Weird starting problem

2002, V6 petrol, 90000 miles

Really need help here...

I turn the key in the ignition and just get a weird repetitive clicking sound from behind the dashboard and it won't turn let alone start. All dashboard lights normal but go on and off in time with the clicking sound. Battery indicator green... OK? Lifting the bonnet and turning the ignition - you can hear a really loud metallic clicking sound from (it seems?) near the top of the engine?

First time it happened - about a week ago - I had not started the car for about 4 days and thought the battery had gone flat. I put the battery on charge and, eventually, it started normally. Drove it to and from work for a week (about an hour's drive) and had no further problems. Then today, same problem again. Won't start. Click click click click! Left it for about an hour and tried again. Started no probelm. Turned it off. Started again no problem. Left it for a few hours tried again - click click click click! Me car's dead!

Think it more likely to be an electrical/electronic problem as the bettery seems OK?

Really skint and can't afford Land Rover prices!

Please help. Is this a known problem? Immobiliser? Key problem? Something "sticking"? Anyone had the same trouble? What did you do?

Try jump leads from a known good battery, if your engine then starts normally then your battery is probably faulty. Otherwise check all main cables from battery are clean and tight, particularly earth cables. Another possibility is that the contacts within the ignition switch are failing (an increasingly common fault as these Land Rovers get older)

I'd say strap up the battery as well. Report what you find. Good luck.

Well... it DID start with a jump from another battery, but I really don't think my battery is at fault as everything electrical is working ok. I reckon it is a bad battery lead connection because I found that the positive terminal connection was a bit loose! Maybe it was secure enough to power everything but just not quite a good enough connection for the big draw of turning the engine? Tightened it up and it seems ok now - at least it has started ok 4 times since I did this... tomorrow morning when I try to start it to go to work will be the test... it feels like Russian Roulette - will I get to work or won't I?

my money is on the battery or it's connections. the starting load of an engine is massive, and the battery may look healthy, even all the electrical load on at once, lights, heater, etc are nothing compared to what starting draws.

When you turn the key, the click is the solenoid pulling over. Then as it tries to turn the engine over, there is insufficent power in the battery to do so, the voltage drops and the solenoid releases. Then because the solenoid has released, the load on the battery has gone, so the voltage goes back up. Then because it has enough voltage, the solenoid pulls over again and so on over and over until you release the key.

Professor Darmain says - The internal resistance of the battery is increasing due to sulphation of the lead plates. It what kills most lead acid batteries. It could also be the teminals or the leads but believe me you would know due to the smoke coming off the offending component during the attempt to start. While the light loads of the car electrical systems have significantly higher load resistance than the internal resistance of the battery then these loads get an adiquate voltage to function. However, under the 'lock-jaw' starting current that the starter motor draws then the battery terminal volat drops significantly and takes down most of the light load systems with it. As the weather gets colder then the battery resistance increases naturally. A new battery sounds to be in order before the old one lets you down. Coat the terminals in copper grease when you refit.

Well, I DID get to work, eventually. It wouldn't start without a jump from another battery. Wouldn't start later in the day either so I called the AA. He tested the battery and, in spite of the battery indicator being green, said that the battery was on its way out. He also said that the battery indicator "thing" was a load of rubbish and wasn't to be relied on.

Not wanting to pay for a new battery I got him to take the terminals off, clean them and then try again. He did - but still pronounced that the battery was duff.

Good news: turns out that I have some sort of "roadside repair insurance" with them, so I got a new £100 battery for just £25 - result!

It's all been a bit weird though - I haven't had a battery go on a LR before and the symptoms were very strange: all electrics working etc but just this loud clicking. I thought it was going to be something tragic!

But... you were all correct in saying that it was probably to do with the battery... thank you!

Well, I DID get to work, eventually. It wouldn't start without a jump from another battery. Wouldn't start later in the day either so I called the AA. He tested the battery and, in spite of the battery indicator being green, said that the battery was on its way out. He also said that the battery indicator "thing" was a load of rubbish and wasn't to be relied on.

Not wanting to pay for a new battery I got him to take the terminals off, clean them and then try again. He did - but still pronounced that the battery was duff.

Good news: turns out that I have some sort of "roadside repair insurance" with them, so I got a new £100 battery for just £25 - result!

It's all been a bit weird though - I haven't had a battery go on a LR before and the symptoms were very strange: all electrics working etc but just this loud clicking. The clicking noise from the top of the engine was really loud and almost sounded like a huge repetitive spark - I thought it was going to be something tragic!

But... you were all correct in saying that it was probably to do with the battery... thank you!

problem solved and you didn't have to carry out the final solution










































BURN IT

fanatic

Not helpful...

























... and a bit ****ty of you to say so...

Thanks to everyone else

It's a joke, unfortunately I hate the things, but each to there own Lord Howardo will sing you the gaylander praises

apparently its all down to poor servicing!