Zafira not starting, ignition goes on, but no clicks from starter FIXED

JesseJames_2

Wife's Zafira is not starting again.
The last 2 times this happened it was the starter, replaced and all was OK.

The difference between the last 2 times and this time is that the solenoid on the starter is not clicking (still clicking before)
And when I took the starter off it was still free. (was jammed before)

Also checked the old starter at the 2 live connections while off the car...
1) starter starts to spin OK
2) the solenoid clicks OK

Tried a new starter anyway but same symptoms.

The other symptoms is that the central locking is sluggish, and feels like the battery is quite low - however same symptoms as when the starter did go previously.
When trying to start all the dashboard lights go out. (or is that normal)

I have checked the earth wire from the starter to the battery earth and no resistance - so OK here
The battery was tested with Gunson's Start check battery tester and was 75-100% so seems OK here too.
Battery has been smart charged anyway just in case.

It would appear that the solenoid is not getting power to get the starter spinning.

Any mechanics here that know what to check now, or what the likely cause is?

Thank you

Wig

Have you got a second car to use jump leads to this car?

Your battery could be useless - no matter what you have done to ensure it is charged.

Or a second "known good" battery which you can swap into the car.

You could also try bump starting

annie1975_2

Hi, Im no mechanic and im not sure if yours is the same problem as i had.
Went to the shop in the car,came out it wouldnt start.
There was nothing at all,not turning over,nothing.
turns out the key was knackered,they have a chip in them and it had packed up.
Got the spare key and hey presto it started.
Sorry if this doesnt help , but worth a try..

Paperbird

In your case it's not normal for the dash lights to go out.
Probably flat battery, bad connection or starter motor.
Check all connections and try another battery or jump start from another car.

JesseJames_2

Thanks for the suggestions - all good.
Will try jump starting.
Good idea about the broken key, only have one key though, and is separate from door key (so unlikely key) - had new ignition barrel 4 years ago or so.
Will also try jump leads from the Zafira battery straight to starter.

Will post later

vax2002

You can not test for resistance in earth leads with a simple device, resistance is a square equitation that increases with load, so at 40 amps load resistance will be 40 times greater than at 1 amp .
Hence a clear resistance will be shown on normal battery operation.
Clip a jump lead from the earth terminal to the engine, dont undo anything else and try again.
Until you have done this, not a lot else can be tested other than the battery itself by swapping it. .

colino

If your dash lights are going out and theres barely enough juice to activate the central locking, while I'd check all major connections, I'd bet the battery is just about to give up the ghost.
Modern batteries appear to be all or nothing and can go off very suddenly.
Check the voltage across the battery terminals and if its less than 10.5 - 11 volts, it's very tired. Get it started with a jump, check across the terminals again and make sure it's at least 13v with the engine running, ideally around 14-14.5 volts to make sure the alternator is fine. Anything higher is just as much a problem too!

JesseJames_2

Thanks all

It ended up being the battery - a shorted cell.

What threw me was that it initially was showing OK.
After charging it was not showing OK and 10.6 volts
I checked it an hour later to confirm readings and checked out OK with around 12.5 volts - so intermittent readings.

So wasted my time and effort changing the starter motor twice, and that's not easy to do on a Zafira.