Not starting - best place to start

[Johnny69]

Just gone to start the van and.......nothing.

Turn the key to first position and the oil and generator lights come on. Turn it to start it and nothing - no starter click, nothing - just a click at the fuse box.

Where is the best place to start with this?

It was fine and running last weekend.

Cheers

Johnny

 

[StuF]

Check the battery voltage and if thats good the starter motor wires
Do the lights dim when you try and crank it over like its drawing power?
Sounds like the battery has gone flat

 

[Marshy]

Had same issue, found that the spade connector onto the starter was loose, tightened it up and starts every time now.

 

[paul_q]

You say a click at the fuse box? Maybe a blown fuse

 

[bertiethebus]

After doing the above, if still no joy, try bridging the lives on the starter with a large screwdriver and see if it spins (out of gear and not on a shitty jack!)
If it does it could be your ignition switch which has died. If so you can easily wire in a heavy duty starter button if you don't wanna strip and replace the ignition

 

[Howie58]

I've got the same problem. I've checked all the connections, lights work horn works everything but nothing happens when I turn the key?
P.s hope you don't mind me jumping in here

 

[KevH]

Had this same problem a few weeks ago, when setting out for the MoT appointment.

I suspected a fried hot start relay, but it turned out to be a loose connection on the starter motor.

Kev

 

[easy]

Quite often its the starter motor. Get under the bus with a rubber mallet and give the fucker a wack, then try and start it or put it in gear and rock it back and forward a few times, then give it a go, this can often be an issue :mrgreen: usually means your starter motor is "stuck" and is on the way out :mrgreen:

 

[gavtheoldskater]

I apologise if I'm stating the obvious, but literally 2 hours ago I was reading about this very scenario in John Muirs 'how to keep your Volkswagen alive', so maybe not an immediate help but definitely worth buying a copy off eBay (mine was under 6quid posted) for the future.

It's way easier to read than a Haynes and also a really good read as its so 70s.

 

[Johnny69]

Sorted - was a spade connector on the starter had worked loose - thanks for all the replies.

Johnny