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Stempy
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More V6 woes

Post by Stempy »

Today the Xantia would not start. Battery is ok, everything electrical works but turning the key just produces a click. It's the same effect you get if the gearbox is in drive, tried it park a neutral, no joy. Dont know where the starter motor/solenoid is, anyone know which is the starter inhibitor relay?
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

You should find the startermotor down there on front of engine - where the gearbox joins the engine.
It's a rather big circular lump - with the solonoid build-on to the top - and a heavy electric cable running directly to battery.
Don't confuse it with the hydraulic regulator and green gassphere (ball).
Try have an assistent attempt to start - while you tap on the startermotor with a large screwdriver - or a lenght of ½" water piping reaching down on the startermotor body.
Chances are the startermotor has simply reached it's end of useful service life - meaning the motorbrushes are worn out.
Tapping on the startermotor will make the brushes just barely rattle/touch with their "tip of nails" - thus making it run.
David Goddard
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Post by David Goddard »

On automatics it looks like there is:
The Ignition switch (obviously)
A fuse
The gearbox start inhibit / revering light switch
A single pole relay
A solenoid on the actual starter
A good earth connection to the engine.
How it works:
A +12V feed goes from the battery to the ignition switch and when the switch is in any of the three "on" positions it goes on to the normally open contacts of a relay.
When the key is turned to the starter positon, a 12V feed goes via a fuse to the start inhibit switch on the gearbox.
The output from the start inhibit switch goes to the relay coil.
When activated the relay sends the 12V to the starter solenoid.
The heavy current 12V goes straight from the battery to the solenoid.
Testing:
1) The inhibit switch also feeds the reversing lights (on the same fuse). So if they work, the fuse, and that part of the start inhibit switch is OK.
2) Make sure the car is in "Park" and with the ignition switched off, carefully apply +12V directly to the low current starter soleniod input. If the starter runs that expensive part is OK.
3) Disconnect the low current +12V starter solenoid feed. Turn the key to the "start" position and listen for a relay clicking.
4) Then it's a case of checking continuities with a multi meter. Like - unplugging the starter inhibit connector and check that one pair of contacs close when in either P or N.
All good fun!
Paulxmski
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Post by Paulxmski »

Yes,
because you are getting a click from the starter motor that indicates you have a circuit which means everything in the loop is connected/on. It maybe that the starter motor is worn, that the HT cable is badly connected, burning out at the solenoid. or somewhere else in the circuit (I have heard that this is renowned problem for 2.0 xm's for instance). On the other hand it might be the battery just hasn't got enough oumph in it.
Stempy
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My Cars: C5 V6 Mk1 assainated by wife
Renault Kangoo 1.6 auto, tarted up and remapped
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Not missing the AX
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Post by Stempy »

There is actually no clunk from the starter solenoid just a click from a relay in the fuse box under the steering wheel. That must mean the ignition switch is working, The gear selector/inhibit switch is ok as the reversing lights work and the audible 'drive selected' warning works if the door is open. I've established that the starter motor itself spins ok by directly feeding it 12v. I've checked all the relevant fuses. There is 12v on the high current feed side to the solenoid but I can't get to the low current feed terminal.
Trouble is I don't know where the relay is that is controlled by the inhibit switch, if I could locate this I could feed the solenoid from there.
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Stempy</i>

Trouble is I don't know where the relay is that is controlled by the inhibit switch, if I could locate this I could feed the solenoid from there.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I still think it's much easier to try access the lo-current terminal on the solonoid down on the starter.
Chances are a simple corrosion problem exactly on this spade connector.
Try first if you can visually follow the wiring from this terminal - to an easy accessible point - where you can test the +12V feed on this wire when key is in starter position.
If this wire clearly runs thru any connectors on it's way (it does !) - you have the same chance of corrosion here.
Mind you the starter solonoid draws a hefty current of some 8-12 Amps - meaning the feed wire & connectors must be in good shape.
Stempy
Posts: 1626
Joined: 26 Feb 2004, 23:21
Location: Cloud Cuckooland
My Cars: C5 V6 Mk1 assainated by wife
Renault Kangoo 1.6 auto, tarted up and remapped
Still missing the Xantia V6
Not missing the AX
Contact:

Post by Stempy »

Just as an update it turned out to be a poor connection on the starter relay in the fuse box under the bonnet.
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