I always heat the crimp tag with a blow torch (on the bench) and feed solder in to make all join together.
I checked my earth lead on the chassis leg, it looks to be bolted on to painted steel. I 'm going to look at dismantling, scraping, applying Vaseline and rebolting up. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

Well, it went into the dealer on Friday and they couldn't find anything... Replacing the battery to chassis earth lead hasn't helped, I will have a look at the engine to chassis one soon.

Any one got any ideas what to try if that doesn't help?

Its strange, sometimes you press the button it starts, some times it tries to start and fails and sometimes is just does nothing...

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Failed glowplugs?

Hope not, they were replaced last October... Mind the glow plug light hasn't been coming on much. Does anyone know what sensor it uses to gauge the temperature? Could that be faulty?

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

jon_a5 wrote:

Its strange, sometimes you press the button it starts, some times it tries to start and fails and sometimes is just does nothing...
Jon

Any way to test the engine temp sensor?

It started fine this morning, its -3 last night at work it was -1 some days it has problems at +5 others it has worked at -5.

It normally tries to crank on the first try, sometimes it does half a turn and gives up others it does several and sometimes gives up and sometimes starts after sounding like it won't. Normally on attempts after that there is just silence.

I took a video and noticed there was no glow plug light this morning, as I say it started fine but would of expected it to light up?

I will start takeing videos on each start and upload them.

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Jon a5

If you need a hand give me a shout, I'm only down the road. Only had freely 6 months but 2 heads are sometimes better. Have a possible earth fault myself, wipers and HDC not available, so bought an earth cable from Chequered flag, will try and fit over the weekend. 2008 XS TD4, Sumatra Black, Manual.

Thanks, will probably arrange something even if its just social, its good to know other owners in the area!

Have started taking a video log each time I start, will upload them when I get a chance, but tonight wouldn't start again, this time it didn't try and do anything like it does sometimes, just pressed button ignition came on then did nothing. Took three attempts to get started then was fine with no issues...

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Hope you get it sorted soon, for this type of problem its so hard to give advice as it could be a number of things. With it being intermittent, quite 'dead' sometimes and not others then I would suspect a bad/loose connection or plug/socket somewhere rather than a terminal fault.

There has been reports on the forum of a plug/socket that can be dislodged by passengers feet, also one near the steering column. I would go through the procedure of checking for this type of thing.

EDIT: You say 'ignition comes on and sometimes it does nothing', perhaps it is worth checking the clutch pedal actuated switch that enables cranking/starting to take place .

I had thought about the clutch switch but it gives a message "please depress clutch when starting" if you try and start with the clutch up, started second time again to day, key in press button and it does everything but crank.

On other days press the putton it starts to crank then cuts out in a bit of a fit, haven't been able to get a video of it doing this yet...

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Here are the youtube videos from yesterday...

Yesterday morning started fine at -2

Last night didn't start Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Hi
I keep on reading your saga....
Could it be a simple faulty starter motor?
Have you yet tried to check the actual voltage between the battery and the engine/ gearbox to establish if an earth fault is the possible culprit?
Either way a duplicate earth lead will cost only a few pounds and take 10 minutes to fit; it's so very easy. You need 1.5 metres with a lug each end crimped AND soldered.
Whatever you really must actually do somthing to investigate so bit by bit you knock possible causes on the head!
Good luck

This doesn't sound like glowplugs, temp sensors, etc, to me - usual symptoms of problems in this area would be cranking but no start.

The fact that sometimes ...

jon_a5 wrote:

... it starts to crank then cuts out in a bit of a fit

The display gives all the standard messages, before I replaced the battery and earth lead it sometimes gave a low voltage warning on the stereo and a hill decent control unavailable message on the screen.

Re has a bit of a fit it starts as if its going to work, turns over and then everything dies, one time I couldn't even get the key out. Had to wait for a few mins, press start / stop again then managed to eject. Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

Bit of a pain but I think what I would do at the moment is everytime I go start it have a volt meter on the battery displaying through the windscreen until you get a non-start, see what it says and take it from there. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Last edited by shiggsy on 20th Feb 2013 3:44 pm. Edited 1 time in total