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HELP! Car is dead - wont turn over but battery & electrics are fine.


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Just got in the car to drive to work & wont turn over, it doesnt even respond when i turn the key to start the engine.

Radio, fans & lights etc all come on & theres no dash warning lights.

Any ideas what could cause this? Dead starter motor perhaps?

Cheers.

(btw - 53 VRS)

Edited by Chris Berry
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Actually it was key!!

Tried the spare (never used) key & it started first time!

Looks like the immobilizer chip on the main key is fooked. However, does that sound right? I had the same thing happen on my SEAT Ibiza but that time the engine turned over, started & then cut out.

Does the immobilizer stop the engine turning over?

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Actually it was key!!

Tried the spare (never used) key & it started first time!

Looks like the immobilizer chip on the main key is fooked. However, does that sound right? I had the same thing happen on my SEAT Ibiza but that time the engine turned over, started & then cut out.

Does the immobilizer stop the engine turning over?

not sure on Fabia but my old car had a toad alarm, if immobiliser was active when you put key in, the lights came on but nothing happened when you turned it

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^ Why would the battery in the remote make any difference??

I was under the impression that the key contained an induction/transponder chip that disabled the immobilizer. The battery in the key was only there to work the central locking.

Edited by Chris Berry
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Update:

Well, its not the immobilizer. Finished work, tried to start it & got no response.

After a few minutes of trying it just started so there must be a fault somewhere.

Quote: Like90_vrs

"Check the starter motor solenoid wire, this broke on mine. Seemed like a dead starter motor but it was just the wire. It's under the battery and air box."

This sounds like a probable cause. Was the wire faulty/broken at the starter motor? How easy is it to fix?

I dont suppose this kind of fault would show up on VCDS? I didnt have time to plug the laptop in last night.

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Try the "Devon-wiggle" method first. If it's not totally sheared or if it's broken inside the connector or sleeving, you might get it to fire. (Probably need to remove the intake pipe and reach underneath the battery box and gear crank arm.)

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/224660-mongrel-wont-start-this-morning/

J.

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Car failed to start again this morning after popping to Tescos to grab a sandwich for lunch.

Had to call Green Flag out. However, the guy (temporarily) fixed the problem by hitting the top of the starter motor with a hammer!!!

It turns out that the starter motor can stick & a sharp shock to it frees it up.

I have now got a hammer in the car for such an occasion.

Best start saving for a new starter motor!!

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just reading trough this thread and thought this from the start. haha. I had a car years ago and this was the problem. mine was caused by driving through water.

Its just a sticky solenoid. I have never looked at the started motor on the VRS but the solenoids can be replaced independantly on some started motors.

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Yeah it was the solanoid that he hit at the top of the starter motor.

As far as I can see it can be replaced separately, however, I'm not sure if you can buy just the starter solanoid. I've had a quick look around and everyone sells the whole starter motor and these retail at over £100.

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  • 8 months later...

My Fabia's just done the same thing, it had a slight delay throwing over a few times recently but chose today to have a hissy fit. Just when I needed it to be on the button for a hospital run, TYPICAL!!

I've got a 41 year old Morris that has to have the petrol pump tapped cos of sticking points, I really thought that we'd have moved on a bit since it was made?

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My Fabia's just done the same thing, it had a slight delay throwing over a few times recently but chose today to have a hissy fit. Just when I needed it to be on the button for a hospital run, TYPICAL!!

I've got a 41 year old Morris that has to have the petrol pump tapped cos of sticking points, I really thought that we'd have moved on a bit since it was made?

Sorry, that did made me chuckle :giggle:

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Yeeeeers ago ( talking lucas gear now), it used to be possible to strip down solenoids and starters . For a quick check on solenoid - ( and it might be best to use an autoranging DVM,with a hold function) ,test across main feed ( heavy cables on solenoid). Initial reading should be =battery volts . On start this should drop to less than 0.5volt. Any more and contact strip is dirty . Used to do this as a yearly maintenance check on an old Maxi i owned.

Beerbarrel - same problem occurred on Austins -I had similar on an old A40 . Clean points and stick a 1uF capacitor across them as a spark quench.

Edited by VWD
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Yeah it was the solanoid that he hit at the top of the starter motor.

As far as I can see it can be replaced separately, however, I'm not sure if you can buy just the starter solanoid. I've had a quick look around and everyone sells the whole starter motor and these retail at over £100.

I had the exact same problem.

Took it to Skoda who said I needed a new starter motor. Goodbye £300 quid.

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  • 3 years later...

So i just happen to have the same problem at the gas pump :) did not start and battery good as far as i know, so it could be that solanoid  could be the problem ? 

it is a comon thing even if the battery is low it always tries to start the engine but no it dose not even try? 

so i am first guess would be the solanoid.. 

 

Thank you all for this wonderful Skoda forum i have fixed many things on my skoda from this forum. 

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If it was the solenoid then you should hear the starter operate like a wurrrr but it wouldn't kick the engine over because the solenoid has failed to engage the starter gear.

 

The solenoid is also a relay which switches the starter motor on, so a starter with a failed solenoid would be totally dead.

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So i just happen to have the same problem at the gas pump :) did not start and battery good as far as i know, so it could be that solanoid  could be the problem ? 

it is a comon thing even if the battery is low it always tries to start the engine but no it dose not even try? 

so i am first guess would be the solanoid.. 

 

Thank you all for this wonderful Skoda forum i have fixed many things on my skoda from this forum. 

Check the wire going to the solenoid, as suggested in post #2. On Mk1 Fabias this is nearly always the problem when these symptoms present. Not sure if Octavias have similar problems.

Edited by Wino
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