2.5TD 89 Starter click click click ......

Take a jump lead from the battery -ve to somewhere on the block (the lifting brackets are good) and see if it starts more easily - if it does you have a bad earth, probably between the starter motor and the chassis.

Richard

Cheers i'll try that in the morning when it's daylight again - the sound is rather like i have heard before on cars when the solenoid is faulty and doesnt engage, but having only had a quick look underneath the starter appears to be connected to the crank/engine via belt rather than cogs - or am i looking at the wrong thing.

I've got some addon lights upfront that failed the other day - they came on and stayed on - i pulled the relay and they went off, that was the last time i drive it so i am wondering now if thats related to todays issue.

Wrong thing! It's in part of the clutch housing between the engine and the gearbox. If what you're looking at has fat wires on it then it'll be the alternator.

Did you try the new battery yet? If the battery is flat then it'll often just click, enough wellie for the starter solenoid but not the motor itself.

Hmmm it's deffo not the alternater but it's close to it - it was getting dark but it's deffo got a belt conecting it to the engine - the new battery did make the clicks faster and it did sound like there was more mechanical activity going on but the engine wasnt turning at all - an evening with the manual is planned so by the morning i might know whats whats and where.

That will be the power steering pump, has it got pipes on, not wires? As has been asked already, have you actually tried to start it since you fitted the new battery?

Martin

I think what i found was actually the soloniod, it was too dark to notice that its attached to the starter - i did try the new battery but it didnt make that much difference however i dont know what state of charge it was in when i brought it.

I've left th eold one in on charge for a good few hours now and well bugger me it's just fired up fine - i am still a bit concerned that the soloniod or starter are on their way out so i will have a look over it all in the morning.

it probably wont start in the morning oh well.

I shouldn't worry too much.

My 1996 Tdi 300 SWB does it as well.

Once or twice a year it just won't start.

I've had it into everyone from the main dealer to the local Landy guru and they can't find anything wrong, but every so often it just clicks ten or twenty times before starting...

Mine usually starts first time but a couple of weeks ago when taking it for it's MOT, the first of the morning, she refused to start with the same response you got. Panic first, but on looking I knew it wasn't the battery as it has a little light that changes colour depending on condition and that was bright green so OK. Then underneath to rattle the earth wire and she started at once, lucky guess. New earth wire to be fitted soon (after it's impregnated with Vaseline).

In article , Sean writes

On Marge it turned out to be both the battery and the ignition switch. I took the old switch apart and was rather impressed by the amount of vaporized copper coating the inside - the glow plugs are directly switched apparently, and this doesn't help the longevity of the switch as a whole.

The switch wasn't expensive although getting at the tiny self-tappers to change it was a real nuisance.

Regards,

Simonm.

In article , William Black writes

Try the 'ignition' switch. That's just what mine did until it became a near permanent feature :(

Regards,

Simonm.