Just a click when trying to start - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Koobos · #1 12-20-2009, 03:35 PM

1981 300D 101k

I searched the forums, but need some direction. Went to start the car today 22F. She usually takes a 2nd try below 30. This time she tried a few times and on the 4th try I just get a click, one single click. Tried a jump and still just the click. About to head to wally world to get a battery tester.

My question is, that single click that I am hearing. Is that a dead battery or something else.

Recent Oil change (full syn), fuel filters change, diesel purge, new air filter. Waiting for Diesel Giant to send wrenches for a valve adjustment.

79Mercy · #2 12-20-2009, 03:57 PM

The click is from the starter soleniod not getting enough voltage.

Most likely caused by a bad battery. Sometimes when a battery goes bad a jump still won't start the car.

Bio240D · #3 12-20-2009, 04:06 PM

Hi there, chances are you have a bad battery cable. Heres how to find out. Do a "voltage drop test" on each of your cables. You do that by putting volt meter in parallel with the cable. I.E. For the negative cable, attach the Negative lead of your voltmeter to the Negative post on the battery. Attach the Positive lead of the voltmeter to a good ground, preferably the engine block somewhere. THen have someone crank the car while obseving the Voltmeter. If you get a reading over a couple of volts, like say 10 volts, that cable is bad! On mine, both ends were clean and tight, and the cable looked perfect in every way, but the voltage drop test revealed its failure. For the positive cable, you put the positive lead from your voltmeter on the positive battery post, and the negative lead where the battery cable attaches to the starter solinoid. This technique is invaluable for finding all sorts of electrical faults, and works on the principle that the bad wire or connection acts as a resistor.
On battery cables, the amperage is usually high enough that the bad cable will get warm after a start attempt.
Good luck
Cheers, Chris

kerry · #4 12-20-2009, 04:16 PM

Could be a bad battery. But, try jumping terminals 1 and 3 in the plastic junction box on top of the right inner fender in front of the battery. That will bypass the ignition circuit and any poor connections therein.

whunter · #5 12-20-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koobos

1981 300D 101k

I searched the forums, but need some direction. Went to start the car today 22F. She usually takes a 2nd try below 30. This time she tried a few times and on the 4th try I just get a click, one single click. Tried a jump and still just the click. About to head to wally world to get a battery tester.

My question is, that single click that I am hearing. Is that a dead battery or something else.

Recent Oil change (full syn), fuel filters change, diesel purge, new air filter. Waiting for Diesel Giant to send wrenches for a valve adjustment.

There is NO reason to wait for the bent wrenches, it is only a little more effort using standard wrenches.
Valve adjustment OM617 FYI.
Valve adjustment OM615, 616, 617 FYI.

You have two issues here.

#A. At very low temperature the glow plugs where not effective.
* Below -10 Glow three times (90 seconds each), then try starting.
If it still fails, the valve adjustment is seriously out and/or there are one or dead glow plugs.

#B. Under -20 (with a perfect battery) you only have enough power for one or two starting attempts.

Possible contributing factors:
* Weak/Bad battery.
* Weak/Bad starter.
* Poor/Bad engine to battery ground contact.

IMO: Charge the battery = 50-100 AMP for an hour before attempting to start again.

Have a great day.

johnjzjz · #6 12-20-2009, 07:23 PM

The bent wrenches are the balls < you wont wreck anything, and it makes the job real to do ( MUCH MUCH easier than with out them for sure i wont do it with out them ) - jz

Koobos · #7 12-20-2009, 07:57 PM

Just put in a new battery and no luck, still a click. Didn't by a meter as I just was assuming it was a bad battery. It not that cold, just below freezing and just a click. Would the next best bet be glow plugs? Always stated really nice up until today. If anything my headlights are really bright now.

79Mercy · #8 12-20-2009, 08:08 PM

Sounds like the starter is bad. There is also a chance that the new battery is dead.

You should have checked everything out before spending money on a battery.

The GP's will not keep the starter from turing over.

kerry · #9 12-20-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koobos

Just put in a new battery and no luck, still a click. Didn't by a meter as I just was assuming it was a bad battery. It not that cold, just below freezing and just a click. Would the next best bet be glow plugs? Always stated really nice up until today. If anything my headlights are really bright now.

Read post #4. It is highly unlikely that your problem is related to the glowplugs.

Koobos · #10 12-20-2009, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Read post #4. It is highly unlikely that your problem is related to the glowplugs.

Thanks Kerry, sorry to sound green here, but I am not sure how to do this. I have googled the terms in your post, but not sure how to accomplish it. I do appriciate your help.

10fords · #11 12-20-2009, 10:25 PM

My 84 wagon has been doing the same thing intermittently. X2 on the jumping the terminals under the hood. Make sure you have the key in the run position and if it cranks over you know it's not the starter or battery. Now I just have to decipher the ignition switch!

kerry · #12 12-20-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koobos

Thanks Kerry, sorry to sound green here, but I am not sure how to do this. I have googled the terms in your post, but not sure how to accomplish it. I do appriciate your help.

Locate the junction box. Open it. Use a piece of conductive metal to connect the first and third screws.

Diesel911 · #13 12-20-2009, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Could be a bad battery. But, try jumping terminals 1 and 3 in the plastic junction box on top of the right inner fender in front of the battery. That will bypass the ignition circuit and any poor connections therein.

As kerry said
Look and see if you have the Wire Terminal Block as shown below that is in front of the Battery on the Fender Well (in the pic show without the plastic cover).
If you have one look close and you will see that 2 groups (these connect to the battery) of the Wires are on one side of a little plastic devider and on the other side of the devider is a one White (goes down to the starter Solenoid) and One Purple wire screwed together.

Wear glives and get a piece of wire and put one end of the wire on one side and one end of the wire on the White and Purple wire side long enough to see if the Starter will Crank Normally.

If it the starter Cranks normally there is a chance you are having a proglem with your Ignition Switch or the Neutral Safety Switch (on the Automatic transmission).
To test for a Neutral Safety Switch problem try starting in Neutral instead of park.

Koobos · #14 12-20-2009, 11:19 PM

Thanks for the info and the pic guys. Is it possible that I don't have a junction box? I just looked it I don't see that there. The positive wire from the battery appears to go down to the starter, just below the intake. I made the mistake of parking her out of the garage and it's a bit cold out there and not much light, but I'm pretty sure I don't have one of those junction boxes.

kerry · #15 12-20-2009, 11:40 PM

Yes, it is possible you don't have the junction box. Not all 123's have them but many do. When you say the wire from the battery goes to the starter, are you referring to the heavy gauge battery cable or a lighter wire? Even if you have the junction box, the heavy battery cable still goes directly to the starter. If you don't have the junction box you'll need to jump the heavy wire on the starter solenoid to the lighter wire.