Starting issue that I can't figure out

[2xw]

Hi folks,

 

I have an issue with starting a 2005 Skoda Fabia mk1 1.2 petrol - it occasionally starts and occasionally doesn't and I can't figure it out! 

 

It started a few weeks ago when the car would not start when I tried to drive home from work. You can hear the whir of the fuel pump starting fine, the battery is fine (was tested by the AA man). When turning the key, all the lights on the dash flash and the car receives power, and a single click is heard. After this, I got the starter replaced and duly drove 1500 miles to Scotland and back with no issues. 

 

Upon return, I now have the same issue. The car runs fine when bump started (but I have just moved to a flat area from Sheffield so no longer an option!).

 

Yesterday, i had exactly the same issue  and thought it might be damp, so sprayed WD40 on everything electrical I could see... And it started. I drove it around, got back home, went inside for a few hours... Now it won't start again. 

 

I'm wondering what my next course of action could be - could it be something to do with the relays? 

 

Best wishes

Will

[sepulchrave]

Check the main earth strap.

[2xw]

So the earth strap looks fine. I've just been outside and it didn't start again -

What I did do is wiggle the red wire that goes into the top of the solenoid/starter and then the car started. 

 

Does this mean the new starter wasn't installed correctly? Is it just that this wire is perhaps loose? 

[Breezy_Pete]

Usually it's just that the solenoid wire is partly/mostly broken near to the cable entry of the connector. There was probably never anything wrong with your starter motor.

[2xw]

I'm beginning to suspect that it might be £100 down the pan. I don't really know how to look at the connection so I guess this is something a garage needs to do

[TMB]

2 hours ago, 2xw said:

So the earth strap looks fine. I've just been outside and it didn't start again -

 

 

Just looking at it isn't enough. It's quite a common problem for the connection at the strut turret to be bad. Best to take it off, clean it all and replace it tightening it firmly.  It's worth doing is as a mattter of course even if it's the solenoid wire that's causing the issue.

 

[sepulchrave]

^^ What he said.

 

Using your eyes to 'look' at stuff is pointless, you need to get your hands dirty and fix the stuff we're flagging for you.

[2xw]

1 hour ago, sepulchrave said:

^^ What he said.

 

Using your eyes to 'look' at stuff is pointless, you need to get your hands dirty and fix the stuff we're flagging for you.

Okay. I'll have a search on how to do that, cheers

[iandev31]

Hello.  If you turn the key and there is nothing when the starter motor should turn you may have the same problem as I did a few years ago. Drove me crazy for months because sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.  Turned out to be a relay.  On my left hand drive car turned out that just slamming the drivers door would jerk it back into action as the relay is quite close to the fuses beside the  door.   If this sounds like your problem I will try and find my bits of papers , part numbers and so on.  Might not be exactly the same as yours though as mine is a 200O 1.9 SDI (diesel).

[LightRain]

When working on quiet no starts the process is pretty simple. You can essentially rule out starter (new); battery (AA says yes); fuel, ignition, mechanical integrity and timing (runs fine when bumped and when it does decide to start) at least for now anyway. Electrical connectivity is looking the best bet. You've already had the best advice so far, ground and live wires.

 

Remember, the first thing you shouldn't do is assume the person doing the repair job knew what they were doing (they did replace a starter that may not have needed changing), so check all connections are where they should be as a first step.

 

If you have access to a multimeter you can do several tests yourself. If you don't, there are other ways of testing.

• Check that you are getting 12 V at the starter motor supply cable (battery negative to starter connection, should always be there regardless of key position). I don't know how this starter looks but it will be the fatter wire coming to the starter from elsewhere.
• If you are getting that then swap the meter's lead that is on the battery negative to the battery positive leaving it connected to the starter connection (should read close to 0 V). Try starting the engine again and see what that voltage does. It should remain around 0 V, no more than a volt. If you get that then the battery connection to the starter is fine.
• Next measure between the starter's frame (ground, engine block will do, but this is not ideal) and the battery negative. Try and start, it should read 0 V, or very close. If it does then the ground is fine.
• The next step would be the solenoid connection (small wire connected to the solenoid), first check battery negative to solenoid connection, it should read 0 V. Then try to start and it should read 12 V. If it does, the solenoid connection should be fine. The solenoid is probably fine because you said you heard a single click, which was likely the solenoid.

These are the first steps after eliminating the battery and that everything has been installed as it should. There are further steps that follow these if they work out as they should.

[vindaloo]

A little late now possibly but....

 

 

How the plug comes apart.... Remove the purple locking thing, then use your "pin" tool to push the terminal out the back.