306 TD starting problems

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has any suggestion. Once every few weeks my '98 TD will refuse to start with the following symptoms:

  1. When the key is turned to the second position, the radio changes to CODE and the speedo and rev counter needles slam all the way round the dials.

  1. On turning the engine, it will make one pathetic attempt to turn over and then the battery dies.

  2. After this, any attempts to start it result in a lot of clicking but nothing else.

Jump starting will start the car and it will be as right as rain for two or three weeks.

I'm pulling my hair out over this one. My local garage say the battery is fine and they can se no obvious faults. Hopefully someone here has seen something similar happen and can help explain what's happening.....

Graham Scott

Reply to
Graham Scott
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If the alternator is charging the battery fine (battery at about 14v with the engine running and anything above 12.25v engine off) then look at a bad earth connection, there's one infront of the battery, I think it's on the wing.

Also try to see if there is any significant current being drawn from the battery when the key is out of the ignition and all the interior and exterior lights are off, you'll need to insert a multimeter between the battery and either of the cars two power leads to see the current being drawn - warning: don't attempt to turn over the car when it's connected like this! You'll blow the multimeter up or at the least blow the internal fuse.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Dugan

They all sound like the battery is flat when you are trying to start it.

Radio code re-sets when battery is flat or disconnected

Won't turn over quickly enough - battery is nearly flat

Speedo/tach needles moving strangely - they are re-calibrating after loosing their settings due to a flat battery.

You should have approx 10v when cranking (trying to start) across the battery and 12.2-12.5v when the car is switched off. You should have

13.5 - 14v when the car is running (assuming the battery wasn't completely flat when you started it).

As the last poster said check the voltages and these will indicate where the problems are. if it is charging OK (13.5-14v when running) then either the battery is being drained when the car is stood or the battery is duf. If it it not charging OK then your alternator is duf - check the belt driving it from the engine is tight and connected OK. If that's OK buy a re-conditioned alternator.

Reply to
A million things to fix

I had the same problem with a 205. It was the bolt/nut by the connection to the frame that had loosened. I cleaned it up and tightened the nut. Since then had no problems. Bo

"Graham Scott" skrev i en meddelelse news: snipped-for-privacy@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Bo L

Thanks for all the replies,

I've had the car at my regular mechanic today and he reckons all that was wrong was that two of the glowpugs were knackered, so I've had all four replaced. Just have to wait and see if that solves the problem.

G.

Reply to
Graham Scott

Can I be forward and ask how much it cost you?

Jim

Reply to
Jim Mason

Jim,

According to my invoice, 4 x Y923U Glow Plugs cost me =A333.20. There was labour on top of that but I was having other work done as well so it would be unfair to include that I think.

Graham

Reply to
Graham Scott

According to my invoice, 4 x Y923U Glow Plugs cost me £33.20. There was labour on top of that but I was having other work done as well so it would be unfair to include that I think.

Graham Though knackered heater plugs certainly affect cold starting, they are certainly not what I would have diagnosed given your original description. Just be aware that the original problem might raise its ugly head again. Brian.

Reply to
Brian

Cheers for that. I have at least one blown but the back ones look like a=20 bit of a job to get to.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Mason

Just to (hopefully) tie this thread off. My problem seems to have been solved by a combination of new glow plugs, a new battery, and checking and replacing the connectors for the battery.

Seems to be coping well now, starting first time every morning this week, even though there was a half inch of snow on the car in the morning.

Reply to
Graham Scott

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