206cc wont start - Any Ideas???

[th02mmo]

Hi folks.

I've got a 2002 2.0 206cc and have used it almost every day for about the past year.

Last week I was off work so the car basically sat in the garage most of the time which is unusual for my car.

Last Saturday I did about 6 miles in it and apart from it seeming like it might cut out at one point when I changed down the gears, it seemed ok.
I just put it down to the fact the car hadn't been driven for a few days as it didn't stall or anything like that.

Anyway I drove the car home on Saturday morning at 10.30am and when I went to go back out in it at 5pm the same day, it wouldn't start:(

When I put the key into the ignition I heard several fast "clicks" that I'd never heard before?? and this was before I'd even turned the ignition key on to try to start the car, so it couldn't have been coming from the starter motor.

I tried to start the car 3 times and the starter barely turned so I thought the battery must be dead.
All the dials seemed to be going haywire as I tried to turn the car over too???
My car's never done this before.

Anyway, I put the battery on charge and tried it again after about 1.5 hours and it started.
I tried it 3 times, and all 3 times it started.

The strange clicking noise was still there though on a couple of starts when the key was put into the ignition barrel, before the engine was turned again??

Anyway, I charged the battery up again overnight on Saturday as I need the car on Sunday morning.
It started ok on Sunday and ran as normal.

The car's been left in the garage again until now, and when I tried to start earlier on tonight, I get the clicking noise, then the noise like you're car aint gonna start (the kinda half turn of the engine), then more clicking noises (from the starter this time I think).

I'm sure on the dash this time it said "immobiliser fault" today, but I imagine that this would come up anyway, if your car wouldn't start as the immobiliser might think the car's being tampered with as it's thinking the powers been cut to it??(if that makes any sense).

Anyway, my first thought is that its just the battery, but I'm not 100% sure about this??

Has anyone else experienced the rapid 4-5 clicking noises before?? (I tried to find out where they were coming from, and it sounded like it was coming from under the bonnet, diagonally left of the battery compartment if you were standing in front of the car looking into the engine compartment), or the haywire dials, and the non starting car before:(

I'm sure on a couple of occassions too in the last few weeks there's been something weird going on with the central locking system too which might also be related??

I remember getting out of the car and all the doors seemed to have been deadlocked (even although I hadn't done this:(
Dont know if this is connected or not, but hopefully these faults will ring a bell with someone:)

Like I said above, I'm thinking of changing the battery to see if this helps, but dont want to waste £80-£90 on the battery if it might be something else electrionically thats wrong with my car:(

Sorry for the long post folks, but I thought more detail was better than not enough:)

Anyway, any advice/assistance would be greatly appreciated:)

Cheers
thommo

[GrandadMonkey]

Welcome to the forum Thommo,
I have to say that I haven't experienced all of the features that you've mentioned in your excellent description of the fault. I take it that your ignition light hasn't been coming on while driving (which would indicate an alternator fault).
I'd be tempted to agree with your supposition that your 6 year old battery has had its day and needs replacing with a new one. Careful, pattern parts may not fit perfectly, the correct Peugeot battery is taller than some.
Please feedback any developments.
Ron

[th02mmo]

Welcome to the forum Thommo,
I have to say that I haven't experienced all of the features that you've mentioned in your excellent description of the fault. I take it that your ignition light hasn't been coming on while driving (which would indicate an alternator fault).
I'd be tempted to agree with your supposition that your 6 year old battery has had its day and needs replacing with a new one. Careful, pattern parts may not fit perfectly, the correct Peugeot battery is taller than some.
Please feedback any developments.
Ron

Hi Ron, and firstly can I just say what a great place the 206cc forum is:)

Thanks for your comments on the battery too, and I can confirm that the ignition light has never came on when I'm driving, so hopefully that's good news as fsr as the alternator goes.

I'll give Peugeot a phone today to see what they charge for a battery as I would like one thats going to fit perfectly, but I've already been looking online as some battery suppliers offer free next day delivery.

Will let you know what the battery costs, and if it fixes the problem, when I get it.

Thanks again for you input:)

thommo

[reap]

yup tis a duff battery,for deffo. the rapid clicking you hear is your speedo resetting itself. the rev counter and speedo and fuel gauge all recalibrating cause of the flat battery.tis normal and will stop once a new battery fitted.

[GrandadMonkey]

Hi Thommo,
See here for the "bit of wood" trick, if you get a pattern part that is not as tall as the original battery.
http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?id=10664
Good luck,
Ron

[th02mmo]

Thanks again for your words of wisdom Reap, and Ron.

I charged the battery up for a good 12 hours plus overight last night, but the car didn't start today.

I had read about the non standard batteries not fitting properly so phoned my local Peugeot garage for a price as they'd been quite reasonable for a few parts in the past.

Checked the website for their phone number (Manor Oak in Dundee), and saw they were having a bit of a sale just now on a lot of different things, BATTERIES being one of them.

Phoned for a price and got the proper battery for my car for £39.23:yikes: reduced from £80 with a 2 year guarantee:)

My brother picked it up for me as my car was dead, but upon fitting it I overtightened one of the bolys on the strap keeping the battery in the tray (doh):foot: and snapped a piece off the tray. I'vemanaged to joey it up since though:)

Put the key in and heard a few clicks again, but the car started and ran ok today.

Will update again in a few days time to let you all know if the new battery has solved the problem:)

Thanks again though to Reap, and Ron.
Your assistance/expertease is invaluable to those of us less technically minded:)

Keep up the excellent work you do, as without doubt, it must be greatly appreciated by all users of his forum.

Cheers
thommo

[GrandadMonkey]

What a brilliant price Thommo, you did very well.
Yes, there's no need to wack the stay bolts up very tight, as you have found out. Hope you didn't break the battery casing!
Do hope your problems are solved now - I'm pretty sure they will be.
I was up in Dundee a couple of weeks ago, stayed at the Dundee Hilton. The Rangers team were staying there too as they played Dundee on the Sunday. Drew 3-3. We were up at a celebration of marriage. A pleasant city.
Thank you for your kind words about the forum.
Ron

[th02mmo]

What a brilliant price Thommo, you did very well.
Yes, there's no need to wack the stay bolts up very tight, as you have found out. Hope you didn't break the battery casing!
Do hope your problems are solved now - I'm pretty sure they will be.
I was up in Dundee a couple of weeks ago, stayed at the Dundee Hilton. The Rangers team were staying there too as they played Dundee on the Sunday. Drew 3-3. We were up at a celebration of marriage. A pleasant city.
Thank you for your kind words about the forum.
Ron

And here was me thinking that you were a good guy too Ron.

Schoolboy error there I'm afraid,:rotfl: calling my beloved Dundee UNITED........DUNG DEE.

Dundee has 2 football teams and they play right across the road from one another:)
The diddy team:rotfl: is Dundee, whilst the team that drew with Rangers are UNITED.

Here in Dundee, its the equivelant of getting Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic mixed up if you came from Glasgow:)

Anyway glad you enjoyed your stay at the Hilton in Dundee, and I'm glad you made it out of the city alive:)

I did break the battery casing by the way, but with the aid of a longer screw and a large washer have managed to fix it for now:)

Fingers crossed the car starts in the morning.

thommo

[th02mmo]

Glad to report that I've had no problems whatsoever starting the car since the new battery was fitted last month:thumbs:

It FAILED it's MOT yesterday though:no:

Needed 2 new number plates as the spacing on the ones currently on the car is supposidly illegal.

So £12 was all it cost this year, yippee.

So if all your dials start going haywire when you turn the key like mines did, and you hear a weird rapid clicking noise from somewhere under your bonnet....then more than likely it's time to change your battery.
I think mines was the original one fitted to the car, so it lasted approx 6 years (55,000 miles).

Thanks again though to everyone who offered help/advice to me with my problem:)

Have added the forum to my favourites now and will check back on a regular basis.

Cheers
thommo