Help! On holiday in Grenoble, car won't start

[samoht]

So the plan was to cross the channel, drive down to Grenoble, tackle the Route Napoleon to Nice, then continue into Italy as far as Florence, seeing a few other places in Northern Italy, then come back, making a two week trip.

When we came to get off the chunnel in Calais, the car wouldn't start. The lights come on on the dashboard as usual, but when you twist the key to engage the starter, the lights go out and the starter motor doesn't budge at all - the engine isn't turning over. Some kind guys gave us a push-start that got us off the train, and we continued down to Grenoble.

At first I thought it was the cable to the positive terminal of the battery. A few months ago I had the same symptoms. The cable had been extended for an FMIC install, and the joint was loose. It was conducting enough electricity for everything else, but when trying to turn the starter, the dodgy connection didn't allow enough current, and the starter did nothing.
However, after I had that problem, I had a guy re-wire that bit. I've checked the new connection there, and all seems fine.

I took it to a Nissan garage here in Grenoble, unfortunately they were just closing for the day (half day Saturday) so didn't investigate. But the guy said he thought it would be the starter motor, which they don't have in stock anyway.

The third possibility is the battery, although it is only 1.5 years old so perhaps less likely. Also, it isn't even trying to turn the engine over.

Its now Saturday lunchtime, and everything looks to be closed until Tuesday morning anyway (bank holiday Monday).

So if anyone has any idea for finding a garage that would have a starter motor for a 1994 180SX (SR20DET) in south-west France or northern Italy, then please let me know! Or any other suggestions for anything I can try, although I have limited tools here.

[ian_83]

Can you hear the relay when you turn the key?

[ANDY black s13]

Gutted for you mate stuck were you are,Could be a bad earth instead of a live fault, you can use a jump lead as a extra earth lead,Or If you can get hold of a metal bar and hammer you can smack the body of the starter motor in case its stuck/jammed inside and try again,And if your not getting any click from the starter could be the solenoid(smaller spade terminal) is loose/fell off maybe,worth checking if relays are clicking/working as well,All can think of atm wish you good luck with it

[spm_steve]

Have you tried giving the starter a real sharp whack just incase its jammed?

[Si]

If all lights go out to when you pop it onto the starter it sounds electrical to me. Dodgy earth or knackered battery would be the usual suspect.

[xR33]

How many people have you got with you? If it's the starter, you'll be able to bump start it, then park on top of hills for the rest of your holiday .

[TheBigShow]

I would say battery's knackered. It's just not holding enough charge.

[59bhp]

Another vote for battery, age doesnt matter, its how its treated that dictates the life. Starter would be lower down the list but not impossible. Check all connections, if you have jumper cables try getting a jump start of another car, if it works then you know its the battery. If not then look at other options.

[skyshack]

It's probably the battery, get a jump start. If it starts with a jump it's the battery.

Check starter. Locate the small 1/4" spade terminal on the solenoid. Get a length of wire, about 3ft. Stick one end in battery clamp. Now it's live and un-fused so be careful. Shove it up the back of the solenoid terminal. If motor starts starter and battery are ok and fault is between ign switch and solenoid. Use this hot wire start for rest of holiday, fix it when you are home.

[sideways14a]

What kind of battery is it? if its one of those awful small ones that folk fit for fmic installs then that would be my guess.

[Matty_smb]

Hopefully just your battery mate. Hope you get sorted and enjoy the rest of your trip and theres some good road trip pictures too!

[samoht]

Ok, tried a jump start and that didn't work, so it isn't the battery. The relay clicks when you turn the key, but the starter doesn't turn at all.

Have left the car with the Nissan garage here in Grenoble and am hiring a car to continue the holiday (boring econobox, but better than nothing). They think its the starter and will try to order it from Nissan to get it fixed by the time we get back to Grenoble in 2 weeks time.

Incidentally, we went to the local Halfords-equivalent (Feu Vert), but they don't have any batteries at all with the small terminals the SX uses, only the larger size ones. Anyway that wasn't the problem, just a word of warning to anyone touring France if you develop a dead battery.

Thanks for all the suggestions. As far as bump-starting goes, it's just me and my wife here, and she's getting quite fed up of pushing the car! Sadly despite being in the Alps, there aren't many city centre car parks on steep hills, most cities tend to be pretty flat.

Anyway, on with the holiday and hope the garage guys can fix the 180 before we return!

[ian_83]

Thanks for all the suggestions. As far as bump-starting goes, it's just me and my wife here, and she's getting quite fed up of pushing the car! Sadly despite being in the Alps, there aren't many city centre car parks on steep hills, most cities tend to be pretty flat. !

rofl - legend!

[Quail]

I've been through two starters, and the symptoms sound similar. The fuel pump primes, the relay clicks when you try to fire it up, but theres no action up front.

If a push start got you going, I'd say that reinforces the starter theory.

[SX Sam]

Check the 100 AMP fuse under the bonnet.

Mine went, and it wouldn't start.

If it is gone, you could pop the lid off it, and just bend the metal so it's touching for a quick fix

[fullmetalgasket]

If it's driven from Calais to Grenoble then it's deffo not the battery as that would have either fully charged again en-route or you would have conked out 40 mins (probably much less) into the trip due to dead alternator.
My money would point towards the fuse mentioned above, earth straps that are loose/dirty, or the starter motor that Nissan are replacing for you. At least if it's not the motor the other options should be cheap and easy to rememdy

[nitrodave]

have you tried jump starting it? if it fires up off another car it's your battery, if not i'd say starter solenoid. try whacking the starter also... i saw a motorbike in the petrol station struggling to start, told the guy to take his shoe off and whack the starter, at first he thought i was a bit mental, but when it fired he thought i was an angel from heaven!

[skyshack]

have you tried jump starting it? if it fires up off another car it's your battery, if not i'd say starter solenoid. try whacking the starter also... i saw a motorbike in the petrol station struggling to start, told the guy to take his shoe off and whack the starter, at first he thought i was a bit mental, but when it fired he thought i was an angel from heaven!

XV750 yam was notorious as starter hung out the front.

It still needed a hot wire to check if fault was in switch / alarm and not the starter. It's expensive to replace a starter and then find it still won't start.

[samoht]

Ok just to follow up. It was the newly re-done wire that wasn't a good connection.

I was just going to collect the hire car when the garage rang and said they'd fixed it

Skyshack was therefore correct, if I had had jump leads and known where the starter terminal was, I would have been able to try that. fortunately the Nissan guys did so before ordering a new starter from Japan.
Anyway it is now properly rewired, so should be the last time with this problem, fingers crossed.

Thanks all, we are now in Nice and looking good for the rest of the holiday.

[Cloudy]

Good news, enjoy the road trip.