Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby dieselweasel on Thu Oct 26, 2017 12:11 am

Hi all, had a strange thing happen today, moved the triton so wife could get her car past mine into the garage, went back to the vehicle a few minutes later and got in, turned the key. I don't always look at the dash, i have it timed in my head to turn... Wait.... Then turn to the next click. The triton didnt start but made a really brief turning sound. It didn't sound nice. I didnt get the clickclickclick flat battery sound that we all know. I had the door open light on, on the dash, i could see that my radio had been reset obviously due to no power, i turned again and a few times with several seconds in between.

Nothing. Opened the bonnet and gave the terminals a twist to see if they were tight, I'd checked them 6 weeks ago and topped my battery up too. But it was at that point my wife said that the door light on the inner panel came on so i jumped back in, cranked it and still nothing.

Tried it an hour later and it was as if nothing ever happened.

I'm a simple man, capable of some real dumb questions but before I dive into this head first and get it sorted. I just want to know if this sounds familiar to anyone? I'll clean the terminals tomorrow but my battery is old. Older than id like to admit. I'm definitely due a new one but its never let me down before, does this sound like it may be time? I literally had it running 6 or 7 minutes before all this happened.

No check engine light came on.

Cheers

Neil
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby NowForThe5th on Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:15 am

Battery is old, just like me and you, It appreciates a little rest in between exertions.

Happens all the time in the shop. Even the charge pack battery is doing it at the moment.

Time for a new one.
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby dieselweasel on Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:29 am

Time for a trip to century yuasa methinks, thanks for your help dude. Wonder why it didn't do the click click sound?
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby NowForThe5th on Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:06 am

The voltage would have been below that needed to engage the solenoid - thus no click.

You were lucky that it recovered enough to start.
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby dieselweasel on Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:09 pm

I realise now that the battery had been surviving through being driven barely long enough to recharge for the next start. By just moving it in the driveway, a total of less than two minutes of active engine time was achieved so the battery had used all its energy and the alternator had no time to do its thing. I felt a bit dumb asking this question but apart from in the trucks at work, ive never actually had a flat battery myself. I'm usually good with scheduled replacements but I've just been lazy with this battery because its (until now) showed no obvious signs of death.

I'm more concerned about the fact that i have to set up my custom equaliser on the head unit again
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby RHKTriton on Thu Oct 26, 2017 5:18 pm

That's the biggest pain - you'd reckon by now that radios, etc, would have non volatile memory for their settings!

Batteries are just many of the things that Murphy has input with. :lol:


I've had the experience, a couple of times, where I've had the battery disconnected for a while and when trying to start it for the first time it clatters and carrys on like its forgotten what to do. Once its run alls normal again.
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby dieselweasel on Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:08 pm

All sorted now, still finding it funny that I've been driving for 20 years, performed light to reasonable surgeries on various cars and i had to find out on a forum that i had a flat batt. I did warn you i was capable of some blonde questions...
My head unit lost settings but my uhf remembered all my avoided channels on scan and my go to channel.
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby ag9111 on Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:31 pm

I reakon it was bad contact on one of the battery terminals.
Mine was doing the exact same thing. Twist the battery clamp slightly, all good.
Hence why no click click and door light come on after terminal twist
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Re: Wouldnt start then fired up as normal

Postby dieselweasel on Fri Oct 27, 2017 4:25 pm

I wasnt quite sure if it was a flat battery or what you said that happened to you. My battery was at least 5 years old and after hearing the new one crank up a few times i now know the old one was fudged. Its like when you think your old beaten up shoes are the most wonderful fit ever then you buy a new pair and realise how much youve been walking in discomfort for the last 6 months
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