starting problems

**Ace** · 12th July 2015, 10:03 AM

Hi guys, the disco has been sitting idle for the last couple of months whilst i waited for the time to do some repairs.

I started her up and she struggled with the stale fuel but fired up and ran fine.

I replaced a part in the gear selector assembly and did a few other jobs and took it for a couple of test drives, no issues.

The following morning the battery was dead, it would crank a bit but not enough to start.

Replaced the powersteering lines andjumped it to go to katoomba to pick marcos up, drove there and back great.

Next morning went out to check, nothing, dead again.

Rolled it out of the shed to jump it again and thought i'd try one more time and it fired. I left it running for an hour or so, that was yesterday.

Jumped in this morning to drive marcos back and it fired fine, was a bit doughy but started.

Drove to the servo and filled up, 10min drive, after i tried to start and nothing again. Then it started to turn slowly for 5-10 secs and it fired, then smoke started coming off the park brake under the centre console and the cable was hot to touch.

Any ideas? New starter moter done earlier this year.

**Ace** · 12th July 2015, 11:08 AM

Also, my low coolant/digital temp guage has started playing up, now it reads the right temp but occasionally jumps to 85 degrees for a bit before reverting back to the correct temp and when i indicate the low coolant alarms beeps and the light flickers.

**Blknight.aus** · 12th July 2015, 11:25 AM

chassis to body to engine earth strap is missing failed or badly conected

main earth is now running through the handbrake

**Ace** · 12th July 2015, 12:10 PM

Thanks dave, i'll have a look at the earth

**Ace** · 12th July 2015, 01:22 PM

Checked all the major earths, they are fine. All tight and connected fine.

**Spel1** · 12th July 2015, 03:12 PM

Run a new earth strap directly from the battery neg post to a bolt on the engine. This provides a much stronger earth than through the bodywork, especially if the neg straps are getting old. Even though yours are all tight and connected, there may be some corrosion in the cables or even at the connections. You can get good straps from most parts shops for less than $20. When I first got my TDI, the starter sounded like it was going, 6 or more slow turns till firing, the starter strap looked OK and was tight, changed only that one to a new one and it started immediately and starter turned well. Have since also done the engine earth on the TDI and diesel work ute.

**Ace** · 12th July 2015, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Spel1

Run a new earth strap directly from the battery neg post to a bolt on the engine. This provides a much stronger earth than through the bodywork, especially if the neg straps are getting old. Even though yours are all tight and connected, there may be some corrosion in the cables or even at the connections. You can get good straps from most parts shops for less than $20. When I first got my TDI, the starter sounded like it was going, 6 or more slow turns till firing, the starter strap looked OK and was tight, changed only that one to a new one and it started immediately and starter turned well. Have since also done the engine earth on the TDI and diesel work ute.

Hi Spel,

Thanks mate, i'll check that out tomorrow. There are the two straps, one on each battery, second battery isnt tgat old so strap is good, then theres the one on the starter. Should i replace that aswell?

Matt

**Ace** · 13th July 2015, 10:51 AM

Blonde moment, checked every earth but the one on the starter, which was loose, is now tight, starts fine agsin lol

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