Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Kev,

This is my first time using the forum, so bear with me....

I'm hoping that someone can help with my starting issues on my T25 as there is a very real possibility that I just might go MAD!!

I've got a 1.9 water cooled DF engine with a brand new starter and alternator and it just isn't turning over. The battery is new as well (62Ah) and reads 12.8v on the meter.

I've renewed the battery and gearbox earth straps and cleaned up all the connections to the starter but still no joy. The headlights go out when I turn the ignition.

I had the starter off today to check the copper bush. I don't have the tool to remove it, but from what I could see there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. The engine will start straight away with a jump from another battery.

PLEASE HELP.....We're supposed to be going to Newquay in the summer, and I can't even get it off my drive!!!!!

Thanks a lot,

Cord.

That's ok fella
I'm sure some of the more qualified electricians will be able to steer you toward some other places to investigate.
I'm thinking the ignition switch initially as they are prone to wear

Oh and I as I said in the PM welcome in to 80-90

Sounds like your new battery is almost flat and needs charging. If it's been hanging around in a warehouse or store for a while before you purchased it, then it could well be low on charge. This is the only explanation for loosing the headlights when trying to turn over and for it to start easily when jumped from another battery (providing battery connections are ok!).
Stick the battery on charge overnight and try again!

I'm with Camperfan it sounds like the battery is flat. Put the multimeter across the terminals when you turn the key and see what it reads under load. I bet your 12.8v drops to 9v or 10v.

I agree, the classic sign of a dead battery is if the headlamps dim when the engine is cranking and if then starts with a fresh power source, well, at answers itself I reckon.

My van was doing very similar things only last week, despite it having a 'new' battery on it. [thats what the chap who I bought it from said anyway, and to be fair, it did look 'new'] So I bought a new one, bunged it on a trickle charger for a few hours just to make sure it was at its very best, fitted it and the old girl cranked over like the clappers!

I thought the headlights turned off by design when the ignition is turned on and cranked.?

I don't know about later vans, but my 82 air-cooled van definitely dims its lights if the battery is flat.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I had the battery on trickle charge night before last, all night till lunch the next day. Took the charger off, turned the key and just got a click from the solenoid. Slammed the door in disgust and left it for a couple of hours. was just about to set about taking the starter off and thought I'd just give it another go...started up 1st time like a dream. Tried it again the next morning (having not driven it anywhere) and it turned over VERY slowly. Eventually got it going, drove to my local shop, about half a mile on my way to pick my daughter up from school and it wouldn't start again.
Got my Dad to come and jump it from his battery. He didn't even have his engine running and it struck up straight away. What power battery should it have. Mine's a 62Ah. Don't know if it's powerful enough to crank it over to start?

Frustrating.

You need a new battery

What sort of battery is best to get? What do you have in yours?

Is it the standard car sized battery or the longer heavy duty type? I saw on one of these forums that someone had put a large 96Ah one in theirs. Can you do this?

I'm new to all this!!

Hello,

re the lights, they should stay on while cranking - the "X" position on the ignition switch powers the lights and the load-reduction relay - when you crank, just about everything will stop functioning except the lights.

I'm sure someone will tell you which battery is best for the DF, but I know you can get 096 code batteries to fit, and there's some discussion on the forum already, for example here:

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... &p=7582116" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck sorting it

Ewen

Cheers for that Ewen. This is very confusing. Just been looking around for 096 code batteries and there seems to be a variety, so standard car sized and some the longer type.

I suppose the more Ah the better though. My Dad just got a new powerful battery on his car, so I might try it on that to see if it makes a difference.

Thanks again,

Cord.

Hi Cord,

there's also this, which gives you some useful dimensions for the under-seat battery location... For diesels (higher compression) people often move the battery physically closer to the starter since this reduces voltage drop too, which means you don't have to worry so much about the height etc...

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... s_that_fit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ewen

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice. I've tried a new 096 code heavy duty battery on it and it still won't start. Sometimes I get just a click, sometimes it'll try to turn over very slowly. It did start once but I haven't managed it again since!

Still sounds like an earthing problem to me. I have put a new earth strap on from the nose of the gearbox to the bellhousing, but there is also another what looks like an earth strap right next to that one which I can't find mention of anywhere. It's a heavy braided, unshielded strap. What is this for? Does it also need replacing?

Looks like I'm going to have to check all the earths again over the next few days (when it warms up a bit!) and really clean everything up.

This is getting very frustrating, so any additional advice would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks,

Cord.

Hi, sorry you're still having starting problems. If the van is starting every time you jump it using another car / battery I can't see how it can be anything other than your battery being the problem? Can you try starting it with you battery disconnected and clipping the jumper cables from another car straight onto the leads? If it starts first time try it a few more times just in case there's a dead spot on the starter and the first time was just "lucky". If it starts every time then your battery is the problem. If it doesn't I'd ask the supplier of the starter motor to check to motor in case it's U/S.

Did you check what the voltage is dropping to when you try to start?