Hi all,

My car is having issues and won't start. The engine will turn over really slowly for 1 or 2 revolutions before the dash lights and electrics all go nuts. I am guessing it is a dodgy starter motor.

Is it something that is easy to access to give it a knock? If anyone knows how easy it is to find and access do let me know.

Tom Tom

Current Drive
2011 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography - Santorini Black - Ivory Leather

Previous Drives
2004 Model Vogue Td6 (Touchscreen) - Java Black - Parchment Leather
1994 RR Classic 3.9 V8 Soft dash - Niagara Grey - Grey Leather
1972 Series III SWB Safari - Green (Hand Painted) - Black Plastic

Last edited by Flashman on 17th Nov 2017 2:44pm. Edited 1 time in total

You sure your battery is in good health? Sounds like it might be flat to me.

righthand side of engine when viewed from the front. follow cable from battery to solenoid its about halfway down the block. Just about knockable! Mine was a blue one!

Gold star to Paulus!

Even though I have two batteries (less than 12 month old) linked (190 Ah total) and it was only parked for 36 hours with a 12.5 voltage it was too low to start the car. Madness. Jump started it and it now is fine.

Will do a voltage check to see if there is a drain other than the normal ones.

These cars really are far too sensitive with the battery.

Thanks Andy for the location, mine being 13 years old will surely need monitoring as I don't think they will last forever. Tom

Current Drive
2011 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography - Santorini Black - Ivory Leather

Previous Drives
2004 Model Vogue Td6 (Touchscreen) - Java Black - Parchment Leather
1994 RR Classic 3.9 V8 Soft dash - Niagara Grey - Grey Leather
1972 Series III SWB Safari - Green (Hand Painted) - Black Plastic

Agree about the battery. Replaced mine last year with a Varta silver dynamic (second one) fine until last week then the call from herself won't start, tryed jumping off the spare battery I keep ( well it is a landrover) still no good had to change battery at the roadside which was fun, in the dark on my own, then started first touch thing. New battery I took off was flatter than flat and took two days to fully recover and recharge, Car still using old battery fine. To be fair it only goes 3 miles a day so battery gets hammered this time of year. Re starter mine had a rattle on disengage when it was about 8 years old so replaced. Its a bit of a fiddle but about an hour with luck jst make sure engine is cold managed to burn myself. Mine was a blue one!

@ Flashman,
Your car should have started quite easily with 12.5V on the battery. As well as looking for battery drain I would be looking at the tightness of the battery connections, the connections to the jump start post, the battery earth strap connection to the body and the connection onto the starter. In particular it might be worth taking the battery connections off and cleaning them and the battery posts with emery to bright metal.
Don’t be too quick to discount a possible starter/solenoid problem.

Some great advice.

I have a dashcam that might be the culprit but it is amazing how little margin you get with battery life.

As it is now winter and the temperature will also affect the battery reserves I will give the connections a good wire brush clean.

Might also get one of those lithium jump starter packs just in case!

Considering I already have two batteries if I add any more it will become a Tesla Range Rover. Tom

Current Drive
2011 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography - Santorini Black - Ivory Leather

Previous Drives
2004 Model Vogue Td6 (Touchscreen) - Java Black - Parchment Leather
1994 RR Classic 3.9 V8 Soft dash - Niagara Grey - Grey Leather
1972 Series III SWB Safari - Green (Hand Painted) - Black Plastic

The main lead from the battery to starter motor corroded on my p38 so this year I changed all the main feeds with new cables as preventative maintenance its just what I do worth it in my opinion cable comes with all brackets and fixings and the charge at battery end - pig to replace though but worth it for me