Went out to the supermarket last night. Or at least I tried to... Car wouldn't start. It's a 2005 VRS.

Keyfob works to open the doors.

Locks engage/disengage snappily.

Glowplug light, lights up and then goes out after say 3-4 seconds.

Headlights light up (factory HIDs) but it's possible the sidelights look "dim".

Tried jump starting it from another car, no luck there either.

It's been slow to turn over (compared to "before") since this cold snap arrived. Was last used for a juorney of 4-6 miles, the day before yesterday.

It simply refuses to turn over when turning the key into the "starter" position.

Car's currently on charge for the day. I'll try it again around 4-5PM, see if it's made a difference.

J.

Sounds what happened to my old polo gti but with mine, the alarm/immobiliser went mental too. I went to work in it in the morning with no problems although it sounded very slightly harder to start. I went to start it up at the end of the day and it wouldnt turn over at all. I ended up push starting it. It turned out it was in need of a new battery.

Does it make the "squishing" sound when you turn the ignition on still?

Matt

1) spout of cold weather

2) Car batterys dont like cold

3) its flat.

G/F golf did it the other day, 1 trip to halfrauds (i dont belive in recharging car batterys) 1 swapped battery and it has sorted her warm starting problem too

Warning: Halford battery = £92.99 to replace if you know someone with a trade card, takes it to £60

Mine did this in the summer - turned out to be the thin low amperage trigger signal wire to the starter had snapped.

Seems its a design fault and is made a bit short, which stresses it over time until it snaps, meaning nothing on the starter.

If I remember right you can see the wire when looking down through the engine bay at the battery end. My AA man soldered up a new piece and added some length to it.

Worth a look before spending on a new battery possibly?

HTH

1) spout of cold weather

2) Car batterys dont like cold

3) its flat.

G/F golf did it the other day, 1 trip to halfrauds (i dont belive in recharging car batterys) 1 swapped battery and it has sorted her warm starting problem too

Warning: Halford battery = £92.99 to replace if you know someone with a trade card, takes it to £60

Squish... Yes I've heard the fuel pump priming.

Battery, £92 for a normal one £112 for a "premium" one or somewhat less from Tayna etc...

I'm worried it's something else still. Weird that it won't attempt to turn over, even when trying to jump start it.

If recharging fails, buy/swap battery and cross fingers.

J.

Edited 9 December, 201015 yr by vindaloo

If its proper dead tho it wont i dont think

matt

Definitely check the wire to the starter if it does nothing even when jumped.

Definitely check the wire to the starter if it does nothing even when jumped.

I can see the starter, various pipes and an earth cable plus bits of loom near the starter. Can't seem to get a view of any plugs or thin cables at th moment, will try to see again in a few minutes.

J.

When you turn the ignition on, do you get a battery light?

Is the starter motor clicking or trying to turn over the engine

Could be frozen engage gear.on the starter

If NOT clicking then the wire you were advised about earlier

National

Girlfriends VRS did something similar during the summer, would start fine one time then nothing the next just like the battery was dead. Turned out to be a burnt out eatrth wire also had to replace the crank sensor. Still does not start how it used to tho.

When you turn the ignition on, do you get a battery light?

Yes, battery light, glowplugs and engine lights. Glowplug light goes out.

Is the starter motor clicking or trying to turn over the engine

Could be frozen engage gear.on the starter

If NOT clicking then the wire you were advised about earlier

National

No signs I can feel of the starter wanting to click or gears meshing or engaging... Just <nothing>, no solenoid, clicking/clunking, shaking or whirring...

Header tank contains coolant rather than a block of ice. We haven't quite had the extremes of temperature some others have experienced. Maybe -4 or -5 one or two nights.

Girlfriends VRS did something similar during the summer, would start fine one time then nothing the next just like the battery was dead. Turned out to be a burnt out eatrth wire also had to replace the crank sensor. Still does not start how it used to tho.

Thanks, another one to add to the list - LOL.

J.

Edited 10 December, 201015 yr by vindaloo

Battery, £92 for a normal one £112 for a "premium" one or somewhat less from Tayna etc...

Wow. I paid GBP72 for a Bosch S4 - fitted. I think you need to look elsewhere...

Not even attempting to turn over? Like turn the key and nothing happens at all?

I had this sporadically (sp?), along with random bulb out warnings. It bump started fine, and one time I just sat turning the key, off, take out, turn etc and eventually it caught and started as normal.

For me it turned out to be the large relay under the dash. It was loose and almost fell out when I touched it. I pushed it back in, it made a click and locked in to place. No problems since then!

Probably not your problem, but could be worth checking I suppose? Or at least finding out what that relay actually controls so you can check fuses and stuff? I don't even know what number relay it was. It was just the biggest relay under the dash, left hand side!

Sorry I can't be more help.

Edited 10 December, 201015 yr by mark.r.cullen

And the problem is.... (not was yet, unfortunately....!)

The signal wire to the starter motor solenoid is busted. Was immediately apparent when I touched the wires that it had snapped, just after the black wrap ends. Judging by the oxidisation of the conductor, it's been failing and open to the elements for a while.

Plan A was to solder it back together but my soldering iron's not man enough. Can just about get some tinning on the "plug" fragment but as for the end attached to the car....

Plan B means I crimp it and wrap it in tape.

Battery is currently on charge overnight.

<Moan mode>

Why the hell do modern cars come with such a huge number of apparently pointless plastic mouldings? And why do they always clip together with hidden or impossible fittings!!!

Car now works. Crimped a 25 amp connector between the ends of the wire. That was the easy bit.

Eventually, everything went back together.

Spent 10+ minutes trying to refit the battery clamp.... Then realised I had the thing upside down. Had the battery in and out of the car three times in the process.

After a charge overnight, I can now see a glimmer of green in the battery condition hole. So maybe it will last a while now. Certainly until next winter, I think.

I've adjusted the clock, the symphony cd/radio contined to work. One touch windows reset after reading Lummox's tech sticky on this site.

Thanks to all who contributed. :sun:

J.

Glad you got it sorted.

When mine wouldn't start a few weeks ago, I was left with no choice but to get a new battery from Halfrauds.

Glad you got it sorted.

When mine wouldn't start a few weeks ago, I was left with no choice but to get a new battery from Halfrauds.

Hmmm, I nearly did that but which method to use...?

1) Grovel to the neighbours for a lift to halfords to buy a battery.

2) Get the bus.

3) Order a taxi and tell him to wait while I buy it

4) Cycle there and cargo strap the battery to my rack - LOL.

I was on the point of trying method 4) but I had concerns that the bike might be a tad unstable with 20+KG of battery mounted high up on the rear.

J.

glad you sorted it mate,