice smooth drop pipe as part of the glass fibre to fit inside the tail gate drain there would have never been a problem. I was very tempted to do this myself when I replaced mine.

Edited by CarlC
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Ok, its 9pm, been home about an hour, low loadered to the dealer.....

RAC man checked the wires and is pretty certain it is the starter motor, as you all agree.

I hope they diagnose this instantly and then I can get the job done on my warranty. Cheers for the offer Rob, but if its covered I will go for a new one.

Is there a fix for the rain on this Jon? Am off to your page just in case its already there.....

thanks all!

Good page Jon, is the tape still stuck on? Seems like a good question for the Lotus bods at Oxford meet? A drain hole the wrong way up does however seem very Lotus.... :huh:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

let me know if t turns out not to be and we can sort an exchange out

regards rob

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Just to clear this one up - mines an after market affair, NOT standard equipment as far as what Brian Angus told me from looking at the guide - I confirmed this later whilst doing some research for them, so I know Brian is starter motor inclined :huh:

I don't know if it's rain specific more to the fact it's a lump of cold metal and condensation does occur on such things naturally - the drain hole is wrong though (IF it is a drain hole which I think it is).

Tape does cover it still but it doesn't really matter - its supposed to be a point of exit for water/condensation still builds up. This kinda rngs true - when I used to run the car daily, no probs....leave it a week = probs.

The bit that causes the problem is here :

StarterMotor_10.jpg

Those are the 2 contacts, when you position 3 the starter relay cuts in over the coil which sends the pinion forward, once the pinion is forward these two contacts are bridged which starts the motor spinning. When the contacts are taken off / tightened up they are often done too tight and the 'L' shaped contacts twist causing bad connections resulting in that burned black semi-circle area you can see each side.

I recently replaced mine with a longer bolt so I could put a spring washer on the cable attachment nut, this means I don't have to turn it so hard to ensure good contact and saves the thing from twisting inside.

It's a dead easy part to clean up, getting it out is hard.

Sorry you seem to be having probs with the car of late James, hope it's fixed asap.

facebook = jon.himself@hotmail.co.uk

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