My wife's Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI Colour Edition 2018 is not starting, the sound coming from the engine is clicking but no turnover, even with a jump starter battery connected not turning over. I am suspecting that something is frozen because of the weather. Expecting the worst I will check the radiator fluid in the morning to rule out a frozen engine. If it is what is the best solution, or what else I should check?
 

What voltage is the battery at?

 

 

Thanks. AG Falco

I don't have a battery tester. I assume that the jump stater would have done the trick if the battery was low, as it worked on my car after I tried the Fabia, which had trouble starting too.

Update "sound coming from the engine is clicking but no turnover" more like the starter motor is turning but not meshing like gears grinding but slowly.

update, coolant fluid is not frozen.

You may want to try and record a small video clip, or some audio of what you are experiencing.

You also could purchase a cheap multimeter to check battery Voltage, it will be useful for several more car/house jobs.

 

I would have been surprised if the coolant was frozen, that has very low temperature protection unless it was drained and filled with just water (unlikely)

It sounds to me as if there is not enough energy getting to the starter motor, so that the motor is not engaging correctly with the flywheel.

 

Have you checked the car's earth points are all ok?  Several to choose from and could be why it refuses to start even with jump pack.

 

You could also need a scan with the likes of VCDS to see if there is some big issue with a control module, list in the forum is available.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

1 hour ago, jeph said:

update, coolant fluid is not frozen.

Wow, what wind-chill factor have you got where you're driving or the car is parked!

 

At 4 years you'd hope the antifreeze element of the coolant was still working, you can test it anyway, with traditional coolant it used to be the antifreeze part that lasted longer than the other parts but as VW keep changing their minds on which coolants they insist on you'll have to look on the plastic expansion er, vessel(?), to see which G?? (?) yours might be, for its specs.

 

It was just that my worst fears were that someone had not topped it up right before I got it, that and it was lower than -10c last night.
It looks like I might be getting a new battery anyway, someone I know has found me a battery.

varooom, it looks like I will have to get a better multi-meter as I don't trust the household one that I have, I see that I might need it to re-encode the battery, I do have VCDS lite.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

You shouldn't need a new battery but you might it depends on the use of the vehicle and if yours is still an EFB one from factory or previous owner(s), garage/Dealership swaps ot use and abuse..

 

If you're getting a new battery get an AGM* and get a good quality one, varooom is good with such advice.

 

* ETA: I'm not sure now that it's always best to go from EFB to AGM, depends on circumstances 

Edited 5 January, 20233 yr by nta16
ETA:

45 minutes ago, jeph said:

varooom, it looks like I will have to get a better multi-meter as I don't trust the household one that I have, I see that I might need it to re-encode the battery, I do have VCDS lite.

If you need it, there's a basic guide

nta16 I will be getting  an almost new AGM type battery , voltmeter and charger from a friend who always has everything, so I will be able to charge the old battery and test it, but I expect that the change to the AGM will stay anyway. The EFB one looks like the original one from the factory.

@nta16  Not to start an argument that the subject often brings on, but windchill might cool stuff quicker, but it will not bring the coolant lower than the air temperature.

But the antifreeze which changes the freezing point of H20 does need to be the correct ratio / strength for when the ambient temp is below 0*oC and to how low it goes.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

10 hours ago, jeph said:

nta16 I will be getting  an almost new AGM type battery , voltmeter and charger from a friend who always has everything, so I will be able to charge the old battery and test it, but I expect that the change to the AGM will stay anyway. The EFB one looks like the original one from the factory.

If your friend is the type to have everything then hopefully the charger is appropriate for a stop/start EFB battery on it's arse and the voltmeter a good accurate reliable one, in which case don't fall out with them.

 

My advice is that you have the opportunity to recharge your (tight-fisted VW) EFB factory battery on a long low and slow recharge, rejuvenate or whatever else the charger might call it, 7 stages at least to keep up with the Joneses.  My wife's 18-month old AGM battery wasn't anywhere near showing any signs on the car of being low and had longer journeys that usual the previous two weeks before I finally was able to get hold of it to do a preventative (my hassle battery charger recharge, first time ever in 45 years of car ownership but we've never owned a VW before).  It took 17 hours mostly in freezing fog in the balmy temperature of -1.7c when I checked.

 

Personally I'd be really ****ed off not to get the battery back to use but I'd happily keep the AGM battery and pass on VW's not so finest.

 

Do bear in mind even if the EFB battery shows full charge , after say 2-3 hours of rest, better still with some load to take off any surface charge left, that doesn't tell you how much of the original cranking power is still left in the battery  to start the engine.  Ask your friend to lend you his battery analyser (and why didn't he offer it before, some sort of friend, don't they trust you with it 😄) you could also test on your car.

 

Good luck, and what's your friend's phone number?

Edited 20 May20 May by nta16
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Original EFB battery charged fine and fitted back in again rather than re-code the AGM battery. I will keep checking on the original EFB battery to see if it's changing OK I do have a battery/alternator tester.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

On 18/12/2022 at 12:26, jeph said:

Original EFB battery charged fine and fitted back in again rather than re-code the AGM battery. I will keep checking on the original EFB battery to see if it's changing OK I do have a battery/alternator tester.

Be interesting to know how you get on.  I've edited a previous post as I'm not sure swapping to AGM is always a good move as there are more real world swings and roundabouts than I'd previously considered but I could be wrong at any stage or in any direction as I've been many times before and will be many times again.

 

nta16 I decided to try keep the original EFB battery and after it successfully charged it seems to be working fine, not that we have had the -12 temperatures since. I will keep checking on it to make sure it is keeping charged OK.