Starting issues - Which portable rechargeable starter?
Discussion
I am having starting issues with a seldomly used car.
It may be the battery, starter, solenoid, ignition switch? It seems for a while the ignition key has needed to be turned twice for it to start, if it doesn't start on the first turn it doesn't crank. I've changed to the spare key fob and it's still doing it with that key fob. At the weekend after charging the battery my multimeter showed 11.45V on the meter when it was cranking.
I used the car to go to work one day last week and it wouldn't start when it came to leaving. I popped back into work and borrowed a multimeter. I think the battery read 12.33V. While I had the multimeter I tried the car again and it started.
The car did it in late in late April when I drove to the end of the road, realised that I'd forgotten very thing I'd left the house for so turned around and left the car mostly in a kerbside parking space but with the NSR wheel sticking out into the road, rushed back to the house to get what I'd forgotten and the car then wouldn't start. A bit later when I tried the car started.
The car had a new battery just before I got it 3-4 years ago. The battery is a large one and it's mounted in the centre of the car underneath the windscreen so it's a bit of a weight and stretch for me to get to it. The car has not been used much but has has many short runs, but in early August it had a good 50 mile round trip with a different route home. I am relieved it started for the return journey.
I am aware Halfords do free battery health checks.
I am considering buying one of those small rechargeable starters just as a back up.
It may be the battery, starter, solenoid, ignition switch? It seems for a while the ignition key has needed to be turned twice for it to start, if it doesn't start on the first turn it doesn't crank. I've changed to the spare key fob and it's still doing it with that key fob. At the weekend after charging the battery my multimeter showed 11.45V on the meter when it was cranking.
I used the car to go to work one day last week and it wouldn't start when it came to leaving. I popped back into work and borrowed a multimeter. I think the battery read 12.33V. While I had the multimeter I tried the car again and it started.
The car did it in late in late April when I drove to the end of the road, realised that I'd forgotten very thing I'd left the house for so turned around and left the car mostly in a kerbside parking space but with the NSR wheel sticking out into the road, rushed back to the house to get what I'd forgotten and the car then wouldn't start. A bit later when I tried the car started.
The car had a new battery just before I got it 3-4 years ago. The battery is a large one and it's mounted in the centre of the car underneath the windscreen so it's a bit of a weight and stretch for me to get to it. The car has not been used much but has has many short runs, but in early August it had a good 50 mile round trip with a different route home. I am relieved it started for the return journey.
I am aware Halfords do free battery health checks.
I am considering buying one of those small rechargeable starters just as a back up.
I have had Noco and Gooloo over the years. The Noco ones (2000amp and 4000amp), I could not even start my lawnmower with the 4000amp unit after a year and a couple of uses. When I contacted Noco, they told me it was out of warranty so I'm SOL but they would give me a 10% off coupon if I bought another one from their website.
The gooloo ones have been very good. I have two 4000amp chargers and I had a 2000 amp charger that eventually failed (battery swell) after 10 years. They're cheaper than the Noco's and they can be opened up and fixed if they fail. They also have a three year warranty IIRC.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336714587233?
The gooloo ones have been very good. I have two 4000amp chargers and I had a 2000 amp charger that eventually failed (battery swell) after 10 years. They're cheaper than the Noco's and they can be opened up and fixed if they fail. They also have a three year warranty IIRC.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336714587233?
GreenV8S said:
Can you explain exactly what happened when you tried to start it? A booster will definitely help if the problem is slow cranking, might help if it's cranking reasonably fast but reluctant to fire, probably won't help at all if it won't crank.
It doesn't start and doesn't crank. But weirdly seems to start on a second turn. I am not sure if I hear the solenoid click. I drove it yesterday evening and this morning. When I turned the car off this morning the battery was measuring 12.9V. Measuring the battery again a three hours later it's back at 12.33V. In four months time I'll have had the car five years and I know the previous owner replaced the battery. It was a 5 year guarantee Yuasa from Halfords. The receipt doesn't seem to be in the service history.carinaman said:
It doesn't start and doesn't crank. But weirdly seems to start on a second turn. I am not sure if I hear the solenoid click. I drove it yesterday evening and this morning. When I turned the car off this morning the battery was measuring 12.9V. Measuring the battery again a three hours later it's back at 12.33V. In four months time I'll have had the car five years and I know the previous owner replaced the battery. It was a 5 year guarantee Yuasa from Halfords. The receipt doesn't seem to be in the service history.
That matches the symptoms of a sticking starter motor solenoid and/or weak wiring to it. Addressing either of these might improve the situation. Ideally you'd address both of them. A weak battery could be exacerbating the problem but is probably not the root cause. 12.33V is a little on the low side for a charged battery but would normally be enough to start it without any trouble, so unless the voltage dips substantially when you turn the key in the 'non cranking' scenario I don't think a new battery or jump starter is going to fix the problem.
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