Help. TD5 won't start

Hi

Having prblems starting my TD5 90. If I try and start the engine it's as if the batteries completey flat, all the electrics die and it just clicks. If you just turn the electrics on everything is fine. I can turn main beam, 4 roof lights, 2 130W spot lights, radio, everything on and it all runs as normal.

I wondered if this could be an imobiliser issue but when I get another car to jump it off it starts fine. When the car is running the in car voltmeter only shows 10v but when the electrics are just turned on (no engine no glow plugs just electrics) it shows 11.7v.

Any one got any suggestions? I'm stuck.

Thanks

may be your alternators nakerd . could be all the lights.

Yeah I thought that too but why hasn't the battery gone flat. It's still holding its charge and all the lights are bright when turned on. Don't mind admitting I'm not good with car electrics but shouldn't it still start if the batteries charged even if the alternators nackered.

neither am i . perhaps the starter motor

This sounds very much like battery failure, or possibly a very poor main earth from the engine-gearbox to the battery MINUS/Chassis.

I suggest you do NOT try any more starting till you test out the earthing.

Get ONE jump-lead (the black one would be good) and clip one end firmly to the metal of the engine block somewhere nice and handy, and then the other end as firmly as possible to the battery - minus terminal.

Now try the starter - if this improves things, the main earth cable or its ends connections are number one suspects.

If this does NOT help, suspect the actual battery - it may have shorted plates in one or more cells, meaning it can supply the full VOLTAGE, but only a relatively small CURRENT, enough to handle lights and so on, but not the starter.
The best test for this is to borrow a known good battery from another Landy, and swap it over with your one.
Before you do this be sure you have the RADIO CODES!!!

If your car starts fine on the other battery, and the other car now has your battery and fault, you need a new battery, or rather, the other guy does because the battery now in your car is fine - it's the one in his is buggered!

CharlesY

When the car is running the in car voltmeter only shows 10v but when the electrics are just turned on (no engine no glow plugs just electrics) it shows 11.7v.

That isn't enough volts.
The in car voltmeter is no good enough.
Get a proper test meter (under a tenner from Maplins and the like) and measure the volts.

With the engine running and the IGN light out it should show very nearly 14 volts. With all the lights on it should still manage at least 13½ volts.
With the engine stopped, and all electrics OFF, it should show 13 volts at least.

Your battery may be low because your alternator may not be doing well. Only a proper check will show what's amiss.

CharlesY

my 110 300tdi shos 15 volts when turned off and 18 when running

bloat1992 said:

my 110 300tdi shos 15 volts when turned off and 18v when running

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What voltmeter are you using to get those readings?

At 18 volts the battery will be gassing like crazy, and unless you need to top up the electrolyte with a quart of distilled water every week, you should assume your volt meter is reading way too high.

All alternators are regulated to produce just about 13.8 volts, which is JUST below the point at which the battery starts gassing.

NO 6 cell lead acid accumulator is capable of producing 15 volts by the way.

The absolute top whack voltage is a tiny bit over 2.2 volts per cell, so 6 cells in series makes 13.4 volts. That's it I'm afraid.

CharlesY

Before I started having these problems the in car volmeter would show 11.7v when not running and 14.1 v when the engine was running. Would a bad earth have an effect on the alternator while the engine is running?

Cold weather highlights dodgy batteries. corroded plates short out and the battery discharges within itself. This means as CharlesY has quite rightly said the battery may show something close to a respectable voltage but hasnt got the capacity (current) to actually start it. Why don't you just take it to kwik fir or halfords or somewhere where they will put a discharge tester across it and tell you once and for all if its no good. They will usually do it for free especially if they think your gonna buy a battery off them which you probly wont!

c18rch said:

Before I started having these problems the in car volmeter would show 11.7v when not running and 14.1 v when the engine was running. Would a bad earth have an effect on the alternator while the engine is running?

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That would be about perfect, so something has changed for the worse.

With ONE exception, NOTHING should cause the alternator to make more than 13.8 volts. The exception is running the alternator NOT connected to a "reference" battery. So, if there's a really dodgy earth it might produce an over-voltage, but I doubt it somehow.

There's no escaping what I suggested in my first answer - swap batteries, and fix the main earths between battery minus and the chassis, and the chassis and the engine. There MUST be a totally good earth all the way.

CharlesY

bloat1992 said:

my 110 300tdi shos 15 volts when turned off and 18 when running

Click to expand...

That sound like a duff voltage regulator to me bloat if those readings are right, you might be able to get the regulator separately from LR otherwise you'll probably need a new generator old friend.