The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hello folks...

I've not been on here for a while as my Toledo hasn't seen the road in months but I'm hoping that will change very soon!

I have tried to start my car today but instead of starting normally or sounding dead from a flat battery it seems to have developed a fault whereby it is making a very strange clicking sound and the lights that illuminate on the dashboard flicker in time with that peculiar noise?!

The battery does have charge as all the functions of the car seem to work but the engine just won't even consider bursting into life again!

What should I look at folks?!

I am sure it's something simple...!!!

Many thanks in advance...

It could be the pinion on your starter motor that has jammed. Try rocking the car back and forth in top gear to free off the pinion. Make sure the ignition is turned off before you try it.

Sounds like a low battery, not enough to spin teh starter properly, and when it tries the lights flicker.
If you try again with headlights on they will go down to no thing (i expect)

Simple stuff first, charge the battery. And while you are there check all the connections including the earths, they are the other likely candidates (but I would put a bet on it being battery)

As above sounds like a bad connection. Double check earths and battery connections

Tony

I agree. It is either a low battery (should be 12.6V) or a bad connection. Make sure the battery terminals are clean.

13.2V Mart, but the charge state will determine whether it can meet the starter load.

Charge the battery and clean all the terminals. Its normal for a battery to discharge slowly if not in use.

Bring it round here if you dont have a charger, but dont leave it discharged for long.

Jonners

12.6v is the usual approx. figure for a battery. It can go higher if it has been running recently.

Another weird feature of this problem is that when the ignition is on and I use my indicators they do not flash, they stay constant?!

This may help to pinpoint the problem perhaps?!

Thank you all for your suggestions so far...

Yes, low battery.

I can't help but agree, the first sign of a duff battery is seemingly a healthy voltage but an inability to take a high current like a starter motor. The technical term for this is acid stratification, the battery appears to be fully charged but with next to no CCA. I use a rather expensive CTEK charger with a reconditioning function that has revived a number of apparently dead batteries, so if your charger has a battery recondition function it's worth a try, or if you're anywhere in the Cambs/Beds area you can borrow mine.

Go for a jumpstart, quickest elimination, if you don't have leads or another car, check with the neighbours.

If no joy, as everyone says, check your battery leads to starter and ground, tighten up as well (careful not to short out)

If starter does not turn, that's the next stage, but from your matching symptoms, looks like battery.