Faulty Car Starter?

[khaleesi]

It takes about five attempts for my automatic, 57 plate, Peugeot 107 to start. It will crank (with no clicking noise) and it's fine to drive once I get it going. I did have the battery replaced a month ago by a young man at Halfords, I was wondering if he wired it incorrectly as the problems started a couple of weeks after.
Someone said it could be the starter, but with no clicking sound, I don't think it is.

[Baldric]

It's a Peugeot, It's French, they don't really do electrics, honest.

[tonyav]

So when you turn the key the engine turns over but doesn't fire up then ?
I have known this problem to be a faulty crank sensor.

[khaleesi]

Yes tony, about five years ago it sometimes wouldn't start on the first attempt (but always on the second) but over the last couple of weeks it's been a nightmare. It makes the trying to start noise, but doesn't start the engine

[khaleesi]

my car is nearly ten years old, are things gonna start to go wrong now

[Buenchico]

If it's cranking the starter motor must be OK.

You can't wire a car's battery incorrectly (other than reversing the terminals, which clearly hasn't happened here). All that's involved in changing a battery, other than releasing the clamp which holds it in place and then tightening it up again once the new battery has been fitted) is to disconnect two leads and reconnect them. An 8-year-old could do it.

HT leads and/or spark plugs would be the first things I'd be thinking of in your situation.

[tonyav]

While you have driving it have you seen a symbol like this light up on the dashboard ?
https://www.discountvwaudicentre.co.uk/images/user/Engine%20Management%20Light%202.png

If you have then the car will need to be plugged into a diagnostic computer to read the fault.
If that engine management light hasn't been on then I have a pretty strong feeling that it's the crank sensor.

[khaleesi]

Really chirs, this is really sad as a mechanic told me it was the starting motor. I thought he was being dishonest as he wanted to charge me over £300 to fix it (another garage only wanted £170) The fault light has never appeared tony, it drives really nicely still. Maybe i should take it to another garage, this last one has really made me anxious about going to another one (and he had good reviews)

[tonyav]

I don't think that it's the starter motor if the engine turns over normally but the engine doesn't fire.
It does turn over at a normal speed doesn't it ?

[tonyav]

Avatar Image khaleesi Question Authormy car is nearly ten years old, are things gonna start to go wrong now


Well things do start to go wrong with age and wear, khaleesi.

[Hopkirk]

Has it been serviced on schedule? If not, it might just need new spark plugs

[malagabob]

Does the cranking sound start to labour when trying to start the car. As if the battery is going flat. Could be alternator problem. Even a new battery would not have solved it.

[Adfa]

It is possible that the battery connections are loose or not making a good connection so when cranking the engine it draws all the juice and there's not enough left to adequately power the ignition system less common is a worn starter that draws too many amps. That is if your problem is to do with the electrical system a decent garage should be able to diagnose the problem

[bhg481]

If it's cranking at the normal speed it's neither the starter motor nor loose connections. Assuming it's a petrol engine, it just isn't firing. This could be Togo's suggestion of a faulty crank sensor or simply lack of service as in mucky plugs or blocked filters. If it only does it on a cold start it could be an electronics problem, as in faulty temperature sensor. If it's a diesel it could be a glow-plug problem.

[retrocop]

My question was to ask if it is petrol or diesel.My old French Renault Nevada was diesel and the glow plugs didn't glow very much. :-(

[Hopkirk]

For Baldric's information it isn't French. It's probably never been to France in its life.

[khaleesi]

wow, thanks so much for all your answers. It is a petrol and it had a full service last year, I will call the garage on Tuesday to find out what it had done.
No bob, it will either try to start and fail, or start and sound like normal.
It took five attempts to start on wednesday, I then drove up onto a kerb and its started the first time every time since, could something have been knocked back into place?

[tonyav]

could something have been knocked back into place?

Stands a very good chance if there was a dodgy connection somewhere. I'd have a guess at a bad earth somewhere.

[Hopkirk]

It is built by a joint venture between Peugeot/Citroen and Toyota, in the Czech Republic.

The same car with different badges is the Toyota Aygo, and Toyota have a reputation for some of the most reliable cars.

[Baldric]

For the benefit of the uninformed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot

[Hopkirk]

Oh I know Peugeot is French, Baldric.