Pumba's not starting :( starter motor?

Just want some opinions.. went to start her up the other day and as i turn the key, it literally just clicks once then gives up. The engine doesn't even try to turn over.

I had the battery fully charged at work about a month or so ago, went on holiday leaving her for a week and on easter monday (20th april) I took her out for the day and she started fine. Later on that day she took a little persuasion but still started up.

Last monday (28th april) Tom changed the inlet manifold and she started up straight away. I took her out for a quick run.

Then on saturday (3rd may, 6 days later) went to start her up and all i got was the click and no attempt to turn over. All the lights on the dash come on then go out as normal, although the battery light stays on.
But the headlights work, the stereo works, the interior light works, and when I try to jump start her I just get the same response.
I'm getting the feeling its not the battery.. could I be wrong though?

A couple of people have said to me it might be the starter motor and the solenoid might be stuck, give it a whack. tried that and still nothing.. either i'm not hitting it hard enough or thats not the issue.

I can't bump start the car as i live alone so have no-one to help, and my driveway has an incline.
I can't bump start the car in reverse because theres another car behind it.

Thoughts/suggestions welcome..

it's the starter motro... Same thing happend to mine, drove it to work, had it up on the ramp to fix something, and when I put it back Down, nothing...just a click.... and hitting it did nothing. swaed it out the NeXT day, and hey presto

Try rocking the car back and forward while in gear, might free it off if it's jammed against the flywheel gear ring

Cartman said:

it's the starter motro... Same thing happend to mine, drove it to work, had it up on the ramp to fix something, and when I put it back Down, nothing...just a click.... and hitting it did nothing. swaed it out the NeXT day, and hey presto

Click to expand...

Do you think its worth just getting a new one then?

PhilLew said:

Try rocking the car back and forward while in gear, might free it off if it's jammed against the flywheel gear ring

Click to expand...

I already tried that too, no joy

This happened on the Jeep just last week; recently, it's either only done short trips or not moved - Stereo, lights. leccy mirrors etc all worked - but just got one click when trying to fire her up. Whipped the battery out, stuck it on the charger - put it back in, started first time. I'd be nipping down to Halfords and getting a charger as the simplest option just in case it is that - they're only about £20-30 and a useful thing to have.

I've also recently replaced Pippa's battery cos I'd left her standing without starting her up for about a month and that was enough for it to drain to the point where she wouldn't start - although that was dead dead; no central locking or anything! (This is after having not used her for about three months over Winter with the battery detached).

If you're really stuck, I can run my charger up to you, but that would mean missing a good chunk of the snooker final so you'd better have lots of tea in stock!

Haha, no thats ok Rob, if need be i'll take the battery into work with me and stick it on charge there again.
I do think its more likely to be that starter motor though from what's been said…
Just sucks because I had her booked in at R-Tec for tyres and tracking on Saturday and the f**king thing packs up on me!

Nope

Hi Amanda

It may not be the starter, so check info in my Pm to you first

Sparx said:

Haha, no thats ok Rob, if need be i'll take the battery into work with me and stick it on charge there again.

Click to expand...

Ah, OK - it sounded like Pumba had crapped out at the front of your driveway making it tricky to get your little gay Fiat 500 out (I assume that's what work make you drive around in, a nice pink one to match your style).

Nope.. its a little gay blue one.

Haha! Nice. :lol:

Since the Gay 500 is operational, have you tried to borrow some electricity out of it (jump cables, I believe that it is how it is called in English)? That would rule out the battery IMHO? If it starts, it is battery….?
I have seen such behaviour on Renaults; the battery would die in matter of minutes; everything works, but the engine won't turn over...

PS: and unrelated: that engine is the one on offer on eBay, refurbished one? Is it good? I mean, really, really good, as new?

Of course I have matey - that's the very first thing I did! k:

The engine seems to be fine! its everything else thats getting old and going wrong!

I see this a lott at work, so I'm pretty shure the starter is done for.... I wish I could agree that more Power would solve it, but I just can't wrap my head around that.. ¨¨ofcourse to be 100% shure, you can take a light probe, and test the wiers to the starter, just to se that it get's Power when you turn the key. the big wire should have Power al the time, and the little ohne just when you turn the kay, now, the trick is, at the back og the starter, you have the one big wire coming from the battery, and there should be one more big one going from the solenoid, to the motor it selfe. this ine is suposed to get Power, when you turn the key, now I'm guessing that what has happed is that the solenoid Works, as tht is the click Your hearing, but the contacts on the motor itselfe, which is what the second big wire goes to, is worn out, or coroded... either that, or the motor is seiced up due to corotion, or wear...

When my starter motor went it was completely out of the blue... i had just driven over 2 hours to a hospital, parked up fine... We came back after our visit, 3 hours later put the key in all the lights came on stereo playing as normal went to turn the engine on.... nothing... no clicking nothing... everything else was working (windows, stereo, heated screens, lights so wasn't the battery).

Every time i tried it was the same nothing... i tried rocking the car in gear, as described above, and i couldn't see anything obvious... I finally called my breakdown people and he took a look and pretty much instantly said started motor.

He tried hitting it (as said above), that didn't work so we had to push start it... That did the trick, it literately sprang back into life, guy told me "try not to stall on your way home and don't stop at the services" :roll:

When i got back i decided to pack it outside a garage, (this was Saturday night so couldn't so anything till Monday) thankfully i did because as soon as i switch off the engine i couldn't start it again.

Got the starter motor replaced and ran fine after that.

From what you have said it sounds similar... i don't know much about it, but form the experience i had i would say if you can push start it and it runs, but when you turn it off you cant get it running again, it is most likely a buggered starter motor...

Hope my little story helps you figure it out in anyway at all...

That helps yes, but I can't push start it on my own so I can't test that theory

simple stupid first, make sure the engine earth straps are all on. Could have been meddled with all the work youve had on it and then when the starter gets a bit stiff or battery a bit weak, any other defects show up and make things worse. Also check the starter wiring.

Warren has a point, Check and re check the grounds to the engien

but I would like to point oit, that the earth on the top of the engien has minimal efect if it's of, as mine was of when I bought it