2002 Corsa is it ****ed?

Antony101

Antony101

Antony101

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Joined
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England
Engine wont start and these lights show up, my sister has said her boyfriend phoned a friend and he said it's likely just a low battery. I've no idea but surely some of these mean it's more than that?

Wanted to have a poke around under the bonnet myself and get some fault codes but nothing worked, couldn't get codes to show, bonnet release leaver didn't work, car wouldn't roll back down the drive to check a wet patch under the engine.

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You don't sound very mechanically adept, perhaps you should get someone who knows what they're doing look at it?
 
Antony101 said:
It makes an awful clicking noise when you try and start it. I've no idea what engine it is, it's a petrol though.
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Clicking is starter motor or battery, nothing major.

The bright lights are fine, would go out if it started.
 
The clicking is the starter relays. Those lights will go out when the engine starts. Dead battery, push start or jump start it and see what happens. If it runs, replace the battery.
 
Slam62 said:
You don't sound very mechanically adept, perhaps you should get someone who knows what they're doing look at it?
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I'm just trying to find out if it's the battery being dead or not, I've no clue how engines work, as I said in the OP. Every car I've owned only the "exhaust/emissions" light has stayed on after turning the ignition on. I didn't know if these staying on was due to a lack of power for the sensors or if it was more than the battery being dead.

The guy that they are having fix it is the guy that sold it to them, so I'd rather know if there was more wrong so he doesn't bodge fixing it.
 
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In almost all cars all those lights will light up when you turn the ignition on and tirn off again when the engine is running and charging the battery. It's just to see if the lights work.
 
Diddums said:
In almost all cars all those lights will light up when you turn the ignition on and tirn off again when the engine is running and charging the battery. It's just to see if the lights work.
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In all other cars I've driven, they come on for a few seconds and go off again, only the exhaust/emissions light stays on until the engine is started.
 
That is a classic symptom of either a flat battery, or a poor connection within the starter circuit (battery terminals, starter terminals, ground strap).

The system has enough voltage to energise the starter solenoid, but as soon as the starter engages it tries to pull a very large current from the battery. If either the battery is dead or you have a poor connection somewhere, the voltage drops so low that the starter disengages. This removes the load and the voltage recovers so the starter gets re-engaged and the cycle repeats.
 
As above, set of jump leads and see if it starts (probably will), then you need to check both the battery and alternator, probably battery if they haven't had the Christmas tree of lights before - if not bump start it (get someone that knows how to do it) and replace starter
 
If its petrol, don't bump start it, probably battery as said.

Are you in the AA or something, if so call them out.
 
Dogbreath said:
That is a classic symptom of either a flat battery, or a poor connection within the starter circuit (battery terminals, starter terminals, ground strap).

The system has enough voltage to energise the starter solenoid, but as soon as the starter engages it tries to pull a very large current from the battery. If either the battery is dead or you have a poor connection somewhere, the voltage drops so low that the starter disengages. This removes the load and the voltage recovers so the starter gets re-engaged and the cycle repeats.
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I was definitely going to say this.
 
Okay good to know, I'm used to all of the lights going out before the engine is started. Guess it's just because it's an older car or something they stay on till it's started?

And I'll repeat again, I haven't got a clue about cars, I know to make sure the tyres, fluids and brakes are fine and that's it. I just didn't want the guy fixing it to change the battery and leave it at that. Sister is stressing that it's going to cost a fortune to fix and they've just bought it.

Any reason the battery could have died? It was driven not too long ago.
 
It's the battery, 100%. Sometimes they fail randomly, sometimes the alternator has problems which causes it (usually accompanied by the battery light being on the dash), sometimes some rogue electrical draw when it's turned off.
 
rodenal said:
I can't think of any good reason not to bump start a manual petrol car - unless you do it multiple times
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+1


If it's not completely flat ( there is enough power for the fuel pump/fuel pressure) you can easily push it on your own from the door opening, jump in, in gear and release clutch, especially if it's just a Corsa*.


* Spoken from experience, I'm to cheap to get a new used battery at the scrappy or a new one and often have to push a 1.4 tonne car to get it started if it stood a few days, and I'm a tiny lad :D. Great exercise :).
 
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Did you look in the boot for the starting handle? Usually there's one,look for a small hole down by the front grill,insert starting handle and you can crank/start the engine,even with a flat battery
 
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