T25 will not start - please help!

[dannyjwood]

I have recently had an issue with getting my 1.9 Petrol T25 Camper started.

About 3 weeks ago I drove my van one evening and all was fine. Then when I was due to come home I couldn't get her started. The engine was turning quite slowly at the time, but just wouldn't start. I got a jump off a mates car, still nothing happened. Luckily I was parked on a slight hill, so I risked it and managed to get her going from a bump start down the hill.

All is fine for a few days until the weekend, same slow turning over sound but wouldn't start. This time I thought I'd give the battery a charge, I left her charging for an hour or so and she started straight away. At this point I was confused why the jump start a few days earlier didn't work, but I assumed I had a drain somewhere on the battery.

The van was then fine for about another week, now when I turn the key, I get nothing, doesn't turn and doesn't even click. I've tested the battery, this seems fine and fully charged, It reads 12.65 then drops to 12.05 with the key turned to start. I've given the starter a tap and checked the connections... still nothing!

6 days later pushed and bumped the van to get it going... she did eventually start, but wasn't idling very well at all! I was hoping to get the van to my dad's garage, but didn't make it that far! The van was backfiring and lost all power at a junction. So now the van is parked in the middle of nowhere! I have tried to start it again, but still not turning over and I can't hear a click. Wishing I never moved it now!

Any idea what my starting trouble could be? What should I check next?

Also, anyone have any idea why it would run like a pig after only being sat for 6 days... just seems a bit odd, was running fine before my starting issues!

cheers
Danny

[California Dreamin]

Hiya mate...where to start:
My gut feeling is telling me you have more than one issue here as there is clearly more than one symptom:
1) The slow cranking / hard starting.
2) And now the rough running/backfiring.


As with all things you need to start with a base line...a point at which you know everything is good so lets start with point one and possible problems:
I'll put them in order of likelyhood.

Tired/old/low battery charge.
Poor earths..particularly the one on the gearbox to chassis.
Poor solenoid trigger terminal feed (single 6.3mm spade and feed wire that corrodes)
Braided wire on the starter motor between the solenoid & starter body (it rots)
Oilite bush that supports the starter armature shaft wears oval allowing the starter pinion to slip awkwardly/partially out of mesh resulting in slow cranking.
The starter motor is failing.
Battery terminal security/tightness...also the cables themselves must be 100% sound because of the amount of current they carry.
Electrical ignition switch can start to play up, it doesn't necessarily cause slow cranking but is sometimes responsible for no crank or intermittant crank.
These are the main ones......

Point Two:
Ignition leads breaking down
Cracked distributor cap/carbon bush fallen out.
Plug breaking down.
Inlet manifold leak (could be a gasket or a split hose you will need to investigate for leaks)
Hole in the exhaust
ignition amplifier/unit failing.
Hall effect sender in the distributor failing.
Fuel pump failure
Burnt out valves causing low compression and backfiring.

As you can see from the above there are many avenues for you to explore.....take it easy, go through the checks one at a time...use your eyes and ears. Fingers crossed you find the problem quickly and it doesn't cost too much money to fix.

Hope you can have some good New Year celebrations..

Best of luck...Martin

[dannyjwood]

Thanks for the reply Martin!

Today's update: When the van packed in last night it was to dark to do anything, went back to the van this morning and the battery was reading 10.05. Not good considering it was fully charged before I bumped the van yesterday!

When I bumped the van I only managed to drive it a couple of miles until it conked out, so I've got the battery out and will get this checked over first! As it is chucking it down today, I am unable to do any other checks!

Will keep you posted on the outcome!

[dannyjwood]

Update: Still not starting!

I have a brand new battery, fully charged and the van still isn't starting.

I've checked/cleaned plugs, distributor and connections on starter solenoid, and still nothing. I'm not sure if I'm hearing a click from the solenoid or not, as a click sounds like it's coming from behind the dash when I turn the key.

