42 replies to this topic

[Bratby]

Right just remember to get the reading at the coil side too, the coil is getting 12.45 when the ignition is on, on the car is trying to start it varied from 9.77 - 10.05. Is the starter taking too much power because it's knackered or is the coil the suspect to, to be honest I'm tempted to replace both?

[xrocketengineer]

The voltages at the battery and starter look good. Try the same check at the coil positive and should be above 10 volts. This is also the voltage going to the ECU. Now, you say that it starts fine if the battery is freshly charged but after a day it will not start? So, that sounds like something is draining the battery or the battery is losing the charge on its own.

To check for drain, make sure everything is turned off in the car and disconnect the negative side of the battery. Set your voltmeter to read milliamps and connect the the probes to the negative battery post and the negative battery cable clamp. You should read much less than 100mA (0.1Amp) the closer to zero the better. Even 50mA might be significant.

To check the battery, charge it, check and record the voltage and leave it disconnected. An hour later check and record the voltage again it might have dropped a couple of tenths of a volt. Wait until next day to check it again and it should still be reading the same. If not the battery can be bad and it needs to be tested by the supplier.

[Bratby]

Not sure if I did the test on the negative right I had my meter set at DCA 20m then tried DCA 200m and both just read zero with the probes on the earth lead and the negative terminal, it did read zero then flashed minus zero then back to zero so don't know if that good or bad. I've put the battery on charge again will leave this on till fully charged again as the charger reading in the middle (it's a 4 amp charger). One the battery is fully charged I'll get a reading off it then monitor for the next couple of days over the weekend. The battery had a 3 year guarantee and was only brought the start of the year so I'll see how we go on with this.

[xrocketengineer]

The drain check was probably OK since your meter can switch polarity automatically if the leads are connected backwards. That is why you saw the minus zero. Now lets see what you get out of the battery. If that is OK then it gets more complicated with a possible issue with the ECU. But that is a long story.

I am still thinking that it is the battery. I had so many weird things with batteries before. The coil is probably OK but if it is the original one, it might not be a bad idea to replace it. The starter, I would hold off. You might not want replace it and find out that it did not help. You might get even more frustrated since you wasted money. Troubleshooting electrical problems sometimes is tedious but once you find out the cause and get it fixed without having to replace everything plus the kitchen sink, it is very satisfying.

Edited by xrocketengineer, 28 November 2013 - 11:02 PM.

[Bratby]

Ok so latest readings off the battery after being fully charged yesterday are as follows, 13.53 after charge then after one day today it now reads 13.08.

The battery isn't hooked up to any thing it's sat in my front room does this seem an acceptable level of drop as I know it would be high after a charge then drop down does all this seem in good reason?

[xrocketengineer]

The voltage drop seems reasonable. So, the battery is probably OK. Go ahead and install the battery and start the car. After shutting down the engine for the last time during the day do not disconnect the battery. Let the car sit overnight and cool down completely. In the morning feel by touch the multifunction relay box next to the brake servo. If it feels warm, that is your battery drain (and my long story).

Here is the long story:

http://www.theminifo...-smart-failure/

 

If the relay box is cold, then I would replace the coil. It is your call on replacing the starter since at that point I have exhausted all the help I can give you. It is beyond my knowledge and experience.

 

Good luck!

[Bratby]

I installed the battery again however she wouldn't fire this time, I'm going to bite the bullet on the starter motor and a new coil. One reason for a new starter is I went to take off the wires on the solenoid and I've got a cross threaded nut on there, I then took out the starter motor and was trying to saw the nut off basically I've lost the plot at it and took the solenoid apart and ripped the internal wires in a rage haha. Oh well this is what I'm looking to buy, also I'm confused on the coils is my spi ballast or not ballast?

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649

 

Do these look like they will be fine?

 

Edit - I've order the starter motor, fingers crossed, when I took the starter off today it's the original one got the date on which makes me think it would need replacing at some point anyway March 1993 haha

Edited by Bratby, 30 November 2013 - 06:09 PM.

[Ethel]

Whip all the plugs out, it'll reduce the load on the battery so there's more spare juice to make sparks. You can test your theory with some extra plugs so you can watch the sparks with & without open plug holes.

 

I've even started cars with just 2 plugs fitted when my utter skin flintishness has caught me out with a battery long overdue replacement.

 

Disclaimer: prolonged botchery like the above ain't good for catalytic converters.

[xrocketengineer]

Apparently the DLB198 is an upgraded coil replacement for the original GCL143. They are both non-ballast.

The original starter was a GXE4527. The one on the picture looks identical to mine.

The cross threaded nut on the solenoid might be (part of) the cause of your problems by creating high resistance and a poor connection there.

Edited by xrocketengineer, 30 November 2013 - 08:33 PM.

[Bratby]

Hey xrocketengineer, just an update for people that might of been following this or had the same issue. Well I fitted the new coil and starter and guess what still wouldn't start (althought it would of appeared the new starter was needed due to the cross threaded bolt on the solenoid of the old starter). Managed to get my girlfriends dad round this morning and we managed to get her going through a combination of drowing the engine in WD40 and then having my car hooked up on the jump leads, we took the spark plugs out one by one and when we got to number three she fired up on the 3 spark plugs haha. Anyway we've popped to the suppliers today and stuck a new lot of HT leads on there today. She's running ok, still a strange prob with the temp sensor not getting to the mid it's just rising above cold from what I've read it's the sensor so I've order a new temp sensor today, just relieved that she's started again today, tomorrow maybe a different story again haha.

[xrocketengineer]

Well, it is nice to know that you have made some progress.

[Bratby]

Just an update in case this helps anyone in the future, We fitted the new coolant temp sensor last week and she's been starting like a dream all week. It would appear the little bugger was the cause of our starting probs. Cheers for everyone's help this topic cab now be closed or answered

[FooMilk]

Hello there Bratby,

 

Good post, and it sounds somewhat similar to a problem i'm having. My K reg mini drains it's battery even after short journeys, and i'm constantly having to top it up prior to going anywhere. The battery is no greater than a year old, and i've recently cleaned up all the earth points i could find and still having the same problem. Which leads me to believe the fact that my dipped headlights aren't working at all is related! I'm going to get a multimeter and check what I can, from previous suggestions in this post. But would anyone happen to know where i should be looking in regards to the headlight fault?

 

Regards!