hi there

 

got  call from my sister earlier. 

the car(Octavia estate pd 105 i think)  that had been running fine, suddenly stopped in the drive through at mcdonalds.

 i went and took a look. 

oil was fine, water all there, no codes reported on vcds.

cambelt intact .

fusable links all good.

belt in place on alternator etc.

 

when you go to turn it, it clicks may be once.

almost like a flat battery or a seized engine.

 i put a jump pack and it did turn over much more slowly may for 2 secs top.

 

going to take battery off and check it for charge, but the lights up and it seems to be holding around 12.5 volts (a bit to low i think)

 

has anyone had anything similar ?

 any earths to check that may be prone to failing ??

she has zero money, so i'm hoping its a easy fix.

but suspect it may not be.

 

 

thanks Jim

12.5 sounds low, but if she's been cranking it over for a while, that might explain it. Suddenly stopped is a weird one, they normally crawl on and die by degrees (mine's been on death's door for 40k miles). Are all the big (battery, starter, alternator) power connectors tight and clean? Will it push start? Is it getting fuel (pop the top of the filter off and make sure there's some in there)?

Edited 13 August, 20223 yr by StevesTruck

1 hour ago, Jpotter said:

 i put a jump pack and it did turn over much more slowly may for 2 secs top.

Dodgy but not totally broken engine earth or battery connector?

On my MK1 the one and only time it ever refused to start in 325K miles was exactly the same symptoms, it was corrosion on the main battery lead tag attached to the starter motor, it had never been removed in 13 years!

 

They bump or preferably tow start very easily.

Edited 13 August, 20223 yr by J.R.

Thanks all. Will be checking main earth's later I'm hoping starter motor earth .. I am I'll report back what I find. 

The starter motor earth's through its casing. It just has a big feed wire and a little one to drop the solenoid.

 

Probably telling you stuff you already know, but bear in mind this circuit is unfused and live all the time, so disconnect the battery before working on it. 

Thanks Steve.

 

Checked everything else this morning.

 All main body earth points ok. No cables seem to be broken.  ECU communicates fine and no codes  Going to turn the engine by hand and if all good, will throw a starter on it, it's the original starter so it may well be goosed. 

 

Fingers crossed.