Car wont start...
 

So, lets set the scene.....

Its 5am. You have a 3 week old son, who wakes regularly, a 20 month old daughter who wakes randomly and due to IT related disasters the night before bedtime was the wrong side of 11pm.

I'm due with Ben at AVP between 7 and 8, and then onto Birmingham around 10am for meetings.

Its hurling it down with good old fashioned Yorkshire rain, and despite the change in clocks, at 5am its still pitch black.

So, with best shoes, trousers and all kitted out to look professional I hop into my A8 with slightly bleary eyes and turn the key.

Confused by the lashing rain, some poor taste in music blaring and the blowers taking off at supersonic speed after turning the key I cant quite comprehend the rev counter failing to lift.....

... so, back her off and recrank....

Nothing. :Confused:

ok, music off, blowers off, rub sleep from eye, key out, back in, check we're in park and crank..... but nothing. Worked last night at 22:30...

Ar5e.

No cranking but no dipping of instrument cluster, battery looks good, everything else is alive. Wiggled the gear shifter through the gears and back to Neutral. Still no start. Back into Park, still no start. Put it in Drive and same effect - Still no start. hmm.

Clock ticking.

I rule out battery as cause as everything else is lit up fine, and no dip in lighting suggests power isnt even been drawn, so I guess a problem with either inhibitor or the power supply block to the starter motor, the latter of which is a common problem.

05:30

So, quickly get changed... Ssshh... (kids all asleep now I'm not trying to sleep) and out with the Jack. Front drivers wheel off, lining off, check connection.

05:45

Nope, rock solid.

Try to start again, stood outside the car, and there is a slight clicking noise, like the starter is trying to move, but cant ?

This is where having a manual D2 would be a real bonus.... :(

Running out of time now, and certainly cant do anything if the starter or solenoid are failed - Last ditch attempt was to pop the battery booster on and see if it did make any more attempt to spring into life.

It didnt spring into life, but the single click definitely sounded more like a electrical spark...:Confused:

Now, I really dont know what it is, and its heading towards 6am. I cant get my car to AVP (double ar5e) and so will have to get the chuffin train to Birmingham... oh joy.

Its sat on my drive now, and it will sit there till Friday when I have a chance to look at it I guess..... Ggrrrrr... :rolleyes:

Sounds a little like what happened to my A8, Ben sorted that out. Can't remember what exactly was wrong with it now burnt out ignition switch maybe? Thread on it is here somewhere, I will have a dig for it.

Edit:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023

Bad Earth? :mad:

I had this with my V6 was a dead starter motor.... no warning started it after work @ 2am turned off tried to start 5 mins later nuttin....grrrr had to get lorry home.....

Issue with Amar's was starter inhibitor relay in pass' footwell. Hope you get it sorted mate! +++

Thanks Ben - Well, Im not sure I could be so lucky for a simple fix like that but I have been in the electrics box a few times recently... :rolleyes:

I'll check it out +++

I have a standby starter motor arriving at my house any time now just in case its nothing simple... ;)

Earths look good, inhibitor relay is good, changed it anyway and still same symptoms. Defo looking like a starter fault, so changing the starter here we go....

got my fingers cross.............

Not hard enough it seems.... :(

The starter motor is effectively trapped in place by one of the left hand side engine brackets. Both Elsawin and Mikes efforts changing his starter say that this engine mount needs removing to gain access, which I totally see as being the case after some investigation....

Unfortunately at some point someone has rounded off the allen head of the least accessible bolt making it impossible for me to take this any further forward without ramps and proper support for the engine, which I I don't have ready access to. I can only blame the guys who changed the A8 engine for an S8 engine before I got it, I cant see any reason any one else would have been in there really....

To add insult to all my injury, after fannying around for a few hours and eventually loosely putting everything back together for transit on a trailer, the dam thing now starts.... :rolleyes:

I don't trust it though, I guess either the solenoid or motor itself enjoyed having their bolts loosened but without actually changing the part out I don't think I could trust it enough to rely on it daily.

I'm hoping Ben at AVP might be able to fit it in for a remedial session, otherwise I'll have to hire a car... I aint going on the bloody train again !!!!

I'll post some piccies of my efforts once I've warmed up, cleaned up and got a nice cold beer inside me +++

Hope you get it sorted and this doesn't turn into a nightmare, I may be at Ben's tomorrow picking up my S8 so let me know if I can help in anyway with a lift to the train station etc... +++