As one door opens...

[popegregory]

So we started playing this morning and got the brake light switch sorted (Thorburn, thank you VERY much for those photos, found it easy!). Got car running happily, then turned engine off. Went to turn it back on again and nothing. Plugged it in to Mum's Astra, even after ten minutes on the jump leads, nothing. All the lights were on when I turned the key, the headlights come on, so don't think its the battery. It wasn't being jump started either despite a massive run up.

Any ideas?!?

[Scuffers]

when you turn the ignition on, can you hear the fuel pump prime?

[Thorburn]

So what happens when you turn the key? Engine doesn't turn over at all?

If you hear a sort of clicking/flickering sound then it normally means the battery doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter motor.

[popegregory]

Yes, we had the clicking, suggesting the flat battery. But battery was charged and it still wouldn't jump start off the Astra (despite doing so the first time we tried)...

[Scuffers]

earth issues then

try the jump leads so that the neg is onto the engine itself.

[weed]

If the battery has a load test performed on it, I think that it will be found to be defective.
It shows a decent surface charge, but collapses under load due to a bad cell or two.
If the voltage drops to 10v or less when the starter is activated, then the battery is toast.

m