Practically Classics Forum

honest i bought 2 new tyres, spare was a bit bald with canvas showing the rest are in good condition i will have to find the pic of my audi tyre that pop at 145 kph a few years ago...

transit starter died today, need to get the thing home as it wont bump start

No handy hill to get some speed up? Diesels can be a bugger to get going pushing them around. I have tow started them before now if you have a handy friend on-site with another van and a rope.

a mate pushed me with his mini digger to a nice little hill which my old blue transit would have had no problem starting on but the little sod said no & i have to get it towed home if she wont go with a bit of luck.... to make things worse the galaxy needs 2 new tyres after only 35,000 km & we are having the kittens sterilised today so its been an expensive month 1 drill 2 brooms 3 computers etc etc etc all falling to bits....

Are you sure it is the starter and not the immobiliser that is mucking about? I have never had a tdci fail to start with a shove, even with 2 failed injectors they get going fairly easily.

the starter has been making a noise on and off for a while.. & i stopped to talk to someone for 2 minutes & when i tried to start it squealed & then went to dead battery... ive tried bumping it but it wont fire up..

how do you mean went to dead battery? as in no lights or anything? are you sure the noise the starter has been making isn't that it is struggling to turn over with insufficient current? At least taking one off and testing / replacing it is easier than an MR2 alternator

TerryG wrote:how do you mean went to dead battery? as in no lights or anything? are you sure the noise the starter has been making isn't that it is struggling to turn over with insufficient current? At least taking one off and testing / replacing it is easier than an MR2 alternator

You're thinking maybe a loose connection? I wondered if maybe it's that poor quality French mobile electricity.....

I was thinking potentially a weak battery / poor charging circuit. The alternator on my TDCi focus died just shy of 130k with no warning at all just a completley dead battery one morning, the alternator on my dad's transit died at 135k in exactly the same way, no warning just suddenly a dead battery. I have no idea why but the charge warning circuit is appalling and doesn't really do it's job until an alternator is completely dead or the circuit voltage drops below 10v.
I'm sure Rich has tried the engine earth strap / main cable to the starter and jumping power to the solenoid in case there is a poor contact to that / bypassing the solenoid with a jump lead in case that is bad

Yes, I agree and furthermore I bet he managed it without blowing himself up in the style of Laurel and Hardy.

I googled "Rich from the forum mending something electrical" and found this: