Starter motor failure? Solved!

[Stewart Rix]

Went to start my C4 this morning and all I got was a 'chunk....[pause] chunk.....[pause] chunk....[pause]' sound as though the starter motor was trying to engage, but jamming - the engine wasn't firing. A couple of times in the previous two weeks it hesitated just once before firing as normal, as though I had released the key before it had a chance of starting. I swapped the DME relay and I've checked I've got 12v at the battery. When turning the ignition key the engine air cooling fan jolts slightly, but returns back to its same position - clearly there is power to the starter motor. Does it sound like my starter motor has failed/jammed? Is the starter motor sufficiently accessable to give it a tap with a wooden mallet (or is that really not recommended - I recall my father regularly doing that on the family Triumph)? Your suggestions welcomed.

 

[MrHappy]

2 quick battery stories whilst we're on the subject......

1. Recently drove my 2.5yr old Saab down through France and up into the Alps. Went to start the car the next morning and the battery was pretty much finished. No warning lights the day before so charging wasn't the problem. No interior lights left on overnight etc (so couldn't blame the pesky kids!). Rescue came out and jump started the car. 'Run it for an hour and should be fine'. Switched it off after an hour and couldn't restart it, the battery was still flat. Two hours later they arrived with a new battery and the car has been fine since. Apparently the long hot run the day before combined with freezing temps overnight are a known battery killer. An interesting and well known side effect during the hour run was that any pot-hole or uneven/slippery road surface would set off the ESP and AirBag warning lights. Maybe because there's insufficent battery power for them to operate properly?

2. My father had a spare battery that needed charging so he hooked it up to a charger on full boost.... and forgot about it. Luckily he was in the house when the battery exploded so he was in time to wash the battery acid off his beloved Rover before it caused any damage.

David.

 

[Guest]

We had that on one of our cars that had a sealed battery; most confusing the first time it happens to you. In this case, it was just one cell that gave up due to a faulty seal.

Your father was very lucky that he wasn't near the battery when it exploded. The best thing to use to neutralise the acid is a mix of bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder) and water. I'd use an old paintbrush to get into corners and so forth.

Regards

Bob