Well.. after replacing my clutch during a trip to sydney for 700 bucks, I'm having another problem.. what luck..

My car wouldnt start suddenly this morning and when I turn the keys, there is a ticking sound coming from the bonnet (might be the starter) and a few weak *cranks* but still the car did not start. I continued holding the keys trying to start it but all I get is the ticking sound now. I tried jumpstarting with my friend's Nissan Pulsar 04 model and still couldnt get it started. The lights work fine, the radio works alright too when the key is in ACC. Of course when I try to start, the lights dimmed. I have cleaned the contacts of the battery but it still doesnt work.

Just wondering if there is any way to get it started so that I can drive it to the mechanics as I don't really like the idea of calling a tow truck here...

A thread search has offered afew possiblities..
1. Starter motor stuffed
2. Lack of power to the starter motor, which means battery is stuffed

What do you guys think? So of them suggesting rolling the car down the hill and trying to get it started. Some said to bring the battery for a charge at Repco or something. 1 guy also suggested that I bypass all the electronics except the starter motor (which I absolutely have no idea how to do) and try to start. I have yet to try hitting the starter motor as I dunno the consquences of doing that.

What I feel is that if the jumpstarting didn't work, it will be not be the battery's fault? Not sure about that. Need some expert advice.

I drive a 93 TR 2.6l EFI by the way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/ngsinyong/Engine.jpg
Is the box I drawn the starter? Or its the gearbox? I heard its a ***** to get to. let alone hit it.

What you've circled is the Alternator.

I'm no mechanic by any means but I'm pretty sure the clicking is the starter motor...

Also how you said your lights dim...you don't have your headlights on when you jump start your car do you? Or do you mean dash lights?

First thing I would be checking is the condition of your battery terminals, if there is any corrosion, you will not get full power through, even if you juice it from another car/battery. But your motor looks pretty clean!!

Sounds like a dead battery to me.. Turn the headlights on then try to start it and watch the headlights.. If they dim off then there isnt enough charge in the battery, if they dont come on at all the battery is really dead..

The noise you are hearing is the starter motor not getting enough power to turn over.. Hense why you get the slow crank then tick tick noise.. The tick noise is normal..

New Battery time mate..:)


Dude your car says manual in your profile.. Hill start it.. Just remember i may not start and be left at the bottom of the hill..:P

...i had a problem where my starter motor died mate, and you'd know it...lol you key the ignition and **** all happens...so im going with Dr Ego and saying its time for a new battery, some times you can have your battery be fine and then you might flatten one or two cells and thats enough to power things but not to start the bastard.
Hope that helps,
Adz

P.S. how game are you with the clutch start on the hill?:badgrin:

Turn the headlights on then try to start it and watch the headlights.. If they dim off then there isnt enough charge in the batteryFrom my observations, I think the magna (or at least the R/S ones) cuts the headlights down to parkers when starting? Not a bad idea if you ask me.

Are you sure you hooked up the jumpers correctly? And the other car was running? 'Cause to my way of thinking (like yours), if it isn't turning over when jumpstarting, it's something more than just battery. Battery could still be part of it, but one would think that external juice should negate that part of the equation...

What you've circled is the Alternator.

I'm no mechanic by any means but I'm pretty sure the clicking is the starter motor...

Also how you said your lights dim...you don't have your headlights on when you jump start your car do you? Or do you mean dash lights?

nah. It wasn't on. I just tried turning it on when starting to see what happens. I've cleaned the battery or so i think and it seems clean to me. I'm gonna try whacking the starter with a mallet or something but I can't locate the damned starter! Anyone can briefly describe how that thing looks to me?

I doubt the Hill Start is a good idea! hahaa. I'm parked in a multi-storey carpark. Theres no way up the steep ramp basically. lol


btw, anyone know any reliable mechanics around in Melbourne? I live in Docklands. So williamstown isn't too far off as well.

Are you with the NRMA??? (or whatever you have if not in NSW)

Call roadside assist......they'll tell you what it is, maybe :D

Sounds like starter motor to me :). I had the exact same thing happen in my TR. While you're starting, try whacking it with a long metal pole.

starter motor is a smaller cylinder and would be black, on the v6 it's tucked under the front bank extractors from memory. It's down a bit too, where that oil filter is on yours, wtf its sideways...

