Forum:
My husband is meant to be at work for 7:30 am, so I go out, put the key in the ignition and get a very peculiar noise. The strange clicking at rapid rates is, it seems, the starter firing rediculously fast, without engaging the engine. Now, it's flipping cold out, all the wiring is in the same place as yesterday, nothings missing, or broken or burnt, etc. I try again and I seem to sometimes get the engine TRYING to start, but not really, however it's mostly just the hyperfast ticking which resets the clock on my radio but not the clock on my dash. Sounds a bit like a battery problem, but the battery has plenty of life. Is it a simple matter that my Dragon is a coldblooded diesel Fourtrak, or should I take it to the Dragon Doctor (when I can get the bloody thing to kick over that is!)? In short, hello and.....HELP! Please?
Limp fourtrak
Had a problem similar to this not so long back, it could be the solenoid on the starter playing games. I had mine replaced and the starter overhauled and hey presto no more problems.
It used to play up about one every fifty times i tried to start it but it never stopped completely.
The problem started again the other day and i thought it was playing up again but found out that the battery positive to starter cable was a bit stretched and not too good a connection.
Hope this can help you try to limit it down a bit, but it sounds electrical not mechanical.
Keep the faith,
Cheers Cookie
Answer is: Simple Pain
The glow plugs were shot, so it didn't want to start, all of my attempts to start it caused the battery to run low, which didn't do the problem any good. I changed the glow plugs, however the problem had changed by this point to a shot battery. Called my breakdown cover company, got charged £30 for him to jump start my Dragon, then tighten up the starter motor and tell me that the engine was probably drained by me trying to start with shot plugs. Cheers for that mate. Just driving to go get my husband caused the battery to charge and presto! No more problems... Thanks for replying!