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Does anyone have any idea why my L-seies may not start? Just makes that single click as if the battery is flat. The battery is new and fully charged however.

has new plugs and leads and everything is plugged in as it should be. Any ideas?

Turn key to On position and check gas gauge to make sure car's not out of gas, also your dash lights should come on at accessories.
Check fuse box for blown fuses

Open hood and check battery connections at terminals. If either connector is loose enough to move, problem may be bad connection. Jiggle or tighten cable end. Corrosion at battery terminal will also prevent car from starting. Clean terminal with wire brush or water and rag and tighten battery cable connectors.

Check connection at starter. Follow battery cable from positive battery terminal to starter. Make sure connection isn't loose. Lightly tap outside of starter with hammer. Sometimes this will free stuck components inside so car can start.
Also have you tried to Jump-start or push-start the car.

hope this helps
good luck

Check the connection of the main positive lead to your starter motor and any earth leads, particularly ones that go to the motor.

Try forcing the starter motor to operate by shorting the solenoid spade terminal to the main positive connection on the back of the motor, making sure the car is out of gear first of course, if you do this with the ignition off it should just crank the motor, if you do it with the ignition on the car "should" start.

Jordan.

yeah it sounds like your starter motor is either jammed or needs to be fixed

check that your battery leads are tight and that your connections are corrosion free

then try tapping your starter motor gently with a hammer ------- GENTLY!!!!!!

another way to do it is put your car in first or reverse and push the car until it rocks back and forth.

then put the car into neutral and try starting it

if it is an automatic make sure that the wires to the transmission are all in place

if these don't work you need to look at getting another starter motor or rebuilding the one you have

TOONGA

I get this if I don't use spring washers on the clamp the cable to the battery terminal bolts and nuts. Tricked me once enuff to make me swap starter. Both earth and powe supply is important. It could be in the starter, those copper contacts.....

TOONGA wrote:yeah it sounds like your starter motor is either jammed or needs to be fixed

check that your battery leads are tight and that your connections are corrosion free

then try tapping your starter motor gently with a hammer ------- GENTLY!!!!!!

another way to do it is put your car in first or reverse and push the car until it rocks back and forth.

then put the car into neutral and try starting it

if it is an automatic make sure that the wires to the transmission are all in place

if these don't work you need to look at getting another starter motor or rebuilding the one you have

TOONGA

That is the first thing i would do, give it a gentle tap with something solid ie. metal bar while someone turning over the key... POssibly the starter needs reconditioning.
Cheers
AP

Also check the earth cable mounts to the body and motor.

If you have to tap the start motor (the smaller cylinder shaped part out of the two that are there) to get it to work you'd be best off to replace the starter motor as this usually means the starter's solenoid is on the way out and you can expect to be tapping it more often to get you started...

Cheers

Bennie

How is it going so far?
Cheers
AP

[ATTACH]1856[/ATTACH]
I'd ask my mechanic to take a look for you, but........

T'subaru wrote:[ATTACH]1856[/ATTACH]
I'd ask my mechanic to take a look for you, but........

Yep Asia is a wonderful place

and thats a reasonably safe bit of workskills

any news on the starter?

TOONGA

Holding the key in start position and getting somebody to tap the (larger round bit) of the starter motor may get it to start but i'd say u'll need new brushes in your starter. the solinoid rarely fails on these starters and its usually the brushes in the motor itself. (hence the tapping, will shake the brush down to make contact to get that one last start.)

Been to the AC DC concert last night - ABSOLUTELY AWESOME, so couldnt get to it. Will have a look at it tomorrow, thanks to all that have replied.

GTlegs wrote:Been to the AC DC concert last night - ABSOLUTELY AWESOME, so couldnt get to it. Will have a look at it tomorrow, thanks to all that have replied.

SO JEALOUS!!!

Bennie

Well, I hammered the thing to no avail. Looking at the whole situation at a bit more detail, it does look to be the starter giving up its ghost.

Funnily enough, it starts up reasonably OK off another car's jump start, so that does suggest a sticky starter motor (which turns over with 14V voltage and more amps from the jump start).

Off to the wreckers I go then...

You will probably find it just needs new bushes on the shaft (sleeve bearing style bushes, NOT contactor style brushes), from memory cost me $12 and an hour of my time, but that was a few years ago.

Jordan.

If you're not going to try what BVCP has said, I'd be buying new rather than second hand as you could be buying the same problem again - very frustrating!

Cheers

Bennie