Car Starts, But May Need To Turn Key Up To 10X...?

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

Basically when I try to start the car sometimes it will fire on the first turn of the key, other times i could be turning it up to 10 times before it kicks into life.

 

When I turn the key i hear a faint humming, and clicking noise, i'm presuming the fuel pump for the hum??

 

Recently I had the same problem but with a louder distinct clicking noise, I changed the starter motor realising it was the solenoid after my battery ran flat. That worked a treat and I got power back, and no longer get that clicking. The battery is only a couple of months old by the way, so I'm hoping nothing's damaged on that?

 

I've had problems in the past with the fuel pump where I've needed to give it a smack to start the car, but with that the engine was always ticked over, with this it's just faint noises.

 

Any ideas? The car runs fine, and I can get by with this problem, i'm just hoping it doesnt become so bad one day it won't start at all!

Edited January 30, 2013 by Ivelostmypants

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

One of my old 205s had a slightly loose connection on the small wire to the starter motor, so every now and then I had to turn the key to the second position and then get a long bit of wire and touch it from the starter motor to the battery positive terminal. A bit of a ghetto repair, but worked well. Mind you that was on a carb engine rather than fuel injection.

 

I've also had a problem with a battery before now, that appeared to have full charge and giving correct voltage, but was actually knackered. Pretty sure it was one I'd recently bought too.

 

Furthermore, I also, have lost my pants.

[dcc 855]

It will be either the earth strap to the engine (poor earth = hard to get starter spinning), or the thick blue wire from the multiplug in the enginebay (usually on top of the gearbox) to the starter. basically this wire degrades over the past 20 years or so, and ends up being U/S, and not giving enough current for the starter solenoid.

 

Simple fix, replace the WHOLE wire from the starter solenoid back to the 2 brown multiplugs, found in the drivers footwell.

 

This is because the whole engine bay wire can be fubar from time to time.

 

Also worth checking you're gettign 13.9v (+/- 0.2) when its running - making sure the battery is charging well. if its around 13.5/13.6 then it sounds like a combination of issues with starter solenoid wire, alternator charge and possibly earth to engine.

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

Ah brilliant cheers for your help guys!! That makes a lot of sense to me, as when replacing the starter I trimmed the blue wire down as the end looked shabby, even then the wire didn't look great so thought it may need replacing at some point! I'll get cracking on re-wiring then! Cheers for your help!!

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

It will be either the earth strap to the engine (poor earth = hard to get starter spinning), or the thick blue wire from the multiplug in the enginebay (usually on top of the gearbox) to the starter. basically this wire degrades over the past 20 years or so, and ends up being U/S, and not giving enough current for the starter solenoid.

 

Simple fix, replace the WHOLE wire from the starter solenoid back to the 2 brown multiplugs, found in the drivers footwell.

 

This is because the whole engine bay wire can be fubar from time to time.

 

Also worth checking you're gettign 13.9v (+/- 0.2) when its running - making sure the battery is charging well. if its around 13.5/13.6 then it sounds like a combination of issues with starter solenoid wire, alternator charge and possibly earth to engine.

 

Well I replaced the wire and BOOM!! She's perfect now!! Thank you for your help! Before I even got round to fixing it today the solenoid starting clacking like a machine gun! So it was defiantly a job long overdue! Plus the wire was in a right state for a long way through the engine bay! So spot on for the diagnosis, one purring little pug says cheers