Hi all,
Any ideas please.
Yesterday my TD5 auto did not want to turn over when starting. I turned the key and the engine turned once and then stopped. Felt as though the starter moter couldn't turn the lump over. It usually starts first turn. Tried it a couple of times before she fired. Drove all day, stop starting without any problems. Got up this morning and the same thing happened. She started as soon as the engine was spinninng. Usual starting procedure used, ignition on, wait for the glow plug light to go out etc. The Temperature is starting to fall here as winter approaches (not that 12'C is cold but wondering if this is affecting the starting

sounds to me like yer battery is fooked.

I concur with 'him of many pasties'.

Get yer battery drop tested. You can drive into most garages and get a drop test done for free. It only takes about 10 seconds to do. Drive around for 20 mins first to charge your battery up otherwise it'll tell you it's knackered even if it isn't.

had the battery tested yesterday. No problems. could it be that the starter motor is going to give me problems?

in that case, it may well be the starter motor.
check that all the connections on the battery and starter are clean and tight first though. also check the engine earth is good.

Mine Did The Same And After A Trip To The Auto Electritions It Was A Bad Earth.

Shane

Hi Guys, Quick update.
Changed the starter motor but still displays the same problem. It's like the engine gets jammed when she tries to turn over.
Took it to my local independant and he diagnosed head gasket failure. The water will sit on top of a piston and then a hydraulicing effect takes over when started. So I had it tested at my local radiator place and sure enough the head gasket seems to be leaking.
I thought about this and would I be right in thinking that if water is sitting on a piston due to leaking gasket and that piston happens to be on the compression stroke when I start her, the water will be compressed possibly to a point whereby it will not allow the engine to turn over. This may explain why the problem is intermittent?
Anyway, she's booked in tomorrow for a new head gasket (hopefully only that and not major problems with the head).

blimey
if there's that much water in there, it's a major HGF.
best keep your fingers crossed!

Phew,
got the car back today and it was only the head gasket which had failed. Luckily no damage to the head. No idea why it had failed other than when I bought the car it had a radiator leak (which was fixed) but it did red line once on the temp gauge. That was in November and when the rad was fixed it lost no coolant until a couple of weeks ago. I can only think that the gasket was "damaged" then and over time developed the leak. Total cost R5336 which my insurance warranty paid R2000. I would recommend British 4x4 for those living in the Pretoria area, they are very helpful. At first I though the starting problems were related to the starter motor which I replaced with a 2nd hand one from British 4x4. When it turned out to be the head gasket, they put back my original starter motor and gave me full credit on the one I'd bought so the total cost to me was R1626 which I think is very reasonable.
I hope now to have no further problems........but then it is a Land Rover!!