Thread: D2 2004 Auto TD5 - intermittent Starter issues

Hi all, Im hoping someone can help with a trouble shooting approach to my problem. I'm not an auto elec though i have some tools and a multimeter with me while I'm travelling around Australia, sometimes it starts - sometimes it just clicks once (I assume its the starter motor that clicks). The battery reads 12.5 - when the ignition key is turned goes to 11.7 - when it starts goes to 14.2. The battery is nearly 2 years old and we travel 100+ klms per day on a new alternator. This starter motor has likely done 217000 klms. I've replaced the 30amp fusible link #13 with a spare I carry with no change in behaviour. Underneath the red cable on the starter motor is tight - the small spade connector is a bit grubby so I took on / off / on to reseat it. Is there any suggestions how I can pinpoint where the real problem is here. thanks heaps

Originally Posted by ahw3617

.... The battery reads 12.5 - when the ignition key is turned goes to 11.7 - when it starts goes to 14.2. The battery is nearly 2 years old and we travel 100+ klms per day on a new alternator .....

Battery doesn't sound too bad, but check something else.
Because you have a TD5, when you first click key to ign on(with dash lights all on), your 11.5v reading sounds about right. With ign on and not starting, you have a very high powered fuel pump running, and possibly the glow plugs too.
Not 100% sure if the glow plugs are on/off depending on engine temp, but at some point they're going to be on.

So do a check where you have ign on for at least 30sec. You should hear the fuel pump running. If you do hear it, then watch the volt meter. Glow plugs don't run for too long .. maybe 10sec or so, but they are a big draw on the battery too.
So a quick and dirty battery test: ign on, watch volt meter, listen for fuel pump whirring. when it stops whirring, what is the volt reading now(before you start it up)..

I have an old 300 Tdi, and overnight my battery seems to rest at 12.4 - 12.5v(in warm weather) .. less if cold(~10°C or less).
Ign on, the glow plugs will drop the 12.4v down to low 11's .. in warmer weather maybe high 11's. I can't say that I've ever seen the exact same reading in succession.
So I wait 10sec or so glow plug relay clicks off, volts recover to about 12.3.
Battery is now 11 months old or so now .. showed much higher voltages(like 12.7 when new over night) and high 11's with glow plugs doing their stuff. The other values are with a now nearly a year old battery.
The battery was replaced under warranty, and the old one showed really bad values under load. Would show 12.3-12.4v over night, but with glow plugs active, would dip down to the mid 10 volt range.
If I hadn't started the Tdi for 2 days tho.. it's show under 10v with the glow plugs active.

What you describe sounds a lot like Sierraferry said ... most likely solenoid(or that spade wire still hasn't seated perfectly.
Brother had this issue crop up on a recent trip to the Vic high country. first time were were on a very steep track, and he parked it up after he got a bit stuck. I came past him and parked on a more level area and walked down to him. He went to start it, and just got clicks.
I just thought it was the hot conditions, so sprayed some water out of a drink bottle, but had to get back under and whack it while he tried to start it.
Like JimDAUS said, hit the solenoid body, not the larger motor body.
Caused us a bit of grief every now and then for the rest of the 5 days, but not overly major.
When he got home, he replaced the starter too(like JohnD2 said) .. he called me and said either he got really lucky, as it came out quite easily after I warned him that the top bolt was supposedly very hard to get too.