Occasionally reluctant to start :-(

[guest4066]

Hi folks,

New to this forum so apologies if covering a subject that's already been discussed at length  !

My 04 Jazz has done just over 60000 miles and is now developing a slight reluctance to start. Sometimes when you fire it up the engine turns over once, pauses and then turns over again before starting which makes me think its a starter motor issue but other times nothing happens at all when you turn the key first time, then when you try again it all works perfectly. This then suggests it could be a battery issue?

Any suggestions folks?

Cheers!

[guest2662]

try checking your earth cable, it might be a loose connection.

[chrisc]

Could also be the contact on the back of the ignition switch.  The electrical part is replaceable separately from the cylinder (by a locksmith) and this is what wears.  You get metal dust inside which inhibits contact

[guest3984]

I had a problem very similar to this a few weeks ago, the car would just refuse to start for about half a minute or so, turning the key and it would try to turn over but would just sort of grind a bit, and eventually start just less than a minute later.

I took it to my mechanic and it turns out that my battery desperately needed replacing because it held hardly any of its charge.

I've had no problems starting the engine at all since i got a new battery in!

Could be a different issue in your case but may be worth a check

[guest3984]

Also, my jazz had done 75000 miles at this point, seems to be similar ballpark mileage so makes me think it is a battery issue

let us know how you get on

[guest4066]

Hmm, been a while since I originally posted this and thanks for all the responses. I've had a period of 6 months or so when things have mostly been ok apart from the occasional reluctance to start until the other day the car just died on me completely, after I'd done my usual 15 mile commute into work. I could only get it going for the rest of the day by jump starting it. The following day all was well and has started fine ever since.

I have now noticed that occasionally upon starting the car, the green immobiliser light continues to flash. the manual says when the light flashes it means the key code has been lost and the car will not start which is clearly not the case here...

So, now its getting cold I want to sort things once and for all as don't fancy getting stranded in my otherwise 100% reliable little car. Can anyone point out to me exactly where the battery earth cable is so I  can check this before I look at replacing the battery?

Ta v much!

[minibreakdown]

I don't want to hijack this thread as my 2005 1.4 dsi has on occasion been reluctant to start. The last time I had driven around 50 miles on the motorway before stopping for around 20 minutes. On returning to the car I unlocked it with the remote fob, all doors shut then tried to start the car. The lights on the dash which are on all the time dimmed and the engine didn't even turn over. I turned the radio and the fan to try and reduce any other drain on the battery when starting, still no joy.

I don't know why, I then took the keys out of the ignition and using the remote fob, whilst remaining in the car, I locked and then unlocked the car. Then I tried the car again and it fired straight away as normal.

As my wife and I were out for the day going to many many shops with lots of stopping and starting I kept the use of electrics to a minimum. After around 5 good stops and starts in the next hour or so it was fine. On maybe the 6th it had the same problems and wouldn't start. Tried the locking and unlocking again and it started straight away. Odometer trip had zeroed itself.

Now I thought that the problem was due to the battery and already had one on order, not a lot of Honda Jazz batteries around in rural France, can't just go and pick one up. One of the reasons I thought it would be the battery is that before I got the car it had sat on my mothers drive and been allowed to go flat on several occasions. I had put it on charge before and to be fair to it had done well to last as long as it had. Today I fitted the new battery and the car feels a lot better to drive, more spritely, may just be in my mind but what I do know is the trip mpg meter is rising, noticeably. I thought the bad mpg was down to the weather!

Questions are, for people who know a lot more about cars than myself and/or something that may help people with the same problem.
1. Is there any connection between the central locking/battery/starting?
2. Would the battery affect the mpg?

I will update after a couple of weeks with if the problem happens again or has been sorted with the battery change.

[culzean]

could be the immobiliser having trouble recognising the key (there is an electronic chip in the key handle)  - keep a watch for the green key light up symbol on instrument display,  it should light up briefly when you turn ignition switch to 'on' position - if it flashes and continues to flash you should take key out and try again,  make sure you don't have a metal key fob or too much metal on the keyring as this can confuse the key code sensor.   if it did not recognise the key, it would not let engine turn over or start.   The battery is another problem, but you would at least hear a 'click' as the starter solenoid engaged,  try putting headlights on and trying to start car,  lights should dim a bit but not go out, if they go out it is definitely battery or connection.

[minibreakdown]

There are 2 keys on the ring including the ignition key. I will keep an eye out for the flashing green symbol if it happens again though.

Do you think it could almost be a combination of the 2 things, battery/immobiliser? The reason I say it could be partly battery is the instrument panel lights that come on all the time when the ignition is switched on dimmed to nearly non existence. I could also hear the engine try to turn as if the starter motor had only moved about a quarter turn, then stopped. Then on taking the keys out, locking then unlocking the car (may have nothing to do with it), putting the key back in the ignition once the keys had moved position, car started. That's the immoliliser part.

Now having put the new battery on she starts and runs beautifully. Also the mpg is rising significantly. It was down to half a tank doing 39.4 mpg, battery changed, didn't reset the trip, 30 miles later up to 43.7 mpg. This is driving on a variety of road classes.

[culzean]

Now having put the new battery on she starts and runs beautifully. Also the mpg is rising significantly. It was down to half a tank doing 39.4 mpg, battery changed, didn't reset the trip, 30 miles later up to 43.7 mpg. This is driving on a variety of road classes.

if it had been immobiliser it should not even try to turn over the engine.

battery is very important and often badly used / abused part of the car.  anytime the battery is allowed to go to a low state of charge or completely discharged it is damaged. Was this the original battery of the car ? If so it was overdue for change anyway after being on car since 2005.   Battery is more important on automatics / CVT because they cannot be push started like a 'manual gearbox' car because the transmission won't drive the engine - so the if the battery won't start the car a jump start is your only option - for this reason I fitted a higher capacity 'calcium' battery to my wifes automatic Fiat she had before the Jazz. 

there are posts on this forum about peoples cars running better and more mpg when new battery fitted

[minibreakdown]

Now having put the new battery on she starts and runs beautifully. Also the mpg is rising significantly. It was down to half a tank doing 39.4 mpg, battery changed, didn't reset the trip, 30 miles later up to 43.7 mpg. This is driving on a variety of road classes.

if it had been immobiliser it should not even try to turn over the engine.

battery is very important and often badly used / abused part of the car.  anytime the battery is allowed to go to a low state of charge or completely discharged it is damaged. Was this the original battery of the car ? If so it was overdue for change anyway after being on car since 2005.   Battery is more important on automatics / CVT because they cannot be push started like a 'manual gearbox' car because the transmission won't drive the engine - so the if the battery won't start the car a jump start is your only option - for this reason I fitted a higher capacity 'calcium' battery to my wifes automatic Fiat she had before the Jazz. 

there are posts on this forum about peoples cars running better and more mpg when new battery fitted

I have read a lot of threads on the forum on the subjects of batteries / poor mpg but didn't realise that poor mpg could result from a tired/unservicable battery. Should have made the connection really as in the dark days of winter we do tend to put a larger drain on the battery whilst using more of the electrical items on the car. never had this on my auto volvo. Might be why I'm only getting 22 mpg out of my auto discovery

[minibreakdown]

Sorry meant to say thanks for all your replies and help.