Starting problem: engine cranks but does not start, after a few attempts it doesn't crank and all the lights on the dashboard just keep flashing if you hold the key in the start position.

First guess was the battery, but when I charged it it seemed healthy - charger initially showed charging at about 1.5 amps but after approx 10 mins was down to 0.5 amps so I assumed it was healthy and reconnected. After reconnecting the same symptoms are repeated ... initially cranks but doesn't start and after a few attempts it just flashes the dashboard lights.

I guess it could actually be a battery issue - it's old - but I'd like to know for sure.

Any ideas appreciated.

P.S. I did look through the forums but I didn't find anything that exactly matched my issue - sorry if I missed something.

Is it the original battery?

If so, its well past its sell by date.

So, could well be new battery time.😦

 

Have you got a volt meter.?

Edited 4 December, 20214 yr by Carlodiesel

Possibly/probably - I haven't owned it from new.

Good point, I can check the voltage ...

Hi James

 

If you had a new 75 Ampere-Hour capacity battery that had somehow got completely discharged, it would need to be charged at 1.5 amps for ( crudely speaking) 50 hours to charge it back up.

 

If the charge current is tailing off after only 10 minutes it suggests the battery is on its way out, assuming that all the connections are in good shape.  You could borrow and try a beefier charger  -  1.5 amps is rather low and probably more suited for a bit of topping up rather than a full charge of a high capacity battery.

 

If you get hold of a DC voltmeter and connect it across the battery teminals, you should see something like 12.5 volts in the resting condition.  If you then ask it to supply some load by turning on headlights, max heater fan etc it shouldn't drop below 12.0.  A garage or battery service station would be able to do a more comprehensive health test.

I often watch Rainman Ray on you tube and one thing he is hot on is checking the battery terminals for tightness and cleanliness.

He has demonstrated in several videos that battery terminal condition can make a huge difference.

New battery and no more problem.

Thanks for the help.