Help!

[DanGSI]

Hi, I'm new to this and was hoping some of you guys could help shed some light on a problem with our fiesta. It's a 2004 1.4 petrol. Basically, I went to start it earlier, all the ignition lights came on, radio etc but when I turned the key nothing happened. The car didnt even try to turn over. The battery should be ok and the relay in the glove box clicks when you turn ignition on. I have no idea where to start looking for the problem.

Any help from you guys would be brilliant.

Thanks, Dan.

[troy45]

Are you getting a loud clicking noise from the relay when you try to turn it over?

If so that's usually a sign of the battery being low - trying to turn the engine over takes a lot more current than the dash lighting and radio so it is possible those will work ok with a low voltage battery but the car not turn over.

[DanGSI]

It's a fairly loud click from the relay, the car had been running fine up until this happened, can batteries die just like that? I did put jump leads on it and a tractor for about 5 minutes but still nothing. Do you think it's worth leaving it to charge all day tomorrow before I look into it any further?

Thanks, Dan.

[troy45]

It wouldn't hurt to put the battery on charge - the loud clicking is quite likely coming from the starter solenoid which clicks in and out when you're trying to start with a low battery. In some cases jump starting doesn't go to plan possibly as the low main battery could be pulling the overall voltage down.

If you can get hold of a multimeter you can test the battery voltage as a check, should be up around 12.5v or so for a healthy battery.

Other possibilities, the starter motor being jammed or the alternator has failed so the battery hasn't been charging while the car is driven. Or could be something electrical staying on when the car is switched off and that's drained the battery.

[DanGSI]

That's a brilliant help, thank you so much, at least I've got a few things I can try now. I'll leave it on charge for the morning and see if that helps before I start worrying too much. Is it much of a job to change the starter? It is in an awkward place to get at.

[BOF]

Do you think it's worth leaving it to charge all day tomorrow before I look into it any further?

Well, it is worth eliminating something, and it is easy enough to do, so you might as well try it.

It's a fairly loud click from the relay, the car had been running fine up until this happened, can batteries die just like that? I did put jump leads on it and a tractor for about 5 minutes but still nothing.

Well, these modern batteries/charging systems can do peculiar things and batteries can die suddenly (sometimes/rarely), but that doesn't seem to be what is happening. If it was the battery going down to a low voltage, you'd be likely to see the lights all dimming as you try to start and things like the electric door locks start clattering, and you haven't reported either of those.

(The loud click that the relay makes is a single click, rather than a chattering/buzzing noise, isn't it?)

What is probably the cause is (one of):

• the relay in the glove-box
• wiring from the relay to the starter solenoid, or power to the solenoid contacts (eg, a fuse blown, or a wire disconnected) if that is separate from the power to the relay coil
• the starter solenoid itself (jammed)
• earth from the starter solenoid

[DanGSI]

Yes it's a single click from the relay, I checked all of the fuses it could possibly be in the glove box and they all seem ok. Is there any fuses in the engine bay too? The windows go up and down ok and the dash lights don't seem to dim which makes me wonder if it's the battery.

Thanks, Dan.

[BOF]

Yes it's a single click from the relay,

That's good (in that it eliminates something - that could have been the starter pulling the voltage down, the relay dropping out, the voltage going back up and then the relay pulling in again...).

Is there any fuses in the engine bay too?

Not familiar with the Fiesta, but, for the Fords with which I am familiar there is another fuse box in the engine bay. It is detailed in the Owner's Manual.

The windows go up and down ok and the dash lights don't seem to dim which makes me wonder if it's the battery.

If the lights (headlights, interior lights and to a lesser extent the dash lights) aren't going up and down and the other electrical stuff is still working, it isn't the battery.

What is probably the cause is (one of):

• the relay in the glove-box
• wiring from the relay to the starter solenoid, or power to the solenoid contacts (eg, a fuse blown, or a wire disconnected) if that is separate from the power to the relay coil
• the starter solenoid itself (jammed)
• earth from the starter solenoid

Don't know why I forgot to include the starter itself. It could be that. And the earths include the earth from the engine block as, effectively, this is also used for the starter and the starter solenoid.

[DanGSI]

The car has been on charge all morning and it's still the same.

If it was a faulty starter or fuse somewhere would it show up on diagnostics?

Thank you ever so much for all your help, I've always been a vauxhall man so not very familiar with fords.

[BOF]

The car has been on charge all morning and it's still the same.

If it was a faulty starter or fuse somewhere would it show up on diagnostics?

Thank you ever so much for all your help, I've always been a vauxhall man so not very familiar with fords.

In order:

• No surprise
• A faulty starter wouldn't show up in diagnostics, but a fuse might, depending on what else is on that fuse circuit

(err, faulty starter depends on which starter fault: the three common ones are:

1. starter stuck
2. starter open circuit
3. starter short circuit

A stuck starter would draw lots of current, so maybe we can eliminate that if the battery voltage isn't going down. An open circuit wouldn't draw much current, but would be detectable with an Ohmmeter. A short circuit would draw lots of current, etc.)

Wiring is probably more likely, though, but you have to find the problem...

Edited November 27, 2014 by BOF

[GingerFlame]

The fiesta has a separate fuse box at the back of the battery holder, just follow the largest red wire coming off the battery If you're struggling to find it