Member Since: 16 Aug 2005
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4502
Struggling to Start - Any ideas?
Hi all
I've read through a few pages of different threads on this issue but struggling to identify what exactly could be wrong with mine. A month or so ago, after 'tinkering' with the car in the driveway, I accidentally activated the FBH heater (didn't know it was programmed to the remote) and flattened the battery. We got to the bottom of that problem (I think) in this thread.
I put that down to a low battery charge combined with a few start/restarts and a FBH run, recharged the battery and moved on.
Last Sunday evening, I went out and when I started the car it took a long time to fire up (was turning over for a few seconds and sounded like it wasn't going to start). After that, it was running absolutely fine..
This morning before work, I went out to the car and once again it was so reluctant to start that I didn't think it was going to. Eventually it did, and it ran fine after that. When I got to work, I started it again and it burst into life without problem. All seemed ok.
When switched off, the battery voltage reads: 12.34v
When the engine was still running after driving the work, the voltage was reading: 14.34v
There was no glow plug flashing lights or anything, so not sure it's that. But surely it's not the battery if it works again after a reluctant first start?
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
I would put money on you having 2-3 glowplugs out of action, you will get no warning of this. Even if they were all dead the glowplug light would still come on.
If you have FBH controller then you should have no issues.IID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
18th Nov 2016 4:31 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
The battery voltage at switch off seems low to me. 12.6/7 is fully charged and that should be slightly higher at switch off especially if it s been charging at 14 plus volts.
Have to say Mine is pretty much 14.8 to 15 volts all the time.
18th Nov 2016 4:42 pm
CY
Member Since: 16 Aug 2005
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4502
I was thinking the same about the battery. It's had two long, full charges in recent weeks and I'd have thought it would be higher than that. When I take the car off charge, it will show something like 12.3v. If I check it every ten minutes or so, it gradually increases until about 30 minutes after charge at which point it says 12.7v but the next day it'll be back down.
I've got a little Toyota Auris and it never drops below 12.7v ever
The battery is only two years old. Could it be goosed?2007 Porsche Boxster (987) 2.7
2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE G4 Challenge (1 of 68)
2023 Defender 90 D250 X-Dynamic HSE
18th Nov 2016 4:43 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
It's the glow plugs and that will be the most likely reason it's got a FBH controller in the first place.
It's supposed to be cold tomorrow morning, fire up the FBH and try starting once the engine is warm, I'll bet money it will be fine.IID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
18th Nov 2016 5:00 pm
CY
Member Since: 16 Aug 2005
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4502
I will try that in the morning. How long does the FBH take to warm up the engine (ie. how far in advance do I need to flash the lights before heading out)?
Forgive the butt in , but I was discussing having my remote reprograming to use the FBH from remote with Bodsy when he paid a visit
the one point he stressed was your battery has to be in top condition to use the feature
worth a thought mate
18th Nov 2016 5:06 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
I think the default is 30mins or 75degrees but it should turn off after that. I don't have one but I remember reading those numbers.
I would bet 75%+ people who have those controllers do so because they have a glow plug problem. I don't understand why the previous owner didn't mention it because its a good selling point unless they were trying to hide the fact the glow plugs needed replacing.IID PRO
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Nanocom One
18th Nov 2016 5:10 pm
CY
Member Since: 16 Aug 2005
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4502
daftlad wrote:
the one point he stressed was your battery has to be in top condition to use the feature
worth a thought mate
That's really good to know. I do think that's what contributed to the original drain issue.
I've avoided using it since then though until I'm confident I've got a decent battery.2007 Porsche Boxster (987) 2.7
2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE G4 Challenge (1 of 68)
2023 Defender 90 D250 X-Dynamic HSE
18th Nov 2016 5:16 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
daftlad wrote:
Forgive the butt in , but I was discussing having my remote reprograming to use the FBH from remote with Bodsy when he paid a visit
the one point he stressed was your battery has to be in top condition to use the feature
worth a thought mate
That is true but when the glow plugs are down you can get into a cycle where you never put enough back to cover the extended cranking. Then on a morning like that the first thing we all do is put the heated screen on,heated seat, blowers flat out.Then you do 20mins to work it's a downward spiral.Battery gets tired,alternator works harder etc.
I suspect that if you started with a charged battery then running the FBH would probably take less out than extended cranking and you probably wouldn't need heated screen etcIID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
18th Nov 2016 5:17 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72807
Don't rule out injectors. Mine was a pig to start:
Six nearly new injectors c/o DM
Even when cold, glow plug light goes out and she cranks boooooooootifully.
18th Nov 2016 5:47 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
20mins minutes takes the edge off, 30mins makes it lovely.
New battery not dear, search tayna 017te.
Last edited by lynalldiscovery on 18th Nov 2016 5:48 pm. Edited 1 time in total
My D3 is only a weekender really and does not get enough to put back in what I take out even with a midweek run to work 36 ml round trip
it used to kill my old D2 so ive bit the bullet and started to plug into the Ctek when idle
just to prolong my battery life
18th Nov 2016 5:48 pm
ruben D3 Decade
Member Since: 26 Sep 2006
Location: ASTURIAS
Posts: 2395
DSL wrote:
Don't rule out injectors. Mine was a pig to start:
Six nearly new injectors c/o DM
Even when cold, glow plug light goes out and she cranks boooooooootifully.
+1 the same here, although only 2 injectors were needed, after 20,000 tests and after 10,000 hypotheses interpreting the registers of the car´s memories via IDS about the injection balance.....after all.... only the problem was solved when an injection specialist took the 6 injectors off and checked them on a test bench, seeing that the replacement of 2 of them was necessary. End of my problems from there....returned the perfect and instant startups of times before, he also told me that not to waste time and money changing glowplugs.. all goes perfect now lost in translation!
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only the problem was solved when an injection specialist took the 6 injectors off and checked them on a test bench, seeing that the replacement of 2 of them was necessary. End of my problems from there....returned the perfect and instant startups of times before, he also told me that not to waste time and money changing glowplugs.. all goes perfect now 
