Skoda fabia won't start, don't think it's battery, any ideas?

littlerock

I have a Skoda fabia 1.4 , bought 2 years ago. It is around 10 years old, low mileage ( now 42, 000 miles), nice little runner,serviced regularly. No real problems apart from it not starting around 15 months ago, easily fixed by replacing aged battery. Then I got in this evening, turned on the ignition and engine started to turn over as usual but then it just spluttered and died. Now it just wheezes. Lights come on electric doors work and no fault diagnostics displayed but not working.

Any ideas? I have been doing some long journeys in last 10 days so it has had a good workout and battery is only just over a year old. I was last out in it on Wednesday night and it was fine. No lights left on but it does have a lot of stuff in the boot could that be pressing against boot light and leaving it on? Any other ideas?

Norman_Castle

Now it just wheezes

What does this mean?. Does the engine turn over normally or not?.

skivenov

Sounds immobiliser related - can you hear the whirr as the fuel pump primes if you turn it to the second click? Might need your door open to hear it.

littlerock

it turned over briefly when I first started it but instead of engaging it just petered out. Now when I turn the ignition it makes a sort of whining soundbut dies not turnover. Cannot hear a click just a whine.

Marktheshark

Could be lots of things, charge the battery and see if it starts, if not it could be the starter or the timing belt has snapped if it has not been changed, at 10 years old it would be 4 years overdue replacement.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

does clutch or brake pedal need to be pressed in in order to start? I haven't owned a VAG car so no sure on starting procedure but if that's the case, then that would be my first port of call clutch and brake pedal sensor switches.


Then into the fuse box for ignition relay.


Then onto starter, is it engaging? all well you can here it but the main spindle may have snapped and now the starter isn't working at all.


If No then onto bigger more expensive things like Immobilizer unit.

forgotmyname

Battery is dead charger it with a decent battery charger and then test it and the alternator.

arcon5

How on earth are we supposed to diagnose this from a keyboard??
It could be any one of the thousands of components in the car. Get it looked at If you don't have the tools to check the basics and work through the problem logically

Norman_Castle

littlerock wrote: »

it turned over briefly when I first started it (tried to start it?) but instead of engaging (firing?) it just petered out (stopped turning over?). Now when I turn the ignition it makes a sort of whining soundbut dies not turnover. Cannot hear a click just a whine.

If its not turning over try jump starting it or a different battery.

"Turning over" means the engine is being turned only by the starter motor using battery power.

"Firing" means the engine is burning fuel and running without battery assistance.

littlerock

acron5 - I did't expect full diagnosis just wondered if there was a known fault which occurred like this with Skodas and yes marktheshark timing belt has been changed. I keep it fully serviced in line with manufacturer guidance and garage recommendations.

Rubidium

What happens if you put the headlights on and then try to engage the starter, do they dim? Do the dash lights dim?

You need to establish that the battery is actually OK and not simply assume that it is because it was replaced 15 months ago.

If the battery is OK then it could be a starter motor fault, a battery lead worked loose or the main earth strap that earths the engine/starter motor - these faults would only be apparent when drawing a heavy current i.e. the starter motor.