Struggles To Start

[Galois]

Just a quick question:

My r34 gtt seems to struggle to start sometimes. if the headlights are on and i say stall at the lights, there's a moderate chance the car won't start, and the starter motor just makes that ticking noise. its happened many times that if the ignition is left on, and aircon, head unit, head lights etc are left off that the car just won't start.

even at its best the engine turns over many times before starting. it was particularly embarrassing when we had the wreckers round to take my grandmothers old, rusted '87 camry from the front yard. the thing had sat there for 2 years and was a write off due to rust, but with a new battery the wrecker started it on the second turnover of the starter motor!! immediately starting, i couldn't believe it lol.

anyways, an nrma guy came round last night to replace my brother's battery (the one that exploded in the other thread). he kindly checked my battery and alternator and both were fine.

so why is it that my battery is so keen to go flat? and why does the engine have to turn over so many times before it starts?

thanks guys, i appreciate any input!!

[vidospace]

Thicker oil makes mine harder to start. You might find there is something else draining the battery too, like your alarm etc.

[quarkgun]

When my battery was nearing the end of its life, i found that it would die frequently. I had to jumpstart it if i didn't drive it every couple of days (i'm assuming due to alarm etc).

When i installed a new battery, it would start quicker, and hasn't died since.

[mad082]

if the battery is fine, then your starter motor may be tight and not turning as freely as it should. but i would still be looking at the battery. maybe even try putting the battery our of your brother's car in (if the terminals fit) and just try starting it.

the fact that it won't turn over with the lights on makes me think the battery is on it's last legs and coming into the colder months i think you will find that it might die.

[Galois]

maybe even try putting the battery our of your brother's car in (if the terminals fit) and just try starting it.

ooh, good idea. i'll try that when i get a chance.

the nrma guy said the battery had 3/4's of its life to go. not sure how he knew that but his analysis ended at: battery is fine, alternator is fine and engine is turning over quickly, not slowly hence not a battery problem.

with the lights, they're xenons so do they use much extra power?

thanks

[EJD001]

are u running any type of aftermarket computer system??

[Galois]

nope, all stock

[tridentt150v]

starter motor bushes are stuffed and arcing, this will draw all your current away from the spark plugs etc and make it hard to start. Go see an auto sparky

[Galois]

starter motor bushes are stuffed and arcing, this will draw all your current away from the spark plugs etc and make it hard to start. Go see an auto sparky

thanks mate, will do. how much would a starter motor cost?

so, i guess that would explain the times when the engine turns many times but doesn't actually start, instead just draining the battery to the point where its flat?

[tridentt150v]

new reco $200 to 250 maybe, but I'm guessing. I know ford ones are $290 for a new one

[Galois]

cheers. sorry for all the questions mate, is it hard to put in? im trying to learn how to do as many mechanical things myself as possible lol

[tridentt150v]

No, 2-3 hrs max, disconnect the battery first, try to save your old gasket but a new one is handy. Unbolt the old one and install the new one.

But get it checked out first, I've only given you one reason and it could be wrong. I wouldn't be spending $2-300 on forum advice alone.

[Galois]

yep, checked it out (took a while) and it's just the battery. its getting charged to the full but just losing it really quickly. connected it to the battery at the workshop and it started almost instantly a dozen times... not sure what the nrma guy meant, but it ended up being the easiest fix.

thanks for your help guys