EMERGENCY! Help please...

[robinmasters]

A fellow shiter is on his way to collect the roffle Xantia, but it won't start.

 

It turns over, but slowly. I've tried jumping it with my jump pack and another car, and it's the same with both. Can't see any problems with the wiring to the battery or the starter, any suggestions?

[Rocket88]

Check battery connections and earth................

[red5]

What he said. Wiggle test. Wires connections shouldn't move on posts.

[Rocket88]

disconnect battery, connect leads to pos terminal, and earth on body, then try it

[Split_Pin]

I would try another battery.

[Dead_E23]

Try connecting the black jump lead to the engine instead of the battery post to rule out a dud earth.   

 

(Or a bump start, if you've got someone to push/tow!)

[Lacquer Peel]

It's quite cold just now, if the battery is nearly dead it will take a lot of charging for it to start the engine especially with crap jump leads.

[robinmasters]

Battery terminals are ok (negative one was a mess, halfway out of the clamp). Terminals on the starter solenoid seem ok too. Doesn't seem to be any resistance between the battery and the solenoid.

 

I'm stumped, but I'm am amateur.

[Wingz123]

Lock and unlock?

[pilninggas]

Ive generally found that jumping diesels with other cars needs the other car hooked up for a few minutes with a fast idle. Just connecting wont work.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I would try another battery.

 

Gets my vote. Cold + discharge has killed cell/s. Even if you get it going, it'll still be no good.

[bramz7]

Reminds me of the time my old 605 did the same...it took ages to get it jump start, 10 mins or so?

Never did find out what the drain was, I suspect it was something to do with the radio but never attempted to find it.

[Zelandeth]

What others have said. Leave the jump leads connected with the jumping car at a fast idle for a good few mins before trying again.

 

Xantias are known for issues with the positive battery lead degrading, so worth a look to see if there are any signs of it having overheated.

 

Any testing with a normal meter isn't likely to show up issues there...a few ohms of unwanted impedance isn't much, but at the few hundred amps you see during cranking it can amount to quite a big voltage drop.

 

I assume you're sure the leads are okay? I used to have a cheap thin set, which blew itself open circuit like a fuse the first time I actually used them!

[Aston Martin]

Leave it alone, when he pays run away as fast as possible.

 

The Gumtree special.

[Eddie Honda]

disconnect battery, connect leads to pos terminal, and earth on body, then try it

Try connecting the black jump lead to the engine instead of the battery post to rule out a dud earth.

The correct way is of course to attach the neg lead onto a lump of metal nearest the starter motor and not the neg terminal of the battery because electrons are lazy...Also run for a bit (5 mins or so) before attempting a start.

 

And get some proper leads, there are a lot of wank ones out there.

[egg]

I'm just thinking where the cheapest place is to get a new battery in Folkestone on a Saturday at 1...

[Kringle]

ECP in Folkestone, Lion battery 48 quid using the SALE90 code

[Kringle]

Robinmasters somewhere in Folkestone right now...

 

[Christine]

42..... coz you'll get 6 quid  scrap  for the old battery  

[Bren]

It would'nt be a proper collection unless the featured car had a prolapse....

[bangernomics]

I'm just thinking where the cheapest place is to get a new battery in Folkestone on a Saturday at 1...

Don’t forget online sale90 code

[Lacquer Peel]

If you're jumping it off a petrol engine it'll take a lot longer.

I've had dead diesels take half and hour or more to jump start.

[robinmasters]

 

And then...

 

[robinmasters]

It was the battery. My thinking was that the other car's battery was doing the work, so a knackered battery wouldn't so the dead car being jumped. I haz learned a lesson today. It fired up straight away on the tiny AX battery.

 

I was busy outside messing admit with it so didn't see the sale code, but ECP was open and provided a fresh battery, and Stuart's now on his way on the first leg of the Xantia's trip to it's new home.

[egg]

[Jim Bell]

Jumping it off an AX. Quality.

[SRi05]

Turning up to a collection and seeing the bonnet open like

[aldo135]

Thanks David. It will get a good charge when I eventually get it home!

[Wingz123]

Jumping it off an AX. Quality.

Were lucky that worked! My 1.6 tdci fiesta doesn’t have enough juice to jump my a6 1.9tdi...

[bramz7]

It took me 15 mins to jump a 2.1TD off of a 2.5 six cylinder petrol.

 

And there was a ton of clag when it happened. Man I miss both those cars.