Damn car won't start, started and then wouldn't start again

[Ilogik]

Pulled the car out the garage this morning to go to college, started up fine, with no hesitation. Turned it off to shut the garage door and when i went to start it again it just wouldn't turn over, like it had a flat battery.  Just waiting on the RAC to come out,  worried now as if the battery was flat surly it shouldn't of started up first time.

I used the search function but couldn't find any results with that, any known issues with this?

[Rowland]

Dodgy or loose earth at the battery terminal?

  s:? :? s:?

[StuM]

Are all the connections to the battery nice and tight?  It the ground connection ok?

[Ilogik]

all seemed fine when I checked, dash lights all come up normally like they did before. They all go dim when you turn it over.

The earth should run off on the passenger side onto the chassis shouldn't it?

[Ilogik]

if the alternator is gone, what lights come up?

[SimonC_Here]

How about:
Battery is a little flat (for whatever reason)
You start it the first time, taking a chunk of charge out.
The second time you try the battery no longer has enough charge.

How far is your trip to collage? If it's only short, the altinator might not have enough time to top the battery up fully.

Simon

[Liz]

Enough petrol?

[Ilogik]

How about:
Battery is a little flat (for whatever reason)
You start it the first time, taking a chunk of charge out.
The second time you try the battery no longer has enough charge.

How far is your trip to collage? If it's only short, the altinator might not have enough time to top the battery up fully.

Simon

college is 9 miles away,  rac man is taking his time  s:( s:(  Hopefully nothing to serious.  As for petrol I have over 1/4 of  atank, but its defiantly battery related. Wondering if its something to do with my alarm draining it, as when removing the kep it makes a beep, which it never usually does.

[Anonymous]

Could also be an iffy starter motor

[Ilogik]

How about:
Battery is a little flat (for whatever reason)
You start it the first time, taking a chunk of charge out.
The second time you try the battery no longer has enough charge.

How far is your trip to collage? If it's only short, the altinator might not have enough time to top the battery up fully.

Simon

college is 9 miles away,  rac man is taking his time  s:( s:(  Hopefully nothing to serious.  As for petrol I have over 1/4 of  atank, but its defiantly battery related. Wondering if its something to do with my alarm draining it, as when removing the kep it makes a beep, which it never usually does.

Only other thing i can think would of caused it would be that i touched something when I was fitting the new steering wheel, have done this job many times before on different cars, and surly to be draining power the horn would have to be stuck on.

[Anonymous]

Had a truck with a similar problem, turn the key to start and the lights would dim as per a flat battery, the batteries tested ok as did the alternator and earth connections, sometimes it would start without a hitch, it was found to be a fault in the pre-engage solenoid on the starter motor.

[Wabbitkilla]

A fuse?
IGN2

[alancdavis]

How about:
Battery is a little flat (for whatever reason)
You start it the first time, taking a chunk of charge out.
The second time you try the battery no longer has enough charge.

How far is your trip to collage? If it's only short, the altinator might not have enough time to top the battery up fully.

Simon

I would go with this reason,,,,,,,,,the same thing happend to me,,,,,,,,gave the batt a good overnight charge and this cured the problem

[Liz]

Batteries are cheap for this car though - about £33 is your worst case scenario.

[Rowland]

Batteries are cheap for this car though - about £33 is your worst case scenario.

That sounds unusually cheap.
I paid £50'ish for a new Toyota battery not so long ago.

[Liz]

Thats what I paid for mine about 10 months ago. Maybe now realised it was dirt cheap and changed it, I even queried it when they told me the price.

[StuM]

Had a truck with a similar problem, turn the key to start and the lights would dim as per a flat battery, the batteries tested ok as did the alternator and earth connections, sometimes it would start without a hitch, it was found to be a fault in the pre-engage solenoid on the starter motor.

Used to have an old Renault that did this.  If you took handbrake off and put the car in gear, then rocked it back and forth, then tried to start it often would - guess the starter worked in one position and not another.  Probably no good on an HGV  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  but might be worth a go here.

Also.. do you hear anything when you turn the key - clicking etc?  Does it turn over at all, or is it totally dead?

[BlackSabel]

If all lights come on as normal but engine don't trun It sound like your starter motor is jammed?

[philster_d]

Aarons battery was about 68 quid before halfords discount brought it down under 50.

[Ilogik]

looks like it was a weak battery, connectors were slightly lose, drove it all the way to college after rac guy came out, who checked it over, alternator was good, the battery was charging so I think I may need to replace the battery. If this is the case, I think i may upgrade to a 6kg one spotted at Autosports.

How heavy are normal bats?

[ex-member]

Glad you got sorted mate.....lol and the weight saving continues!

[Kool PT]

looks like it was a weak battery, connectors were slightly lose, drove it all the way to college after rac guy came out, who checked it over, alternator was good, the battery was charging so I think I may need to replace the battery. If this is the case, I think i may upgrade to a 6kg one spotted at Autosports.

How heavy are normal bats?

http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=22620&hilit=lightweight+battery some useful battery info here

I will be replacing my stock battery with an Enersys Odyssey PC545 at some point, a saving of 7.78kgs

[Ilogik]

looks like it was a weak battery, connectors were slightly lose, drove it all the way to college after rac guy came out, who checked it over, alternator was good, the battery was charging so I think I may need to replace the battery. If this is the case, I think i may upgrade to a 6kg one spotted at Autosports.

How heavy are normal bats?

http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=22620&hilit=lightweight+battery some useful battery info here

I will be replacing my stock battery with an Enersys Odyssey PC545 at some point, a saving of 7.78kgs

sweet so basic thing is they don't last long, will have a bit of research into it, spotted some nice light ones at Autosports, but if battery life is slashed id rather get something slightly heavier.

Saying that the battery has been good thus far.

[Ilogik]

damn not driven the car for about 5 days due to snow,  its dead again boo hiss, time for anew battery I think.

[StuM]

damn not driven the car for about 5 days due to snow,  its dead again boo hiss, time for anew battery I think.

Snap - left mine for a couple of weeks, one of which it was covered in a snow crust (although car-cover on) and it wasn't interested at all on Saturday afternoon.  It did turn over, but very slowly.  Left it on charge overnight and all fine on Sunday.