Borrow someones battery and put it in. If it starts, remove a battery terminal. If it cuts out, your alternator is stuffed.

If it stays on, it could be your own battery not charging.

If it still does the ticking it will be your starter.

Well.. after replacing my clutch during a trip to sydney for 700 bucks, I'm having another problem.. what luck..

My car wouldnt start suddenly this morning and when I turn the keys, there is a ticking sound coming from the bonnet (might be the starter) and a few weak *cranks* but still the car did not start. I continued holding the keys trying to start it but all I get is the ticking sound now. I tried jumpstarting with my friend's Nissan Pulsar 04 model and still couldnt get it started. The lights work fine, the radio works alright too when the key is in ACC. Of course when I try to start, the lights dimmed. I have cleaned the contacts of the battery but it still doesnt work.

Just wondering if there is any way to get it started so that I can drive it to the mechanics as I don't really like the idea of calling a tow truck here...

A thread search has offered afew possiblities..
1. Starter motor stuffed
2. Lack of power to the starter motor, which means battery is stuffed

What do you guys think? So of them suggesting rolling the car down the hill and trying to get it started. Some said to bring the battery for a charge at Repco or something. 1 guy also suggested that I bypass all the electronics except the starter motor (which I absolutely have no idea how to do) and try to start. I have yet to try hitting the starter motor as I dunno the consquences of doing that.

What I feel is that if the jumpstarting didn't work, it will be not be the battery's fault? Not sure about that. Need some expert advice.

I drive a 93 TR 2.6l EFI by the way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/ngsinyong/Engine.jpg
Is the box I drawn the starter? Or its the gearbox? I heard its a ***** to get to. let alone hit it.


ok first question is the ticking sound coming from the alternator side (where u boxed in red) or is it coming more close to the starter motor where the gearbox mates up to the engine?
possible thing it could be.
weak battery ( hard to start) water pump bearing (clicking sound) starter motor going (clicking sound) or worse case converter in gearbox might be going. i mention these places cos there all pretty much in a line and it's hard to tell which one it could be if u hear the clicking noise in that area.
now what i wouls do is first go but a new battery and pull the old one out and wait 10mins for the computer to rest then put in the new one and see if it starts better and\or lost the ticking noise. if no change id go to the wreckers and pick up a 2nd hand starter off a low klm tr and see if that stops the clicking. if its still there take of ur water pump and check inside to see id the bearing are all rusted out or that it's clean inside. if it's all rusty get a btter condition one from the wreckers and back flush ur radiator before putting the water pump and hoses etc back. now if the water pump change,battery or starter change didn't fix it u might have to replace the convertor in the auto trans.
but hopefully its just a low battery charge and starter going. this is all i could think of which it might be, i had a mate recently who rang me with the same sounding problem as u mentioned so i did all the above for him and found out his clicking noise was the converter going and the noise only got worse. but i had a parts car sitting in my driveway (lucky for him it was the same model as his) and i ripped out the gearbox and did a swap. it was in way better nick than his box thats way we just wapped it instead of just grabbing the converter.
anyway good luck and hope it isn't to serious.

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to Repco to let them have a check on my battery and they told me it was very flat. I bought a battery charger for $21 bucks and am charging it now. Probably have to leave it on overnight. Anyways, my car started fine the day before and he suggested to me that something is probably draining the power off my batteries.

Couldn't think of anything that could do that atm as my lights are off, the radio's off as well. Pretty much can still be anything atm. Hope it starts up fine tomorrow. My left CV is going as well.. heard the annoying clicking sound when turning.. damn..

thanks anyways. will update tomorrow. cheers

I had the problem where my battery was always going flat. I was replacing my rear speakers and noticed that when the boot was closed, the boot light was still on lol.

Fixed that and i never got a flat battery again.

Battery!!!!!!

definatly the battery man

a good replacement would be a Exide Premium 480 CCA (no sure of the code)

Borrow someones battery and put it in. If it starts, remove a battery terminal. If it cuts out, your alternator is stuffed.

If it stays on, it could be your own battery not charging.

If it still does the ticking it will be your starter.

