Car won't start!

[Dave80s]

Hi I need a bit of advice, my 96p gti 8v has always been a bit troublesome in the morning. Sometimes the starter motor wouldn't turn over or lazily turn over. Usually you could feel it 'trying', so if you waited a few seconds and tried again it would work.

Last night I tried to start it and it just went 'click', wasn't even trying to turn over. I checked the battery and put it on charge overnight just to make sure. Tried it today and 'click', the same.

The car bump starts fine.

Any ideas? A friend said maybe the starter motor solenoid has gone (if not the motor itself). Any easy way of checking this?

If it is the starter motor or solenoid I can go to a scrappy, but would any mk3 parts fit, or should I be looking for VW group 2 litre engines?

Any help most appreciated, Dave.

[Overseer]

 
starter.. although u could check the connections from solenoid to starter.. undp the nut there and sand off the connectors and put it together see if it helps..

i dont know if any mk3 start fits or not.. you'd have to ask vw.. altho some stealerships wont tell u.

a pattern starter runs to about 60 or 80 quid.

[adyh]

Lazy starting and clicking is normally associated with a poor battery , go down a battery place and get it checked .

[Len]

If it clicks - thats the solenoid engaging.
So its either a poor battery or duff starter. In my experience its the starter.

[Bazzer]

I had a similar one on an XR2 I owned for a short time.... Click and nothing else. Battery was fine (new) and sometimes it would go. I told a bloke who knows these things and you know what he said.... Whack the starter with a hammer! And tell you what, it works sometimes... Try it, if it works, you know the starter motor is on the way out. But that doesn't necessarily mean you need a new one, cos you can get them reconditioned. I got my Mk2 Goof's starter done at a local battery centre, they charged me £24 for the pleasure....

[Dave80s]

I have had a few people tell me to hit it, might be worth a try.

Thanks for all your help, I will try and sort it out this weekend.

[Len]

The hiiting bit does work a couple of times but its a sure sign the started is knackered.

[Dave80s]

I hit it, fiddled with it - nothing. So I called the AA, he hit it (!) fiddled with it - also nothing. He said it was the starter motor.

So does anyone know how you get the old one off? I have undone the 13mm bolt at the side and then got a bit stuck after that.

[Overseer]

i said it was starter in the first reply...

not sure about all dubs.. but on a 16v the starter forms part of the engine mount.. easier to get a garage to do it..

[Dave80s]

You are right, I had a look in my local Halfords at the Haynes manual and all mk3 engines have a starter motor which is bolted to an engine mount - except for engine codes ABD, ABU and one other I think.