Desmodromic
Member Since: 28 Dec 2012
Location: Corsica & Brittany
Posts: 9
  
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Pete K wrote:Des - If that was my car I would be temporally connecting an additional wire upto the starter motor into the battery box.
Fit a fully insulated red crocodile clip or drill a hole in the side of the battery box plastic and fit one of these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-Push-button...SwY~1aJQOV
connected to battery +
When you have the problem you can open the bonnet and hold the button (or touch clip to battery+) and see if the starter functions correctly.
Almost start it like an old car 
If it still messes around the starter needs replacing again.
But it's not the starter - the old starter motor tests perfectly and this issue is ONLY around 0 degrees or less. Gets intermittent around 5 degrees and disappears above that. Perfect after first start. D2 Td5 (most unreliable car of 21 I've owned but still a dear old thing)
D3 TDV6 (most reliable car - er, till this winter)
+ Alfa Gt, Fiat 500 & LDV Maxus
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 2nd Mar 2018 1:35 pm |
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Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10363
 
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well if you are confident the starter is ok, you could put a starter button inside ! connected under the relay.
But if your selling then I can understand you don't want to do anything
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| 2nd Mar 2018 3:34 pm |
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Desmodromic
Member Since: 28 Dec 2012
Location: Corsica & Brittany
Posts: 9
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Hi - that's a good idea to circumvent the electronics for the starter - but leaves the glowplug issue stopping it firing when very cold...which is why I'm going to either replace them or sell it in spring so there are 6 months before anyone can notice a problem...! Thx for the input D2 Td5 (most unreliable car of 21 I've owned but still a dear old thing)
D3 TDV6 (most reliable car - er, till this winter)
+ Alfa Gt, Fiat 500 & LDV Maxus
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| 2nd Mar 2018 4:03 pm |
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Desmodromic
Member Since: 28 Dec 2012
Location: Corsica & Brittany
Posts: 9
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Sorry it's a loooong time since last post but just to close off the topic for those searching for solutions to similar probs. It's taken a while to resolve the issues fully and leave enough time to be sure they're resolved.
The issue of starter not turning/just clicking and which generated the obvious suggestions (professional and amateur) like battery, starter motor, relay, ignition barrel.....was resolved by replacing the water temperature sensor. Research here and elsewhere mentioned that a duff sensor can trick the ECU into refusing to turn the motor and at +/- £20 I thought I'd give that a try. Soooo easy to replace too.
Which left me with 3 duff glowplugs. Had to bite the bullet and end up having them all extracted professionally in the end at a very french price of......well over £1000. Thank god we manage to save tons of money elsewhere on maintenance doing most myself (including changing glowplugs on an Alfa and a van in a few minutes!) My niece has just bought a D4 for its glamour but as she and her husband aren't into these things and they've already had significant bills from an indie, they're thinking of selling..... D2 Td5 (most unreliable car of 21 I've owned but still a dear old thing)
D3 TDV6 (most reliable car - er, till this winter)
+ Alfa Gt, Fiat 500 & LDV Maxus
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| 21st Dec 2020 1:00 pm |
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