Starting issues

The Oily Bits S2 Specific Topics
1

A couple of weeks ago, I started the car up and it made a nasty grinding noise while the starter was running. I thought maybe the solenoid hadn’t engaged the starter motor fully?

It’s been fine since then, until this morning: The first time I tried to start the car, instead of hearing the starter turning smoothly, it seemed to be pulsing at regular intervals, maybe 2 or 3 times per second. They were very short pulses, almost very loud clicks.

I’m slightly suspicious of my starter button because I had it disconnected a couple of days ago to remove the air vents. The connection doesn’t seem very tight. I wouldn’t expect such regular pulsing if it was a bad connection, though.

Any thoughts?

2

Unplug your heated rollers

3

Thanks for your help, Grandad

Forgot to say, the car started completely normally on my second attempt this morning. When I got to work, I restarted it 3 times to see what would happen. All completely normal

4

Is the battery ok?

5

I’d have thought if it can start the car easily 3 times in a row, it can’t be bad.

6

Fair enough, only mentioning it as ive had the same thing happen, and after replacing the battery it was cured, albeit on a diff car.

7

Sounds like a dodgy connection to me, either battery, solenoid, starter or that fancy button you have? Maybe even the ignition, if that was touched during fitting for the button What about the main earth lead?

8

That’s interesting. Seems odd to me, but what do I know?

I’ll bear that in mind. Any other suggestions, anybody?

9

Thanks Tim. I’ve just remembered another detail:

My illuminated starter button was flashing in sync with pulsing of the motor. Certainly suggests an electrical problem.

10

Try starting with key only and see if it occurs again. If not then could be that button.

11

I checked the connection on the starter button last night. Seemed hunky-dory, but I tried bending the pins on the plug slightly and then wrapped insulation tape around the plug to make sure it doesn’t work it’s way loose.

I’m coming around to the idea that it may just have been the battery because the car hadn’t been used for a week.

12

Sounds like the Battery voltage is dipping just below the ECU cut off threshold, Pretty common feature on most cars now.

I have had this happen on a couple of my recent cars, and it happen on the exige over xmas when it had not been used for 4 weeks.

exacty the same as you described, fired up 2nd time no problems, When i got back i put the battery conditioner on it for 24hrs.

Phil G