NEVER remove a battery terminal form a running car, this will end up with burnt out diodes in your altenator.

It is a myth that the car runs from the alt, it runs from the battery and the alt simply keeps the battery charged.

The clicking is the solonoid, the solonoid throws the starter gear onto the ring gear on the motor, when you have low power there is not enough juice to keep the solonoid active, when the solonoid is not active, the starter will not turn either

well. time for updates.. things are not looking very good..

The guy at repco who tested my battery said I don't need a new one, just need to charge this up. I have bought the charger and done that, but it still doesn't start. There were a few weak cranks initially but after awhile, there was no sound at all. No ticking, no cranks no nothing. I would have thought it is caused by the flat battery but apparently theres more to it.

Could a spoilt alternator be draining that battery power? or a spoilt solenoid? When you turn the key to ACC, will the battery light go off in a few seconds? From my memory, I think it does.


starter motor is a smaller cylinder and would be black, on the v6 it's tucked under the front bank extractors from memory. It's down a bit too, where that oil filter is on yours, wtf its sideways...

And regarding the starter motor, so its over to the left and not in the picture?

you've had 3-4 people tell you its the starter motor in this thread, go change it now! lol.

Did the silly buggers put the earth strap/wire back on properly?,as when you remove the gearbox for a clutch job this usually requires the removal of this lead from the grounding point.Follow the negative wire from the battery terminal to the grounding point and check that it is tioght and not just hanging there.

If not ,check the ignition switch or starter as suggested,but check the earth and terminals first mate

Steve

NEVER remove a battery terminal form a running car, this will end up with burnt out diodes in your altenator.

It is a myth that the car runs from the alt, it runs from the battery and the alt simply keeps the battery charged.

wtf ? Are you serious ?

I have even had mechanics tell me to do this to check if the alternator is stuffed. I have done it a few times my self.

I wont do it again now though lol.

well. time for updates.. things are not looking very good..

The guy at repco who tested my battery said I don't need a new one, just need to charge this up. I have bought the charger and done that, but it still doesn't start. There were a few weak cranks initially but after awhile, there was no sound at all. No ticking, no cranks no nothing. I would have thought it is caused by the flat battery but apparently theres more to it.

Could a spoilt alternator be draining that battery power? or a spoilt solenoid? When you turn the key to ACC, will the battery light go off in a few seconds? From my memory, I think it does.



And regarding the starter motor, so its over to the left and not in the picture?


U STILL havent done the first and most obvious thing . BUY A NEW BATTERY FIRST. then see if its made a change. now if it's not changed then replace ur starter,still no change the maybe the alt and water pump.

but take the guessing game out of it a buy a new battery not just recharge the old one cause it might be dead and yes new batteries have been know to die.
then go from there otherwise if u dont do it by a procees of elimination otherwise ur just gonna be chasing ur tail. good luck with it.

If his battery was not earthed then he would have no power at all.

Giving the starter motor a good tap with a mallet can sometimes do the trick, but it sounds like you might have battery problems, borrow a mates and try that.

if it still wont start then you know it's the starter motor.

NEVER remove a battery terminal form a running car, this will end up with burnt out diodes in your altenator.

It is a myth that the car runs from the alt, it runs from the battery and the alt simply keeps the battery charged.

So long as the altenator is earthed (it is) then the car should run fine so long as you do not try to draw to much current.

New battery in. Doesn't work. Went flat in 2-3 days. Looks like I've wasted $120 bucks there. Getting it towed to the mechanics today. Something is draining the battery.. massively. And I guess I'll find out today.

the battery is going dead in 2 or 3 days look for something small like a boot globe or interior light something small like that which takes time to drain not something big like sterio or head lights, although it does sounds like that altenator is r00ted could get an ammeter and find out if the battery is chraging?

If his battery was not earthed then he would have no power at all.

Hence why i said "properly", a loose earth will still intermmittantly transfer current if it wiggles around or touches ground in the right spot.seen it plenty in my time in the trade.Also i wouldnt like to see the starter try to go to ground through an auxillary 4mm cable instead of the propper cable would you,smoke time!,hence why the main cable is alot bigger,this is the one to check fellas.

Take it to an auto elec,not a mechanic anyways,this is what they are trained to do