Wont start

[hawkeye]

Got a 1989 1.7 D liesuredrive conversion van , had electrical problems so cleaned all earth crowns and connections and engine to body earth charged battery to full but when I insert the ignition key nothing until I turn it then just constant clicking ,did a search in archive and although it mentions clicking sound until flasher relay twiddled with it does,nt mention non starting issue ?

[KamperKev]

When you say nothing till you turn the key and then constant clicking! are your battery (red LED) and glow plug (yellow light) coming on? If they are and its only clicking when you are engaging the starter motor (key held over) it is either your starter motor is toast or the connections on the starter motor need taking off an cleaning. Many of us have done an extra earth strap from the chassis onto the the starter motor due to this problem. Best of luck

Any other ideas anyone else?

[nevill3]

To test if it is an earth problem attach a jump lead between the alternator bracket and the chassis, if this cures the problem a new earth strap is required.

[BOXY]

Is the clicking from the glove box or the starter motor? If it's the glove box the trigger lead has probably come off the solenoid on the starter motor. Check to see if the spade connector is still pushed on and clean. If the starter motor is clicking clean up the earths & try again.

[hawkeye]

When you say nothing till you turn the key and then constant clicking! are your battery (red LED) and glow plug (yellow light) coming on? If they are and its only clicking when you are engaging the starter motor (key held over) it is either your starter motor is toast or the connections on the starter motor need taking off an cleaning. Many of us have done an extra earth strap from the chassis onto the the starter motor due to this problem. Best of luck

Any other ideas anyone else?

No lights coming on at all , will try the jump lead method tomorrow to see if its earth strap ,thanks guys .

[hawkeye]

Is the clicking from the glove box or the starter motor? If it's the glove box the trigger lead has probably come off the solenoid on the starter motor. Check to see if the spade connector is still pushed on and clean. If the starter motor is clicking clean up the earths & try again.

sounds as if its from the dashboard so could be glovebox ,funny how no lights bit though as in no red ign light etc ?
Will check the spade connector tomorrow as well , peeing down here at moment otherwise would check now before its dark .

[nevill3]

No lights at all could be ignition switch......have a push or little waggle of the on the block connector for the ignition barrel/switch

[hawkeye]

No lights at all could be ignition switch......have a push or little waggle of the on the block connector for the ignition barrel/switch

Thats what I thought originally but that clicking is getting me , like the flasher relay but quieter click ,weather was too bad today to get under and try the earth strap hope its better tomorrow ,any other ideas ?

[BOXY]

The no lights is odd. Maybe the bulb has gone? The trigger came off my starter last week and the relay in the glovebox clicked but the light still came on?

[mgbman]

Hi KamperKev, interested in your idea of connecting another earth strap directly to the starter motor. How do you do this and where on the starter or solenoid do you connect the strap.

I am having problems starting with new starter motor and gearbox earth strap. Seems to be a very common problem and sounds as if you have found a way to fix it.

[nevill3]

get a 12mm eyelet fitted to end of new earth strap and use the starter bolt and go from the battery I'd say, you want same gauge wire as the existing live that's fitted, be worth someone getting some made up proper like really, but I don't do diesel
if you can only get 8mm eyelet then go to one of the four bolts on the bottom of the bellhousing either side of drain plug but that'll mean going through the water pipes

This is a quote from Aidan, the resident gearbox Guru, who initially suggested that 5 speed gearbox owners should move their earth straps to prevent corrosion of the the nose of the gearbox. There is also a post in the Wiki that described their starting problems and that NEW earth straps cured it, just cleaning them up had failed because the internal corrosion creates a poor conductor, that's why I suggested trying the jump lead test earlier. Did you try it?

[Reimotim]

Possibly just that your battery has decided to give up the ghost.
I had the same symptoms and went through all the hassle of checking and cleaning all components and connections only to come to the conclusion that it was the battery.
Put in a new battery and hey presto!
P.s. battery may still give a reasonable voltage reading, but it cannot deliver the necessary current to fire up a diesel.

[weldore]

Connect a jump lead from the battery minus to the round body of the starter solenoid and try that...that's direct earth to the starter

[hawkeye]

Update to this ended up getting RAC out and the clicking was the immobiliser ,he reset it and it started first time , still got the panel light problems though and now they come in the mot test !