Guys Advice

[Nienke]

CARS!

Went out for dinner, had a drink (sprite), went home. Park the car in front of the gate. Step out, open the gate, call the dogs, put them in the house, get back in the car and start .... click .... ..... start again ..... click ..... Remember a donkey never hurt him/herself twice on the same stone. Sooo, I'm not a donkey.

Get out of the car, leave the car for what it is, close the gate. Let the dogs out.

5 minutes later, call my dogs, again in the house. Open the gate step in the car, start .... click . Then three quick triple clicks ..... bbbrrrooommmm

Can anyone explain to me what's wrong with my car? Do I have to consider a new battery? Do I need to push?

Nienke

[lannarebirth]

I would check these two possibilities:

Loose or corroded battery cable.

Loose wire at starter relay or faulty relay.

[mobs00]

The brushes on your starter may be going. Sometimes they develop a dead spot and won't work properly in certain starting postitions. It may need to be rebuilt.

[Nienke]

I would check these two possibilities:

Loose or corroded battery cable.

Loose wire at starter relay or faulty relay.

Hhhhmm, could be. I remember two or three weeks ago I had the same problem, but then the engine started with the second try.

The brushes on your starter may be going. Sometimes they develop a dead spot and won't work properly in certain starting postitions. It may need to be rebuilt.

Brushes on the starter???? The 'rebuilt' part sound scary.

Thanks Lannarebirth and mobs00 for your replies.

Conclusion: bring the car to the mechanic .... or in the worst scenario ... bring the mechanic to the car.

Nienke

[hanibal7]

I have had this problem and it was the battery leads.If the lights and air con are working then its not the battery low.try the connections first.If not then maybe the starter motor.Not expensive though.

[solent01]

Hi Nienke, good advice given already, the best advice I can give....... Do you know a local Thai/Farang that you trust to take a quick look for you? (of course he needs to understand car electrics) If its a loose/bad connection, he could save you the cost of a mech. just cook him dinner/buy him a drink

Sorry, as you know, I'm too far away to check it myself.

Edit

He needs to check the age and health of the battery, if good, he should then check the connections on the battery and the starter solinoid, if these are good he can bridge the + and - connections on the solinoid, if the starter jumps into life, the solinoid is the problem, if not then its the motor brushes/whinding.

Edited April 18, 2008 by solent01

[Gonzo the Face]

All responses seem sane and logical, and would appear to all be possibilities.

But here is another that may be possible. If, and only if you have a automatic transmission in your car, which I don't think was mentioned. There is a neutral limiter switch on the tranny. Sometimes you get the click, click, if thus switch is bad or going bad. If you bump your tranny shift stick from drive to neutral or any other position, it may not connect properly, If when you tried to start after getting the click, click and then moved or accidentlly bumped the gear shift, it may have connected and allowed you to start.

Again if you have an automatic transmission.

But I would look under the hood to see first the battery post connection to be loose or corroded. If you ever do see this corrosion, and do not have a proper cleaner, a baking soda, water solution will help wonders.

Just some thoughts from an old tinker-er

Hope you have by now solved the problem

Gonzo

[Nienke]

Big thanks to you all

But please guys, keep in mind when you explain car, computer football, airplanes or whatever manny stuff, use simple dumm blond English.

Tranny, according my dictionary, is a transistor radio? And there's no solinoid, only soliloqui and solipsism. I just bought baking soda, though.

Honestly, I've done a course at college about engines of tractors, other big forest geary stuff, chainsaws etc., but it was in Dutch and many many years ago with no practice since, hence my problem now.

My car is a manual, don't like automatic. I only remember vaguely about automatic transmission, but forgot the details.

Lights were working ok, so I'm glad it's not the battery, which should be at least 3 or 4 years old by now. From your replies, I suspect it's corrosion or loose/bad connection.

Could also have been a teasing ghost. I know, because the dogs tell me everytime they start their choir with over 30 of them.

Anyway, just started my car, not even a click, but just a very smooth bbbrrrrroooommmm, as if nothing ever happened. Nonetheless, I'll have my car checked. Dunno anyone to ask, main reason as I'm not very good in asking favors. Me cooking dinner, don't think that would be a good idea, poor person who needs to eat it. Buying a drink would be a much better idea.

Thanks again

Nienke

[britmaveric]

Cellunoid??? However if motor doesnt have one of those - either battery or starter or perhaps ignition switch?

[p1p]

You've just bought baking soda. Mix a couple of teaspoons in about 500ml of boiling water then pour over the battery terminals. Give them a tap with a hammer, a rock or some other implement of destruction. This should give you a better connection.

Tranny = Transmission. The part of the car between the engine and the wheels, including the gear box etc.

Solinoid = a misspelling of the word Solenoid. This is an electromagnetic switch.

[Ta22]

Check the left hand side unde rthe console - sound like a ECU or Electrcial switch problem .

- but is best finding a rpelacment for the problem instead of trying to clean or fix it .

what kinda CARs you are talking about ..

japanese , euro .

BEnz ? toyota , VW

--

Might be a problem with your Die start ( i forget the name but the thai clall it Die start )

-

[Nienke]

You've just bought baking soda. Mix a couple of teaspoons in about 500ml of boiling water then pour over the battery terminals. Give them a tap with a hammer, a rock or some other implement of destruction. This should give you a better connection.

Tranny = Transmission. The part of the car between the engine and the wheels, including the gear box etc.

Solinoid = a misspelling of the word Solenoid. This is an electromagnetic switch.

Thanks , just did the baking soda. Actually the whole engine looks pretty good and clean, didn't see (with my layman's eye) any corrosion. Also got the bright light to check the water, Oops pretty much empty.

Solenoid is in the dictionary.

Check the left hand side unde rthe console - sound like a ECU or Electrcial switch problem .

- but is best finding a rpelacment for the problem instead of trying to clean or fix it .

Thanks , will have it checked

what kinda CARs you are talking about ..

japanese , euro .

BEnz ? toyota , VW

Korean ... Hyundai (very cute)

Might be a problem with your Die start ( i forget the name but the thai clall it Die start )

Can understand why they call it DIE start.

[solent01]

Solinoid = a misspelling of the word Solenoid. This is an electromagnetic switch.

Oops, my bad