Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, got a jump start at work the other week, got home and the next time I wanted to use the van it won't start.

Having little to no mechanical skills I can only think the starter motor has balked it. Turning the ignition I get the whir but no mechanical engagement sound.

Just wondering if its not the starter motor could it be the glow plugs or glow relay (its not lack diesel as I made sure I filled it up a little more...just in case).

Oh I tried the hammer hit on the starter motor but with no success.

Any advice much appreciated.

1.6TD JX engine

If the starter motor is whirring, then the problem lies with the gear on either the motor or the flywheel.

You have a flat/duff battery.

Hmm battery could be a possible. It's been on the charger (ctek) for a day but after a few turns on the ignition the battery goes flat pretty quick (I'd say 4 good turns and flat).

Worth a charge cycle on the recondition setting? If I were to jump start it from my car and it started would that suggest it was the battery and not anything mechanical?

ninja.turtle007 wrote:You have a flat/duff battery.

To check for this, turn on your headlights then try again. If the lights go out, or very dim, then the battery is duff. If not, then gears. Usually, if the battery is low, it doesn't pull the solenoid on the starter far enough to cause the whirring, just a clicking.

JonB wrote:Hmm battery could be a possible. It's been on the charger (ctek) for a day but after a few turns on the ignition the battery goes flat pretty quick (I'd say 4 good turns and flat).

Worth a charge cycle on the recondition setting? If I were to jump start it from my car and it started would that suggest it was the battery and not anything mechanical?

If you can jump start from another battery, then definite duff battery.

JonB wrote:Hmm battery could be a possible. It's been on the charger (ctek) for a day but after a few turns on the ignition the battery goes flat pretty quick (I'd say 4 good turns and flat).

Worth a charge cycle on the recondition setting? If I were to jump start it from my car and it started would that suggest it was the battery and not anything mechanical?

I had the same issue a while back. I tried to recondition via multi stage charger but to no avail. New battery fixed it.

If you have the means to do a Homebrew load test it would decide the condition of the battery.

Thanks guys, will give it a jump tomorrow and see whats occurring.

check the earths, also mine recently failed on hols, turned out to be bad connection on the main feed to starter solenoid
mm

Darn, the jump start method wasn't a success.

So will start looking at connection terminals and perhaps continue to removing and getting a visual on it all and checking it over.

Bit more confident that I'm focusing on what seems to be the right area.

Checking the earths on the starter motor etc, is good advice, and they can fail through bad earths, commonly.
However :
Before you shell out £80 or so on a starter motor, check its not the £8 ignition switch thats at fault.
Because I did, and it was the switch !

Awesome, exactly the type of thing I'm trying to avoid

OK
I bought a switch from Just Kampers and it lasted 1 week before going the same way as the original.
I then bought two from Veedubmachine, one to fit and a spare.
3 months on.
I haven't yet used the spare.
You say your motor is whirring but not engaging ?
Mine was just dead whn it was the switch, so slightly different symptoms.
But bear the switch in mind.
Switch fitment is a twenty minute job, basic tools.

Fixed it

Turns out there is a leaking diesel spill off hose which was causing air to get in and allowing fuel to run back into the tank leaving nothing to fire the engine. Seems that bleeding the fuel system to get rid of air requires a good old turn on the starter motor before it gets going.

I wasn't running the starter motor for long enough but with many tries the battery would run flat.

Sucking as much fuel up into the engine (from the run off hose) and then using my car to jump start the van with an extended time on the starter motor it finally kicked into life.

New hose ordered along with a primer bulb pump to fit between the fuel filter and engine this means I can pump fuel around if it happens again but also prevents fuel from returning into the tank.

All handy hints from this and the brickyard forum?

Thanks All.