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iPlod999

Spring In Ignition?

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iPlod999

 

Got a bit of trouble with the car. Looking for a bit of advice.

 

Just to cut a long story short. I disconnected the battery to sort out a loose wire on my sub. Connected back up and started the car. An awful sound was coming from the engine. Turned it straight off. Tried again and same awful noise again. I then noticed that once the key was turned fully in the ignition it was not clicking back by itself. I think with the ignition staying fully on was making the noise. Is there a spring in the ignition?

 

Also now the car just gives a single click when the key is turned to start the car. Sounds like a click from the fuses in the glove box along with a click in the engine bay.

 

I must have turned the key 50 times and the engine only started twice. Other than that I was just the clicks.

 

Any ideas on what this could be.

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allye

The spring in the barrel has gone, happened on a old XS of mine, the horrible noise is the starter motor staying engaged. The spring can be replaced, easiest thing to do is replace the entire barrel though - easily done.

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iPlod999

Cheers allye for the reply.

 

I have been googling a few bits on this.

 

I have found the 2 bits that I need to push in on the barrel and am really struggling to undo the bolt on top of the barrel in order to release it.

 

One thing I have just notice is tha once I have the barrel free there does not seem to be a lot of slack on the cables coming off the back of the barrel.

 

Is this ideally a 'dash board' off job? If it is then it is too far past my capabilities and time and would have to put it in somewhere to be done.

 

I don't really fancy having 2 sets of keys for doors etc and ignition.

 

At the moment the car starts 2 or 3 times out of 30. The non springing of the key can wait for a short while.

 

I'm just try to sort out the 'click' which I get most of the time when trying to start.

 

There is a clock which sounds like is coming from the fuses in the glove box and a clock from the coil. I have cleaned up the terminals on the coil and checked that the connections are tight.

 

Still not great on the starting front.

 

I need the car to be running work, wife man ill in hospital so can't use hers at the mo.

 

Any other help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards.

 

Glen.

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allye

Yer the little bolt on top is a real pain, not a dash out job at all though, just take the column parts off and it can be done! (have fun putting it back in!!!) The barrel is connect by only a plug to the rest of the loom so can be removed no problem. It almost sounds like a separate starting problem with the clicking you describe? Or quite possibly related, impossible to tell.

 

A set of locks and barrel isn't impossible to come across if you are concerned about 2 keys.

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welshpug

you can alter the lock to suit, or even swap it to a donor unit.

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iPlod999

I probably have 3/4's of the bolt out, moving it about a millimetre of a turn each tome. I then noticed the shortness of the wires and thought that will never come out of there.

 

I'll have to have a look at the column parts and if I can work out how it drops.

 

I need to get the car starting. I'm running out of ideas. Not that I have many to start with.

 

I know the spring could have gone at any time. But surely just disconnecting the battery cannot have caused what ever is playing it up now.

 

Cheers again allye.

 

Sounds like a plan welshplug. If I manage to get it out. Although, I can't imagine taking a barrel apart is an easy one.

 

There's only one way to find out. ;)

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mowflow

The clicking isn't related to the ignition barrel or spring though is it? i only ask because i had the issue 20 years ago on my first GTi and i never did get to the bottom of it. At the time I was told it was teeth missing from the starter wheel and resorted to putting the car in gear and rocking it against the resistance. However, I doubt that was the problem so would be good to know if you get to the bottom of it.

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welshpug

more likely to be voltage drop due to a corroded solenoid wire, or a sticking starter solenoid, lastly possibly burnt contacts in the ignition switch.

 

if there were teeth missing it would whizz like mad without turning the engine, but this is highly unusual and I never recall hearing of any instances like this other than from some poorly manufactured lightweight flywheels.

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iPlod999

I have a replacement barrel on route to me from a member here.

 

Since Monday morning the car has started fine. The spring has still gone so will will need to change it over once the barrel arrives.

 

When it was not starting I tried rocking backwards and forwards in hear but that did not help.

 

It may be a bad/dirty earth somewhere.

 

The fella who I done the 'exchange of skills' post the other week is coming to have a look for me while I do some more work on his car(s). :)

 

Thanks for the suggestions people. I'll show these to him if we/he runs out of ideas.

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