Hey guys, I hope everyone is well. I have been reading a few posts here and there but haven't posted in a while...

I do however need to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge on here. The star that AJ is gave me some advice earlier, but I wanted to pick everyones brains before my little car goes to the garage.

Basically, its a P reg corsa sport (bleurgh) and I am waiting till I finish uni till I get a new car (if you lived in Selly Oak in Birmingham, you would know why.. I can play dot to dot on the bumps from idiot drivers on my road). Anyway, in 25 days I had to drive 3000 miles in my car, and I think I might need a lot done to it as a result.

On Thursday I went to go out in my car, and it wouldnt open with the remote locking. Bugger. It is not uncommon for me to leave my lights on. So I unlocked it with the key, and tried to start it just in case, and it wouldnt start, although the lights worked,and the stereo worked etc.. but I had not left either on, nor was a door or anything left open to explain the battery being flat. I had to go to a lecture so I left it and the next day borrowed my housemates car to jump start (not a big fan of no power stearing in his car!!) and thought I had better just check the car, and what do you know it starts without jump starting. However, the remote locking doesnt work, but I drove it round for a few days (I did a 150mile trip one day so the battery definitely had a good charge), and it was all fine.

Then this morning I thought maybe try and buy a new battery for my remote locking device. Changed it, opened the car fine, it started fine, locked fine, went to buy a drink at a garage, opened with the remote fine, went to start the engine... nothing... all the lights stereo etc worked fine, the wiper blades made a pathetic attempt at cleaning the windscreen but nothing.

Text AJ and he said its probably the starter motor.. so I took advantage of the men at the garage and got a push start (tried 2nd gear, tried 3rd gear) nice long run up... nothing. It didnt even try!

So now my car is sitting at a shell, and I gave up and walked to the library as I have my dissertation to do, and its a Sunday so the garages are shut anyway....

Any ideas? My local garage is down in Kent so I guess I need to call my recovery people out tomorrow to tow me to the nearest garage and cross my fingers in the hope that its not too expensive and they are a good garage...

THank you very much if you ahve got to this bit then you will know that I am good at writing essays and I appologise for the length of this one!!

Love Katie xx

 

no ideas??

 

ermm possibly is a starter motor but it should have bump started ... could possibly be the battery is giving up ...

 

The fact the car didnt even bump start would suggest no power in the battery at all.
I may suggest getting all your battery connections checked to make sure they are all secure and tight.

 

imobilizer foooked

 

would that cause the problem I have?

As when I try to turn the ignition on, the immobiliser comes on but the car is just dead.. it makes the sound of it trying.. but then nothing... but you can still lock and unlock the car with the button fine, and all the lights and stereo etc work.. thats why im a bit confused...

thank you xx

 

does the car try and turn over when you try to start it?

if it does then sounds like you need a new battery

 

it doesnt really try... not like when the battery is flat and it whirrs, this just makes a funny noise.. but how can it go flat just suddenly, its driven regularly, and had been on a long journey and it started fine literally 5 minutes before it stopped working... and every time i try and start it the immobiliser comes on, and then i have to turn it off with the button, but then it will come back on as soon as I try.

It just seems odd that I can still open and lock the car with the alarm, when usually if the battery is dead it wont do that, and also i can work the stereo lights etc...

Thank you

katie x

 

Heya Katie..hope you are well . Hope the mystery of the broken car is solved soon too!

 

hey honey.. im good thank u... snowed under with uni work. I am a huge library geek now! Hehe. Doing my dissertation.. and in a few weeks I will officially be a physiotherapist... oh goody.. shame there are no jobs! hehe.. hope ur ok? and also hope my car gets better!! xx

 

i still think it could be battery

s the lights and stereo dont take a lot of power to turn on, so there may be enough in the battery to do this but not enough to start the car

 

hmm... its just going by past flat batteries, it at least makes an effort to start... and the lights and remote locking are the things that dont work first but there is still a bit of life in the battery but not enough to start...

.... im wondering if its anything to do with the immobiliser.. as doesnt that have something to do with the feed of fuel into the engine.... or something.... i just dont see how the battery can suddenly go from starting no problems to being completely flat and not starting, but having enough power to unlock teh car and turn lights on etc...

very confused, ill call the breakdown people out tomorrow anyway, idont think shell would be too happy at me leaving it there for 3 days hehe

thanks for the advice!! x

 

the immobilser will usually cut 1,2 0r 3 circuits

either igntion, fuel pump, starter, or all 3 or a mixture

if the starter is trying to start then it will be definitly battery as there isnt enough juice to get it going

batteries can go anytime, they can be fine one minute then completely dead the next

as you were doing long journeys the alternator was charging the battery up enough to last the day at stop start intervals, but left stood it went flat again

im 90% sure its battery and would be surprised if its the immobilser

 

thanks very much... to be honest.. i just hope its not expensive!! i wanted to sell it but thought id wait till i finish uni in june... since then ive managed to gain a big dent by the wheel arch, a cracked windscreen, broken parcel shelf and little shelf in passenger side and now this... grrr!! hehe... i dont think i will have many takers for it now!

thanks again x

 

Great to hear sweetie...I'm sure you'll find a job soon enough
All ok here too...I'd love to say I'm a library geek but..urrr...nope