190e won’t turn over

[vataklip]

My 1991 1.8 190e Won’t turn over.
Since i’ve owned it It had been running without a problem but took a few tries to get it running.
Went to start it up the other morning, it turned over but didn’t start, put some more fuel in it, it tried to start again and then from there onwards the engine wouldn’t turn.

I can hear the fuel pump priming and running (i think) but i don’t think i can hear the starter click.

So I believe it could be either the solenoid jamming or knackered or the starter is knackered.

I’m struggling to locate the both of them from under the car.

I’ve seen that giving the starter a little knock while some turns it over can get it going but
1. that’s a temporary fix (if it fixes)
2. I can’t find the bloody starter

Any ideas what could be going on?

 

[vataklip]

My 1991 1.8 190e Won’t turn over.
Since i’ve owned it It had been running without a problem but took a few tries to get it running.
Went to start it up the other morning, it turned over but didn’t start, put some more fuel in it, it tried to start again and then from there onwards the engine wouldn’t turn.

I can hear the fuel pump priming and running (i think) but i don’t think i can hear the starter click.

So I believe it could be either the solenoid jamming or knackered or the starter is knackered.

I’m struggling to locate the both of them from under the car.

I’ve seen that giving the starter a little knock while some turns it over can get it going but
1. that’s a temporary fix (if it fixes)
2. I can’t find the bloody starter

Any ideas what could be going on?

I removed the fuel pump relay and tried to turn it over as I thought it could be that I flooded the engine with previous attempts but such luck either

 

[alabbasi]

Won't turn over meaning that when you turn the key:
1) You hear absolutely nothing from the starter, not even a click
a) Put the car in neutral and try again, it could be the safety switch
b) Make sure your battery is fully charged, you need amps to engage the starter
2) You hear a click but the engine won't spin - Starter solenoid is probably fine
a) Make sure your battery is fully charged, you need amps to engage the starter
b) check ground (earth) connections for rust and make sure that everything is grounded properly
c) Try to manually turn the engine using a breaker bar on the crank or by turning the power steering pump while you apply pressure on the belt to make sure that the engine is not locked up

If it's a 1.8, you should be able to see the starter mounted on side of the engine to the transmission from either underneath or under the hood. It's a small engine.

 

[vataklip]

Won't turn over meaning that when you turn the key:
1) You hear absolutely nothing from the starter, not even a click
a) Put the car in neutral and try again, it could be the safety switch
b) Make sure your battery is fully charged, you need amps to engage the starter
2) You hear a click but the engine won't spin - Starter solenoid is probably fine
a) Make sure your battery is fully charged, you need amps to engage the starter
b) check ground (earth) connections for rust and make sure that everything is grounded properly
c) Try to manually turn the engine using a breaker bar on the crank or by turning the power steering pump while you apply pressure on the belt to make sure that the engine is not locked up

If it's a 1.8, you should be able to see the starter mounted on side of the engine to the transmission from either underneath or under the hood. It's a small engine.

Thanks for your reply

The battery can’t be the problem as i bought a new one today and nothing changed plus i keep it on a battery keeper.

I think i forgot to mention but all dash lights and headlights work when i turn the key.

I’m not sure if I hear a click or not as I hear the fuel pump but not sure if I hear anything else.
If i don’t hear a click does that narrow it down to being the solenoid?

 

[Will]

If it’s automatic, then definitely check the selector is moving into park ok before starting.

Maybe post a short video clip?

 

[vataklip]

If it’s automatic, then definitely check the selector is moving into park ok before starting.

Maybe post a short video clip?

It’s manual,
I’ll see if i can get a decent video tomorrow!

 

[Will]

Pop it in gear and give it a push, rock it forward a little then try the starter again (out of gear, obviously!)

 

[alabbasi]

If it's a manual, get a bunch of friends together and bump start it. You'll know then if the engine turns.

 

[Bellow]

If this were mine, I'd find the starter motor and the solenoid piggybacked to it, it's spade connector and give it a clean and try again. If still no joy, I'd remove it (connector) and take a jumper lead from the battery +ve terminal and brush against the solenoid tag. If the solenoid and starter are fine then it should turn over. If the starter is goosed but the solenoid is good there should be sparks on brushing the wire to the tag. If the solenoid is dead then expect nothing - no starter activity or sparks.
If doing this be very careful not to get tangled up in the front drives (eg, fan) if the engine turns over (disable ignition and/or fuel to for greater safety).
If either cleaning the connection or brushing with a jumper gets the starter working the problem is upstream.

 

[Stratman]

Here's a link to a 190 starter wiring diagram, albeit an automatic. Just ignore the P/N lockout switch. Use a voltmeter or 12V bulb to check for 12V on the solenoid terminal when attempting to start. If there is then the wiring up to there is okay, so it looks like the solenoid is the likely culprit.

 

[optimusprime]

This is the 1.8 not many were made .

 

[badgx]

Did you check the cold start relay?

 

[Will]

This is the 1.8 not many were made .

They made loads of these - they’re the same as the 2.0 in pretty much every way - just a regular 8v M102 engine

 

[grober]

You might have a faulty/worn ignition switch [ bad connection in the start position] test for 12 volts at the solenoid terminal while trying to start as suggested Do you have an after market alarm fitted?