Sorry about this but I'm worried I've bought a lemon! Bought my 53 plate estate and it was slow on turn over but now when I turn the key it just clicks and nothing else. Battery appears to be OK as lights don't dim. Had to get the as out and he said the wire was not tight (person I bought it said he replaced the starter 2 weeks ago) so he tightened it and it started. Went to it this morning and nothing. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Paul

it does sound like the battery may be faulty as all litghs will work fine but wont turn over and clicks did the aa test the battery as i have seen alot of breakdown companys avoid doing that on call out try getting kwik fit to test it as is free or just try another battery ive not had this problem on a ford yet but on other last one was on a 308

To be honest all he did was put a boost pack on but didnt after he tightened the lead. It started off the battery but was very slow to turn over. I ran it home (13 miles) and nothing this morning.

sounds like the battery is dead really he should of done a battery test considering he had to boost it to start

Ill try to jump it off my old Passat and see what happens but the weather is too windy to do it tonight. Just so I can rule things out. Just feel crap as I finished work at 6pm and by the time the AA came out it was 10pm and this morning it was dead so I hopped in to the passat to get me to work!

The wind is terrible today have you had snow there yet

Had some yesterday and a bit of sleet but mainly wind!

I tried to jump start this morning but still just goes click when I turn the key. So I dont think its the battery either the motor or cable to it?

Just feel crap as I finished work at 6pm and by the time the AA came out it was 10pm

Jeez, that's shockingly bad service.

I had Green Flag out to my car at home a few months back, to take it to the garage. They turned up in 1hr 5 minutes, AND are giving me a 50% discount next year because they didn't get there within an hour.

I use the aa usauly they get to me within 40 mins you should get a call from them about the callout give them bad reviews

Aye I just want to use my car :-( I have a few days off so I guess I'll be working to find a solution

...Sorry about this but I'm worried I've bought a lemon! Bought my 53 plate estate and it was slow on turn over but now when I turn the key it just clicks and nothing else. Battery appears to be OK as lights don't dim. Had to get the as out and he said the wire was not tight (person I bought it said he replaced the starter 2 weeks ago) so he tightened it and it started. Went to it this morning and nothing. Any ideas?

When you got 'nothing' the rest of the electrics (lights, dash, etc) were still working, weren't they?

The 'as' are the AA? Which wire wasn't tight (and has it come loose again?)?

Any corrosion or other problems on the high current wire to the starter could be causing this. If the starter isn't drawing any current (bad wire, bad connection, or bad starter) then it wouldn't dim the lights, really, irrespective of battery condition. The starter relay could be gone - maybe, that was really the fault for which the previous changed the starter motor, and the previous got it wrong.

And, given that there has been messing about in the vicinity of the starter motor, check that they've put the wires back correctly (not hanging half off).

If in doubt, and struggling too much, go to a garage! I know they'll be more expensive, but if you spend weeks and weeks struggling with this, you'll regret it.

(BTW, is it an original battery? If so, it'll be pretty close to the end, by now, even if there is a fault somewhere else. And, this was a private sale, without any kind of warranty or additional guarantee, was it?)

Thanks BOF I'll take a look at the weekend (weather permitting). It was a private sale sadly.

When you try to start it, do all the dials sweep across to the right and back again?

It takes an immense amount of battery power to start a diesel, and if you've got the clicking sound plus the dial sweep, then those are the two classic symptoms of a dead battery, certainly as far as Fords are concerned.

Get a multimeter on the battery and check the voltage - you're looking for about 12.4V with the engine off. If you're on the original battery (it will have a First Charge date marked on it somewhere), then you've got to bear in mind that it's more than eleven years old, and that's a pretty good innings for a battery. When/if you replace it, make sure to get a Calcium Silver battery - ordinary lead-acid batteries are cheaper, but no good for your car, and you'll find yourself needing another a few months from now.

Hi Big D, the dials don't move and I have connected jump leads to my Passat but still the same. I'll check it with a multimeter later. The lights don't even go dull.

It could be the imobiliser try see if this fault code list helps any

http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=PATS_Immobiliser_Fault_Codes

Right I've been out and the battery is showing 12.45 volts so that appears to be ok. I have tried to start the car using the other key but now I have noticed that on the dash the car display for the doors and the side light display are the only ones lit. Not even the mileometer is showing anything! I dont know if this maybe because I tried to jump the car this morning? The plot is thickening!

Where did you connect you jump cables

on to the battery connections

Both connections was the battery cover not covering one of the terminals

As should be positive connected to the battery and clip the negative on to metal on the engines

nope. There is only a large plastic cover and I connected positve to positve and negative to negative direct from one battery terminal to the other.

Your worrying me now

The negative terminal should be blocked off on any within last 15 years

When you measure the battery voltage is the key switch to battery position or turned off or someone trying to start while voltage being measured as I would measure while someone try to start it to show true reading while power is being introduced

It does not appear to be blanked off. I tested the voltage with no keys in the ignition just as it was sat in the car

Try checking voltage with someone trying to start it

Also have you looked to see if these pats codes are showing

Link again

http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=PATS_Immobiliser_Fault_Codes

If you have a phone which can record a video of it record and post it