I've been unable to check earth's underneath as the van is parked near a junction and it's not safe to jack it up where it is and get underneath. I can access the starter bottom bolt from above and undo it, but the top bolt is an alley key head and I can't get it to budge at all... thinking I may have to give in and get it towed to a garage! Disappointed that I cannot get the starter off to check it over.

cheers
Danny

[California Dreamin]

You need to get a voltmeter on the solenoid switch wire (the one that goes live when the key is turned) see if you get a feed and the amount of voltage....should be nearly battery voltage.
Then see if you have battery voltage on the main starter terminal...the 8mm nut.
All this B4 taking it off.

Also give the starter a good knock with a hammer...obviously don't break it lol.
I wish you some good luck!

Martin

[dannyjwood]

It seems my braided wire in between the solenoid and starter is completely rotten where it connects to the solenoid. I will get a better look at this tomorrow when the sun comes up, but is it possible to repair this braided wire?

It isn't the whole of the wire that is rotten, just where it bolts to the solenoid, so I'm hoping I can do some sort of repair, so I can at least get the van started and moved off the dodgy road where it is currently sat!

Any thoughts?

[waltraud]

Frustrating to say the least. I'm also struggling with a similar but different issue. With your situation I put a new cable from the stater battery all the way back to the starter motor and replaced the starter motor bush in bell housing. ( see wiki for an easy guide) then clean up all connections to the starter and use Vaseline or similar......I've done the same with all earths in the engine compartment like dissy earth and its worth tightening / checking/ replacing the grounding screws on the ignition control unit . As you know it's difficult to start working out each issue methodically with a duff battery but after that is ok check spark is ok? Then take off fuel pipe to carb and with an assistant check if you have fuel at the carb? I only say this because from experience, in the heat of the moment I've lost sight of taking it one step at a time to work through where the fault is. Good luck.

[California Dreamin]

The starter motor needs to come off obviously...if you have a local auto electrical supplies/starter, alternator reconditioners they might just sell you the braided cable but to be honest, you might as well have them fit the cable and give the starter a checkover.
From memory, I seem to remember that cable being crimped and soldered internally.

Martin

[dannyjwood]

Next step for me is to get the starter off, the bolt on top is proving very difficult at the moment as it's an alley key head and I have no room to actually get any leverage on the bugger!

I've taken the solenoid off while the starter is still in, to make a bit more room to maneuver, I think I will purchase an alley key socket set before I go any further!

Will keep you posted!

[NicBeeee]

Hi Danny

If I remember the top bolt can be undone by loosening the nut on the back (engine side)

[dannyjwood]

Cheers!

I did manage to get the bolt out in the end, was slightly rusted!

Currently waiting on a new bolt and a new starter and bell-housing bush to turn up! Hope to be back on the road by next weekend! Fingers crossed!

The old starter was beyond repair, very corroded.

Thanks all!

[waltraud]

I think it's worth soaking the bush in oil overnight, sure there will be a post on it. I used a tap n die set to grip into the old bush and pull out, probably so in wiki.

[dannyjwood]

Got my new bush soaking in oil...

Used 12mm tap on the old one, but only half of it came out, my tap will not grip the other half, so I'm still stuck!

Cannot find a tap that will grip the last bit of the bush so my next job is to grind down one of my taps to see if that works! stressed!

[California Dreamin]

Flat blade screwdriver around the outside to collapse the bush inwards or a small/sharp cold chisel and cut a groove in it to collapse inwards.

Good luck.

Martin

[dannyjwood]

Cheers for the advice!

In the end I used a grinder and cut my tap down a little so it could catch the last piece! It worked, last half of the bush came out in one piece!

I've put a new starter / new batt on the van now, it is turning over, but still not starting, but I'm thinking this could just be due to the fact it has been sat for a few weeks now! and it's really bloody cold here at the moment!

The starter isn't constantly turning, it turns for about 5 seconds and pauses slightly then turns again... does that sound right? it isn't always 5 seconds, sometimes it's 10! It is kind of random!

cheers all!
Danny