ZD30 - No cranking - Ticking GP relay

[justAL]

Hey folks,

I've got a problem that I need a little help to shed some light on and I'd thought I'd bring it here as I can't find a similar issue and it would be good to add to the database.

Essentially my engine won't crank. The idiot lights come on when I turn the key and turn off when I turn the key further to crank but nothing happens.

I've charged the battery this morning and reinstalled it this evening and whilst it doesn't crank when I just set the ignition to 'on' the sound of a relay rapidly clicking on/off is heard.

I've traced this to the glow plug relay and will now, in the morning, try the earth contacts and a new relay.

I'll keep you lot in check. :/

 

[charlie strayarc]

sounds like a sticking starter motor solenoid.
get someone to tap the solenoid on top of the starter motor as you crank engine.
Used to work on my valiant anyway.

You may need to tap the end of a long screwdriver with a hammer, while the other end of screwdriver is touching solenoid, so you can tap solenoid without hitting everything else thats in the way. I hope this makes sense.

 

[glc]

could also be a volt drop issue. check the cleanliness of the battery terminals and associated connections.

 

[justAL]

Update. I'll clean up all the connectors linked to the battery and starter this evening. The battery has been given a good charge with a quality battery maintenance system to strike that issue off the list.

 

[Old.Tony]

Just to be on the safe side, trying a different battery won't hurt at all. A battery will appear to charge even to a smart charger and still have sulphation across the cell floors effectively killing them, so that as soon as a decent amount of current is called for the battery voltage falls away to nothing.

 

[justAL]

Well, I had a good go at it tonight and she's still ticking away without a hint of cranking over.

Tony, I'll try your suggestion. Could I also override with a jump start attempt?

 

[Dave]

Hey Al, mine did that when it needed to be tilt trayed.

I think that was to do with the chip, but I replaced the ECM relays.

Cleaned the main battery positive connections and she came good. Well after Nissan cleared the fault codes. Pretty sure the fault codes were chip related.

Replaced the brown relay in the engine bay fuse box and the blue relay (Second from the left from memory) above the fuse box inside the cab.

That was about 10,000km's ago. Hasn't done it since.

 

[baylock]

Sounds like a problem i had a little while back.
Turns out for me it was a bad earth....
To test this get a multi-meter, test the voltage across the battery terminals, you should get something like 13.5v to 14v (aka full charge), then test the same between the positive on the battery and a metal part of the car (engine, or something similar) if you get a significant voltage drop (mine showed about 2v on the multimeter if memory serves), then i would say that is your problem.
to Fix, trace your earth wires, one should go from the battery to the body, the other from the body to the engine and should be easily accessible.
Once you find them, unbolt them from the body, clean the terminals, holes, and bolts with contact cleaner and replace. let me know if it works.

 

[Matty17]

I've got a similar problem on mine at the moment its intermittent. Except the starter solenoid is clicking. The other day I was at the pub car wouldn't start at all, tried jump starting it and nothing. It started when my mate lent over the battery to hear if it was the solenoid actually clicking and same again yesterday, started when I lent over the battery as well. All the terminals are clean and I'm getting the volts on a multimeter. Maybe just coincidence. I can't get it to play up when I want it to that's the biggest problem.

Every now and then the car takes a little longer to start almost seems like the starters cutting out maybe.

 

[Old.Tony]

Tony, I'll try your suggestion. Could I also override with a jump start attempt?

You can try jump starting it or using a portable power pack (900CCA or better, preferably 1200). Don't do it for too long. If your battery is low on volts because it's shot internally, it could suck the life out of what's connected - but for 10 seconds of connection time you'd know whether or not it WAS the battery.

 

[justAL]

Hey Tony,

Thanks for the tips. Sitting there thinking about it I went out and got a decent battery and chucked it in.

She fired straight up but whilst it was out I went over the ground points and cleaned them up too so thanks all. I hope this helps a few of you if the problem pops up in the future.