206 cc 51 plate Car wont start.

[simonfurlonger]

Hi all new to this forum but have used some of the answers posted on here before and been really helpful, Have had problems starting the car last couple of weeks and seemed to be down to a loose positive terminal lead on the batt, last night wife called and car wouldn't start at all, did a wiggle test and finally she fired up, but this morning no joy at all, not turning over, all ignition lights and functions are ok, replaced battery with a better fitting one, terminals nice and tight but still nothing, did the waiting for 3 mins thing. Possibly starter motor?? Help please..

[Capncol]

Just to confirm.
You changed battery following the proper disconnection/ reconnection method, everything else works properly since, but only problem is it won't start? Correct?
You say replaced with a better fitting one-is it new? Fully charged? Correct type?

[simonfurlonger]

Battery works fine, checked all the fuses and connections too

[simonfurlonger]

Just thought I would give it one more go just now and she fired up 1st time..... wtf??? Trouble is, have no idea what the fault is or was, gotta be something loose or bad connection, earth, fuse????

[GrandadMonkey]

If the connections are all good - to battery, starter motor and earth points to the chassis, and you know the battery is good and the correct size (i.e. 190mm tall and not the hatchback 175mm one) then my money is on the starter motor. The car is 12 years old after all, and unless it has micro miles on the clock the starter motor internals could be wearing out.

However, I'd recommend that you check first that someone hasn't put a hatchback battery on it by mistake, as the extra tension on the terminals has been known to cause the symptoms you describe.

[simonfurlonger]

How come you have to measure battery sizes these days, I was always led to believe a battery was a battery as long as the terminals fit and its charged and fits in the carrier??
Would a diagnostic electrical check bring up the fault, if it was the starter motor internals would it say so on the read out??

[simonfurlonger]

Shes done 60k by the way, and fully serviced.

[GrandadMonkey]

How come you have to measure battery sizes these days, I was always led to believe a battery was a battery as long as the terminals fit and its charged and fits in the carrier??
Would a diagnostic electrical check bring up the fault, if it was the starter motor internals would it say so on the read out??

Because some cheapskates try to get away with replacing the correct battery for the 206cc with the smaller cheaper one for the hatchback. The fitting of the 175mm tall battery puts an extra physical strain on the terminal connections leading to intermittent breaks in continuity. If you have the smaller one you can, as an emergency measure, get away with using a piece of 15mm thick wood under the battery to pack it up to the correct height. It is still unlikely to have the extra capacity to cope with the electrical load required to operate the roof of the convertible.

A diagnostic check will not tell you if the armature, brushes or solenoid contacts in the starter motor are worn out.

So, first things first, is your battery the correct one for the car? Slide a steel rule down the side to measure the height from the bottom of the tray if you don't want to take it out again. I bet you'll find it is 175mm and not 190mm. Others have experienced the symptoms that you are getting for that reason.

Let us know how you get on please.

[GrandadMonkey]

Shes done 60k by the way, and fully serviced.

Mainly urban miles, or mostly motorway? Urban miles usually mean shorter journeys hence greater use of the starter motor.

Fully serviced? Has the timing belt been renewed yet? If not it is overdue. Expensive if it fails.

[simonfurlonger]

I think the battery I took out on Saturday was the small one you are talking about, as it had wood under it to pack it out, surely since changing the battery on saturday for the correct size all should be ok, but wasn't till this afternoon it started up..
Mainly urban miles I believe, had one lady owner (genuinely too..lol)
Pretty sure the timing belt has been done

[GrandadMonkey]

Sounds as if you've got a good one if it was one lady owner. They often get pampered.

Sounds as if it could well be the starter motor if everything else I mentioned is ok. You could get it reconditioned or just replace it with a brand new one. Reconditioning will mean having the car off the road while it is done, a new one will be a direct swap so the car will be back in use immediately. You may get something back for the old unit.

[gazza82]

You might find that you can get the new refurbished motor with a hefty deposit that you get back when you take/send the old one back. 206 starters should be pretty common after all ...

[simonfurlonger]

So car has started like a dream everyday since last sunday and no idea what the fault was..

[GrandadMonkey]

Let's hope it proves reliable again. It'll take a while to build up faith in it though. Fingers crossed!

[simonfurlonger]

Same problem this morning, turned the key and nothing, how frustrating..grrr