Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Guys and gals,

I am having a bit of a problem, my Van just will not start!
So the van had been sitting on the side of the road for about 6-8 weeks when I tried to use it, it wouldnt start. Nothing seems to happen, i turn the key wait for the glow light to go out and turn the key fully to start and nothing (well the lights on the dash dim a little!)
The battery is not dead, the starter motor is relitivly new (14 months old).
Any ideas!
Oh and please use simple terms as I myself am simple and do not understand everything mechanical about the beast
Thanks
Lawrence

Have you tried jumping it of another car? The battery may have some residual charge left , enough for some lights, but not enough to turn you over?

Hi Jess,
Yeah tried jumping and same thing!
Typical

It might be that your battery is very flat
try and leave the jump leads on for a few minutes,and try constant revving the other car to put some charge back into your battery

swap the batteries. That is fairly definitve. I've melted poor jump leads trying to start a diesel.

Have you checked ring terminal on back of starter? Wire all good? still attached? done up tight? Can you hear starter solenoid clicking or not? Have you tried shorting starter out to solenoid?

If you have tried using jump leadsd and still doing same thing , in my mind, it is not the battery side but starter side.

Put the battery on charge overnight, check the small spade connector on the starter solenoid which is by far the most common cause of 'non start' ...even if it looks OK the wire rots internally so may need cutting and the terminal re-making.
Earth connections (gearbox nose) also very common issue with corrosion.
The ignition switch itself...again fairly common but you can usually 'wiggle' the key to sus that this is the issue.
The copper braided wire between the solenoid and starter body (rotted away) although this shouldn't be an issue on a new starter motor).

Martin

If you do find that there is no power to the ignition wire attached to the solenoid, one workaround worth trying (and I only know this because an AA mechanic showed me the trick on xmas eve while my 1.6d refused to start!), attach a long bit of wire to the spade connector on the starter solenoid - bit fiddly to reach as its hidden away at the back - touch the other end to the positive terminal on the battery to start your engine (while the ignition is on). This is currently how i'm starting mine until I get a chance to diagnose/ fix the ignition wire - bit of a pain, but better than trying to convince strangers to bump start me!

I'm having the exact same issue with my Petrol 1.9 at the moment!

So I will follow this thread and try out any thing advised here!

After not turning over for 6 days, I bumped it with a tow and push, it started but did not idle well at all! and stalled soon after!

Also pretty sure I'm not hearing a click from solenoid when I try to start it!

Let us know how you get on!

cheers
Danny