Car Will Not Start Clicking Noise Under The Bonnet.

[michaelthimas86]

I have a 1999 ford focus cl petrol, the car will not start, not even using
jump leads with the power from another car. I can hear a clicking noise coming
from under the bonnet, and i can also hear a noise coming from the glove box
near the fuses. The clicking under the bonnet seems to be coming from where the
rubber belts are. I can see the cogs turning a little, for example, if the cog
was a clock, it is moving 1 hour distance per click. I fitted a stereo, 2 days
ago, other than fitting the stereo; i have not done anything to it.

Edit.

I forgot to add this, maybe this will help. The speedo, does something
really strange, the needles on the revs and mph go to maximum stay there for a split
second then drop back down to zero.

Another edit.

This actually happened last night about 10pm, my friend come and give me a
jump and it worked, last night there was no clicking noises, just dimmed
lights. Today when i tried to start it all of the above happened. So it did successfully
jump start last night.

What ive done.

Ive checked the battery with a multireader, its reading just 12.1v

Ive checked the fuel pump cut off switch, its pushed down

Ive removed the new stereo i fitted and put the old one back in

Ive took the connectors off the battery cleaned them and put them back on

Ive visually checked the fuses behind the glove box, and the one under the
bonnet, I can only check the ones that i can see, those big box type fuses, i
do not know how to check them.

Im not sure what else i can do. I’ve checked all the usual things. Any
ideas?

[GingerFlame]

12.1 volts is a little low for the battery

Should be between 12.4 & 12.7volts ideally :). What I reckon could have happened, is when you've wired he stereo the Accessory 12v & constant 12v have been reversed and drained the battery (even though the stereo says it should be correct).

As for the big box fuses it sounds like you mean relays? Do they click?

Have you tried charging the battery overnight off the car?

Also, have you checked that there is enough deionised water (or possibly acid) in the battery?

When the car starts, try testing the voltage with a multimeter. Should be around 13.5 - 14.5volts on idle if your alternator is functioning properly

Sorry if it's the radio draining it.. As I told you how to wire it; but I went from the diagram written on the radio & the colours on my car loom & half of a diagram I found online.

When you reconnect the radio, try switching the yellow and red wires (so red goes to yellow & yellow to red)

The clicking noises could quite possibly be the starter trying to turn but there's not enough current for it. My car did the same when I left it garaged for a month with a 2 farad capacitor wired in

http://m.wikihow.com/Find-a-Parasitic-Battery-Drain

[michaelthimas86]

Well this morning when it didn’t start, my friend wasn’t around, so i went
to the bargain store and got a battery charger, jump leads and a multi reader
all for £23 so it wasn’t a huge cost.

So I tried jumping it, that didn’t work. Then I removed the battery, wired
it up to the charger, and as soon as I plugged it in, the green light come on
saying it was full, so i unplugged it a few times, eventually the green light
went, off so I left it on charge for 6 hours.

Then I put the battery back in the car, and still didn’t work.

I’m thinking of taking the battery out of my dad’s car in the morning and
trying that.

[michaelthimas86]

Its too dark to do that test now, but that drain test looks good i will try that first thing in the morning in the light, and hopefully it is just the battery, i just hope its something not serious and expensive.

[michaelthimas86]

Yes those relay things behind the glove box seem to be making a machine gun noise, and the clicking under the bonnet is much
louder, but the loud noise is definitely not coming from the fuse box under the bonnet, the loud noise is coming somewhere from behind the engine.

[GingerFlame]

Loud clicking from behind the engine sounds like it could well be the starter, possibly just the battery being flat, If it's a cheaper battery charger then it may not have the "umph" to revive the battery from flat

[michaelthimas86]

My dads battery is in good working order i will switch them around in the morning and try that, if it starts, i will then put the new stereo back in, and check for that drain test. If all fails, it looks like its garage job., Its horrible not having a car, i had to ride a peddlle bike to my GF tonight, im not sure where you are but here in the UK its cold and slippy out there, I am praying i get it fixed in the morning.

[GingerFlame]

My dads battery is in good working order i will switch them around in the morning and try that, if it starts, i will then put the new stereo back in, and check for that drain test. If all fails, it looks like its garage job., Its horrible not having a car, i had to ride a peddlle bike to my GF tonight, im not sure where you are but here in the UK its cold and slippy out there, I am praying i get it fixed in the morning.

Hope it's just the battery mate! It really does sound like it. It could even be possible that the jump leads you bought aren't high enough gauge to carry enough current to successfully jump it without a lot of charge already in the battery & Yeah I'm in east Yorkshire.. Near the sea! So I've got the lovely rough seas along with the snow! Haha, I work about 40 feet away from the beach too :(.

That's dedication though.. Riding a push bike at night in this weather!

If it doesn't start with your dad's battery, try posting a video of what you see/hear? Upload to YouTube "unlisted" then share the links

[michaelthimas86]

I will do, I will do the video in the morning, but hopefully it doesnt come to that. Oh yes, i see your area near your stats on the left. Well fingers crossed all going well i will back out driving in the morning.

[GingerFlame]

I will do, I will do the video in the morning, but hopefully it doesnt come to that. Oh yes, i see your area near your stats on the left. Well fingers crossed all going well i will back out driving in the morning.

Okay mate!

Out of interest, have you tried bumping it?

[michaelthimas86]

Its working....... YESSSSS...... I put my dad’s battery in and it started
first time..... I’m just charging my battery now, then im going to try and find
the drain. Even if i have to live with the old stereo it’s much better than
riding a bike.

No i didn’t try bumping it, i completely forgot about that, so the plan is
to leave my old battery on charge until the green light comes on.

I do not want to post links here in case I get banned but the battery
charger is called “streetwize 12v 4amp charger”

If I find the drain, I’m going to try and fully charge my old battery.

I also have a 12v solar trickle charger, so when the green light comes on
saying its full, I’m going to use the solar panel charger for a day or 2 to try
and get it completely full.

If all fails, Halfords new battery, still much better than going to the garage,
every time I go to the garage it’s a week’s wage at least.

[AdeMk1]

Did you measure the battery voltage while the engine was running to check if it was charging?

Also the battery could still have faulty cells even if its showing fully charged, meaning it wont hold charge, so really your battery needs checking too with a load tester.

Just charging the battery and refitting it wont solve your problem if the alternator is goosed :)

Should be around 13.5v - 14.5v if the alternator is charging ok.

[michaelthimas86]

ADEMK1 - Yea when i put my dad’s battery in this morning, i measured
while it was running to test the alternator; it was fluctuating but consistently
over 14v, I can’t do a load tester with my multi reader it’s just a cheap one
from the bargain store.

If the battery does not start the car in the morning, I’m
off to Halfords to buy a new one, they have one for £42 which isn’t too bad, I’m
happy to pay that to get back on the road, I just want to find this possible
drain first before buying a new one and ruining that too.

[GingerFlame]

ADEMK1 - Yea when i put my dad’s battery in this morning, i measured

while it was running to test the alternator; it was fluctuating but consistently

over 14v, I can’t do a load tester with my multi reader it’s just a cheap one

from the bargain store.

If the battery does not start the car in the morning, I’m

off to Halfords to buy a new one, they have one for £42 which isn’t too bad, I’m

happy to pay that to get back on the road, I just want to find this possible

drain first before buying a new one and ruining that too.

The drain will more than likely be the new radio mate. A lot of radios come with connectors so you can swap the yellow and red wires around incase the wiring's slightly different which I think yours could be