Gu wont turn over

[Jayden]

I have a 2000 gu 4.2 that wouodnt start this mornng. Last night i was playing increasing the boost to 15 psi from 12 and was pushin it a bit to test her out. Hopped in this morning and waited for the glow plugs to warm, turned the key and only got a ticking noise everytime i turned the key. Tightened all the terminals on both batteries and still got nothing. Would it be the starter motor going or just batteries or something else?
Cheers

[4bye4]

G'day and welcome to the forum mate. Not really enough detail to really get an idea of what the problem might be, but changing the boost shouldn't make it not start. Your description sounds like a simple flat battery, which could be just a loose terminal (+ve or earth) or just bad luck and the battery has gone flat. I guess you didn't have any fault lights (charge) when you were running it last night? If you tightened the terminals on the batteries, did you check the "other end" of the earth wires where they bolt to the motor/chassis. Assuming you have a VSR or some sort of seperation between the batteries, the issue would be confined to your cranking battery. Have you tried jumper leads from the aux battery to the cranker? What voltage do you see across the battery static and then when the ignition is on?

[Jayden]

Thanks mate. And nah ive only tightened the terminals on the battery as its happened to me before and that was all that was needed to fix it until now it seems to not work for me. Im a little unsure of what the set up is as the previous owner has done all the work to it and ive only owned it for about a month. Ill have a good look at it when im home this arvo

[happygu]

Jayden,

It is either electrical or mechanical.... probably electrical, but as you have only just played around with boost it could possibly be a mechanical failure or hydrolock.


From most likely....
Battery.....If you have a multimeter, then check the Battery Voltage when sitting idle, and also when trying to crank. It it sits over and around 12V, then the battery should have enough oomph to make it turn over.

Starter.....Then check the Starter itself, to see if you have 12V getting to the starter itself when cranking.

If you don't have or get 12V at these points, then it is either a battery / fuse / connection issue.

If you get 12V to the starter, but no turn over, then it could either be the starter or mechanical. Open the bonnet, turn off the radio and AC Fan. Does the solenoid to the starter click when you turn the key? If yes then it is getting power - but it could still be starter or mechanical. Tap/Hit the starter motor with a hammer to see if that makes it come good.

Next step would be to see if you can move / turn over the motor with a socket on the harmonic balancer nut. Sometimes just moving the motor a little bit can help it to work.

If it moves, then that takes mechanical out of the picture a little, as it is unlikely to be something like a hydrolock from a leaking head gasket. If it does move, then take the socket away, and try cranking it over again, as it may work the motor sitting at a different crank angle

[GQtdauto]

Is there any corrosion on the battery terminal or leads that connect to it ? Is the earth good and free from corrosion.

[Jayden]

I dont butni could do it at work, thanks mate ill test all these and see how i go

[Jayden]

Not that i could see, i havent properly looked yet though since i was in a rush so ill have another look later today

[mudski]

The tick tick of the starter motor is usually from the battery having not enough juice to crank the starter. If you have some jumper leads and a spare battery, or even your Aux battery if you have one and just hook up the second battery to the main battery and try then. Or jumpers to another running car.

[Bush Ranger]

Check to see if a door / rear barn door has been ajar, as both interior lights will flatten a battery over night, if you have a wagon. In the past, I have had a battery drop a cell as they called it and the ute wouldn`t start.

[Jayden]

Thanks guys, it was the battery. Used the jump starer and it fired up straight away

[GeeYou8]

Honking the horn is a good indicator for electrical problems, also a temporary fix for a bad connection & funny if you mate has his head under the bonnet.
Apparently the rapid on/off cycling of current when the horn sounds somehow makes things work.