help please

[carabind]

now this is nothing to do with MBs, so please bear with me but I suspect someone reading will know the answer. On my wifes's fiat punto, occasionally she has problems starting it - at the first turn of the key, the starter tries but won't turn, the lights dim and the clock resets it self to 12:00. but on second attempt, it turns and fires up OK.
Worse on cold mornings- in fact, we had the same problem last winter. I have checked and cleaned battery conections

The car is 4 years old, like most people I would suspect the battery, but how comes it fires up on the second attempt. Might it be a short in the starter /solenid? What I don't want to do is spend money on a battery and find the fault is still there. Again, apologies for this not being a MB car.

 

[Myros]

it might be the solenoid sticking

or getting very sluggish, espec if there is a lot of crud in its housing which helps it jam up. That seems to make sense as you say it's worse in the cold, and the contraction of the parts may have a more significant effect then. The first attempt might loosen it, and the second one ram it home.
It could also be the starter itself, worn bushes, lots of crud, voltage leaking away until a "clean" bit comes up to the bushes, and then your'e off.
Either way, I'd say you are looking at whipping it out and cleaning it up.
Don't discount the ignition switch either. the trouble may start there. It might be worth a shufti as well.
Do the easiest job first and hope it works.

 

[Ultymate]

Sounds to me like a poor connection somewhere, could be at one of the battery terminals on your starter motor or on the earth side ie where your negative lead from your battery connects to the car body (earth). Also there could be an earth cotinuity strap between the body and the engine. Check all these before suspecting your battery

 

[wireman]

Pay particular attention to the crimps on the fat cables they get soaked in road salt etc and go high resistance.

This has occured on two vauxhalls one ford and two minis of mine and has been found in the pre heaters on at least one diesel merc. These faults were all inside the crimp tag to wire interface, on one vauxhall the battery lug was to blame on the others it was the other end of the cable. Scrunching the crimp with a self locking plier will with luck bodge the thing back into service for a while.

If you have a volt meter measure the voltage drop from batt+ to starter B+stud (on the stud and battery terminals, not the cables) whilst the engine is cranked, if this is less than 1/2v or so test the battery- to frame and engine to frame cables in the same manner (voltmeter from batt- to body/engine mass). If you get a larger (1v or more) drop then there is your fault.

The brass crimp tag to steel body interface is also prone to corrosion and hence higher than desirable voltage drop.

Placing the volt meter across the battery whilst cranking should show more than 10v if its less then suspect the battery.

Do make certain sure that your battery is fully charged before you consider the job finshed, the car alternator will take weeks to fully charge a well near flat battery and this could result in premature battery failiure.

 

[television]

Absolutely as Wireman above

 

[carabind]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll start with the wiring first and progress to the starter over the next coule of weeks and let you know how I get on

 

[anyweb]

my car (merc C220) had exactly this type of problem 2 years ago, i'd try and start it and the clock would reset itself.

turned out to be the battery, once replaced all was ok.

cheers

 

[David Nock]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll start with the wiring first and progress to the starter over the next coule of weeks and let you know how I get on

I'd beg steal or borrow a battery first to eliminate that.

 

[television]

I'd beg steal or borrow a battery first to eliminate that.

Loads in Tesco car park this morning

 

[nuppy]

if your clock is restarting after the fault i would say its the battery or conections not the starter, bite the bullet and buy a new battery yours is now a four year old fiat item so probley not it good shape by now and winter is no its way!

 

[carabind]

or getting very sluggish, espec if there is a lot of crud in its housing which helps it jam up. That seems to make sense as you say it's worse in the cold, and the contraction of the parts may have a more significant effect then. The first attempt might loosen it, and the second one ram it home.
It could also be the starter itself, worn bushes, lots of crud, voltage leaking away until a "clean" bit comes up to the bushes, and then your'e off.
Either way, I'd say you are looking at whipping it out and cleaning it up.
Don't discount the ignition switch either. the trouble may start there. It might be worth a shufti as well.
Do the easiest job first and hope it works.

have to say that this sat with my thoughts, so bit the bullet and bought an exchnage starter and fitted it lat weekend. had no trouble since, depsite some pretty cold nights!

 

[carabind]

or getting very sluggish, espec if there is a lot of crud in its housing which helps it jam up. That seems to make sense as you say it's worse in the cold, and the contraction of the parts may have a more significant effect then. The first attempt might loosen it, and the second one ram it home.
It could also be the starter itself, worn bushes, lots of crud, voltage leaking away until a "clean" bit comes up to the bushes, and then your'e off.
Either way, I'd say you are looking at whipping it out and cleaning it up.
Don't discount the ignition switch either. the trouble may start there. It might be worth a shufti as well.
Do the easiest job first and hope it works.

have to say that this sat with my thoughts, so bit the bullet and bought an exchnage starter and fitted it last weekend. had no trouble since, depsite some pretty cold nights!

 

[Myros]

Nice to know you got it fixed

my old beemer was exhibiting similar symptoms, and I had to do the same. The old motor was really in need of a refurb after 19 years of reliable use.
What hacked me off was I paid £200 for the exchange starter and a 38-tonner wrote the car off a few weeks later.

 

[carabind]

Oh dear!! that was unfortunate!

 

[television]

So it was the loading of the starter that re set the clock, some of these things do not last forever, anyway I am pleased that you have fixed it