Opel Corsa - Starting Problem

SauRoNZA

SauRoNZA

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So yesterday morning my wife walks out the door and then promptly back in stating the car is as dead as can be.

I have a quick look before pushing it out of the way and everything lights up on the dash as well as the headlights work telling me there's no battery problem. There can't be anyway since I replaced the battery a couple of weeks ago. Immediately figure it's the starter that's either buggered or has some wiring trouble.

So last night I have a quick look in the doom and gloom of night and I just fiddle with the wiring at the battery side as I can't clearly see nor feel the wiring at the starter side and don't have a chance to jack the car up with it being dark and all.

First time the car fires up no drama, so I figure okay it must be a wire that's displaced and made contact now or the very old wiring (2000 or 2001 model) is on it's last legs.

Mean to make a plan and just position the wiring like that for the time being and in fiddling with it again...now it's broken. But instead of doing absolutely nothing like it did before I now at least get a quick tick sound before it goes mute.

Am I looking at a new starter after all? Or is this still a case of the wiring being wonky? To replace the wiring I guess is as much work as just replacing the starter anyway...although that will be more apparent if I get under the car on the weekend when the sun is shining.

Any idea what these things cost?
 
There's a good chance it's just the battery - again. Did you have the charging system checked when you replaced the battery?

There might be a charging problem that has caused premature failure of your new battery. Get the system tested before blaming the starter.
 
riscbroker said:
There's a good chance it's just the battery - again. Did you have the charging system checked when you replaced the battery?

There might be a charging problem that has caused premature failure of your new battery. Get the system tested before blaming the starter.
Click to expand...

I very much doubt it's the battery since the headlights are fully on without a problem.

The car doesn't swing AT ALL. It's not like it's trying to and fails as you would expect of a low charge battery, instead it just does nothing at all which tells me there is a short or wiring problem...or the starter just doesn't do anything.

But the fact that the starter worked once without a single hiccup brings me back to wiring instead of the starter itself.
 
Try tapping the starter with a hammer while someone else turns the key. If it starts its probably the solenoid or brushes.
 
I had a similar problem recently - went to fill up the car, tried to start after filling and the starter just clicked once. Lights worked, wipers, everything but no way the engine would turn over. Push started and went home, checked relays, battery connections, loose wires etc etc. The battery was one of the Exide jobs with the green circle thing that supposedly displays the state of the battery - that looked good.

I found no fault and the next morning push started again, went to the local workshop. On the way there the (electrically assisted) power steering failed. At the workshop they tested charge circuit and battery - the battery failed the load test ie had voltage but not sufficient current available. Installed new battery and problem solved.
 
Beachless said:
Try tapping the starter with a hammer while someone else turns the key. If it starts its probably the solenoid or brushes.
Click to expand...

This. Clicking noise when you turn the key usually points to either a dead battery with insufficient cold cranking amps ( maybe your new battery has a dead cell), or the solenoid.
 
If you can monitor the battery voltage when trying to start, you can tell if it's the battery or the solenoid. If it's the solenoid, the battery voltage will remain fairly constant when trying to start. If the voltage drops to 10V or below, the battery is flat.
 
If it clicks, then it's not likely to be the ignition switch. It could also be the brushes on the starter motor (as someone else mentioned earlier).
 
Could also be a dicky earth connection,use a jumper cable as a temporary earth between the starter and batt neg terminal.
 
chromedome said:
Could also be a dicky earth connection,use a jumper cable as a temporary earth between the starter and batt neg terminal.
Click to expand...

That was my very first plan but could even find the connection to the starter when looking from the top, will need to get under the car to make that happen. The car has it's own earth connection straight off the battery though.

Three wire setup where one pair runs to the headlights (they switch on without the car) one runs to starter and one runs to the earth.

BUT.

Last night I properly tightened the terminals on the battery with a socket wrench, since when I swopped it I only used a quick few turns with a pair of pliers as I didn't have access to my tools at the time.

Car almost started first time after that but like an idiot I let go of the key too quickly and then struggled to get it kicking after that. It stands outside in the cold so normally take a bit of effort to get going.

Needless to say either it's flooded now or I've simply tapped the battery down to the point where there's not enough to fire it up.

At least now it cranks or tries to at least and gets to 95% just not enough to fire up properly.

Will jump start it with the other car on Saturday morning or maybe tomorrow night if my wife gets home early enough, that should quickly enough confirm if it's the battery that is buggered or just discharged or if there's a real problem with the actual starting mechanism.


Should invest in a voltmeter for all these fun times.
 
I found out about a "secret" diagnostic menu on my car's onboard computer which shows the battery voltage. Quite a useful feature.

Except that by the time you use it, it's only to confirm that you'll be phoning a friend for a lift...
 
SauRoNZA said:
That was my very first plan but could even find the connection to the starter when looking from the top, will need to get under the car to make that happen. The car has it's own earth connection straight off the battery though.

Three wire setup where one pair runs to the headlights (they switch on without the car) one runs to starter and one runs to the earth.
BUT.

Last night I properly tightened the terminals on the battery with a socket wrench, since when I swopped it I only used a quick few turns with a pair of pliers as I didn't have access to my tools at the time.

Car almost started first time after that but like an idiot I let go of the key too quickly and then struggled to get it kicking after that. It stands outside in the cold so normally take a bit of effort to get going.

Needless to say either it's flooded now or I've simply tapped the battery down to the point where there's not enough to fire it up.

At least now it cranks or tries to at least and gets to 95% just not enough to fire up properly.

Will jump start it with the other car on Saturday morning or maybe tomorrow night if my wife gets home early enough, that should quickly enough confirm if it's the battery that is buggered or just discharged or if there's a real problem with the actual starting mechanism.


Should invest in a voltmeter for all these fun times.
Click to expand...

Ha! That's happened to me before, clean forgot about it.
 
Well on Saturday morning I just leaned on the started for about a minute until it eventually fired and it hasn't had a hiccup since.

Suspect in the process of messing with it I either flooded it or there was an injector that maybe a bit difficult or something.
 
Rouxenator said:
Or the bendrix drive is stuffed...
Click to expand...

Why would it work subsequently then?

Not that I have a clue what a bendix drive is, but surely it should just remain dead then? This didn't sound like the starter had any trouble more as if it wasn't sparking.

But once it was running there was no indication that it's not on all cylinders. Drives fine, idles fine did 100km odd just fine starting multiple times.
 
Bendix drive will explain the intermittent behaviour. At least in my recent two cases that was the cause.
 
Rouxenator said:
Bendix drive will explain the intermittent behaviour. At least in my recent two cases that was the cause.
Click to expand...

This hasn't really been intermittent.

The only common cause of stuff changing was me messing around with it. The battery I replaced was definitely buggered.

But I'm sure I'll find out soon enough if it's intermittent or not.


Also you are automatically jumping to the conclusion of the most recent experiences you've had, understandable but not exactly objective.
 
FML.

Now the headlights and park lights are dead. Brights work though but only if you flash them, if you hit the switch forward so it should stay on then there's nothing.

Surely this can't just be bad timing and the actual light switch has gone faulty again? I replaced it about a year ago.

Checked fuses and everything appears to be in good order, just seems bizarre to me that every single light except brights is not working.

Checked the one bulb that easier to access and it seems 100%.
 
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