Engine won’t turn over by key

Hi people, I’m after some advice or pointing in the right direction please, I have a 300 discovery van, when I try to start it on the key I can hear the relays click but power isn’t getting from the relays to the starter I have tried the main body / engine earths they are ok, if I run a wire from the positive on the battery to the back of the starter the engine will turn over but won’t on the key. Help!

Disco300steve said:

Hi people, I’m after some advice or pointing in the right direction please, I have a 300 discovery van, when I try to start it on the key I can hear the relays click but power isn’t getting from the relays to the starter I have tried the main body / engine earths they are ok, if I run a wire from the positive on the battery to the back of the starter the engine will turn over but won’t on the key. Help!

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Give the starter solenoid a tap with a hammer. If that doesn't work, take the solenoid off and clean it up a bit, and check the contacts on the solenoid.

Hi, thank you for the advice, it’s not the starter motor that’s the problem if run a wire straight from battery the the starter solenoid it turns the engine over I think the problem is somewhere in the cab

Disco300steve said:

Hi, thank you for the advice, it’s not the starter motor that’s the problem if run a wire straight from battery the the starter solenoid it turns the engine over I think the problem is somewhere in the cab

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OK. From your first post, I thought you were running the wire direct to the starter motor from the battery.
I would try the starter relay and associated contacts in that case. If you pull the relay out and give the terminals on the back of the relay a spray with some kind of lubricant spray, that sometimes works. I doubt if it is an issue with the wires themselves, so contacts and earths are usually the way to go.

I’ll try that thank you

Just to let you know, I’ve managed to fix the problem, one of the main feed wires to one of the relays was damaged, took some finding but got there in the end. It now starts once again on the key. Happy days.