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MG MGF Technical - Rapid clicks and won't start!

Help,

One week after a HGF, now my car won't start this morning! It ran fine yesterday, roof down et al.

Key fob opens the doors, but I can hear a rapid clicking noise. When starting the ignition, the dash lights are very dim. When I try to start the car, I get a rapid clicking, sounds like it's behind the glove box.

I'm no mechanic, but looks like a flat battery, so I tried a jump start, but no difference.

Could this be a problem with the alarm/immobiliser? (assuming the car has an immobiliser?) I've searched the archive, but surely if this was a battery/alternator problem, the car would jump start?

It's a 98 VVC

Help!!!

Grant
Grant Jarvie

it is a battery problem, those are all of the symptoms (including the machine gun)

Will Munns

Thanks Will,

Why wouldn't it start off a jump start then?

Grant
Grant Jarvie

You need to use good quality high amps, jumper leads.
That should start it.
Branko

It could be that the jump leads were not well attached,
the jumping car was not reving high enough to produce enough juice,
The leads not thick enough to feed the drained battery and the starter
the jumping car was not connected for long enough to get some juice into the flat battery before you tried cranking
the battery has failed internally and the jumping car cannot actually feed power in

And possibly: the leads or clamps to the car are corroded
Will Munns

Sounds like a dying battery to me. Had exactly the same symptoms which a new battery fixed. Robert
Robert Matthews 1

Definitely battery :o)

You need a decent set of jump leads to get the engine to fire though - the current draw of the engine under cranking is really very impressive!
Rob Bell

Could also be a problem with the engine earth strap or the battery terminal connectors.
Ralph Gadsby

This thread was discussed between 19/03/2007 and 22/03/2007

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