Hi, just wondering if any one has an idea, for a while now my magna has been making a click / clunk noise quite loudly and turns the lights off, stereo etc when you try and start it. so you have to click the key maybe 10 times to get it to turn over....

This problem is pretty random, but the ramdomness seems to be more after you have used the aircon.

also a littel while ago it was doing the stall thing when u put the lights on, turned the steering wheel etc like the problem explained in, i think.
http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10148 (http://)

That is sorted now tho i think

cheers damo

You shouldn't really be starting it with the lights on anyhow or was that dash lights? but it sounds like the starter solenoid it opperating but theres not enough juice to crank the starter motor over.
Does it work better if the sterreo lights etc are turned off? Also have you checked your battery terminals and terminals at the starter are clean?

yeh possibly starter motor. if it drives ok once started then its not likely to be something like battery terminals and stuff. but you still shouldnt really be trying to start the car with absolutely everything in the car turned on.

sounds like the starter solenoid it opperating but theres not enough juice to crank the starter motor over.

My thoughts exactly. BUT ........ What's the problem with the juice?

You need to check battery, alternator & regulator, relays, the starter motor and shorts.

If you don't know your way around a multimeter then you're best to go to an auto electrician. Don't say too much just describe the problem as you did here and add that you are wondering if your battery needs to be replaced. Ask them to make sure that the new battery will fix the problem. Ask their opinion and get a quote. You can always say "it'll have to wait 'til next months pay" and escape to think it over or get another opinion.

Heres some background that may help

Battery:

If your battery is more than 18 months old then there is a good chance that its getting to the end of its service life. There's a good reason they only give a two year warranty on batteries.

Also check the rating of the battery - not sure but I think the base model TS spec'd a 460 or 480 crank rating. If you have any sought of modified sound system along with airconditioning and occasional other power useage such as charging a mobile phone etc then you should be looking for a battery with a 520 crank rating or better.

If you have a decent sound system you need to look for an eleven plate battery. Either Cenury or Exide used to make one that had a smaller footprint they were labelled as a "4WD" battery you may still need to get a new battery tray to fit it.

Last one I bought, about 4 years back from Repco, cost about $120 was for a TP with a decent sound system. An auto electrician will probably charge $20 to $50 more depending on how long it takes them to check for other faults. If you can't do that yourself, its worth the extra money.

If you replace the battery yourself, remember, even a new battery will be quickly discharged if the cause of the problem is one of the other issues.

Alternator:

Get your multimeter out and see how its charging under various loads and rpm. Don't just check it at idle. This will narrow problems down to alternator/regulator.

Starter Motor:

Check the current at the starter motor when the clicking noise is present.

Relays:

Get your wiring diagram and check out the relays.

Shorts:

In an older car the insulation on the wiring can be cracked or worn through from 10 years of vibration if its touching against even a rounded piece of body work. After market fitters (stereos, alarms, towbar wiring) are not always as tidy as they should be when doing installations. Not to mention what former owners do when they decide to remove the towbar or sound system themselve before selling the car.

Its worth doing a hunt for signs of previous intallations yourself because pointing them out can save you money at the auto electricians, not to mention the fact that if you see an exposed wire you can fix it yourself with a 50 cent roll of insulation tape.


Hope this helps, let us know how you get on.

John

OK ill give that a looking over and play with a multimeter :)

And yeh i do have an amp and sub as well so maybe the Battery isnt cutting it anymore.

cheers for the help much appreciated