Strange - intermittent dead ignition

[isaune]

Hi all

Have just got back from a lovely long weekend in Bruges - the van went like a dream, although, as always, little "Starsky" felt a bit outgunned by the big white vans in the Aire (see photo lol).

Anyway, having said he went like a dream, there was one hairy moment when, having driven all the way down to Dover from North London, we were parked in the queue for boarding the ferry and, when it was our turn to move, I turned the key and it was dead. This happened maybe a dozen or so more times before it eventually sprang to life. Then it was fine all the way to Bruges and all the way back to London yesterday.

In case it is relevant, just before arriving at the ferry terminal, we stopped to get fuel (with the engine off) and then at the terminal we were pulled over for a customs search (again with the engine off). Not sure if this combination of "long journey followed by two very short journeys" is relevant or not.

The only other thing to note is that this is not the first time it has happened.

Amazingly, it happened at almost exactly the same spot (front of ferry boarding queue) at Dover last year and I think it has happened once or twice since then when out and about.

It's just that this time was the longest it has been dead - as I say, maybe 15 or 20 turns of the key - 5 minutes maybe.

Obviously, if it's just one of the van's little foibles, then it is one I can live with as it only happens once in a blue moon and is of minimal inconvenience when it does.

I just thought I would ask you chaps if it rings any bells with any of you?

Thanks for your help.

Ian

[MidLifeCrisis]

Was it just that it would start, wouldn't turnover the starter motor or did you also get no other lights on the dash?

[isaune]

Was it just that it would start, wouldn't turnover the starter motor or did you also get no other lights on the dash?

Hi Midlife

The dash lights seemed normal - flashing red light, static red light etc.

It was just totally dead when I turned the key.

Not "battery flat" dead when you can normally hear or feel at least a little something. No - this was completely DEAD. (Anyway, I know the battery is in good nick).

One other snippet of info - not sure if it's in my imagination but there ALWAYS seems to be a very slight (1 second or less) delay between me turning the key and the engine cranking - I've always just assumed that's normal.

As I say, with this fault being so intermittent, and rectifying itself so quickly, I am tempted just to let sleeping dogs lie.

I just wondered if anyone has any ideas?

Thanks

Ian

[MidLifeCrisis]

I'm sure someone smarter will be able to answer this - but it sounds to me like your starter motor solenoid being 'reluctant' to engage;
i.e. sometimes it is just plain slow to engage, othertimes it doesn't engage at all ............

If it start normally sometimes and won't even turn over other times - then thats got to point towards the starter motor - especially as you say the dash lights are coming on, so its 'probably' not the ignition switch itself.
But as its only intermittent its going to be a b*gger to diagnose - unless you just replace random stuff and wait until it happens again (or doesn't).

[bigherb]

Yep it's called the hot start problem. It's caused by a combination of things all working together but mainly high resistance in the starter brushes. The easiest and cheapest cure is to fit a starter relay.

[CovKid]

1) Small spade terminal (signal wire) to starter making intermittent contact (they work loose or suffer from corrosion)
2) Braided wire between starter and solenoid breaking up (sometimes hard to spot and certainly can be intermittent before giving up completely)
3) Ignition switch on the way out. (lights may work but small contacts for start position barely making contact)

All common and known faults. Rule out each in turn.

Beyond that, time for a new starter as suggested