After the winter layup and a bit of tinkering, tried to start teh Westfield crossflow today. Of course the battery is flat. So hitched up to my weekly diesel car, but still wont start. About a quarter turn and thats it. So then with a jump starter attached, bump started the car. This was no trouble and all runs fine. But when stopped it wont start under its own battery supply. Just about turns over once, just like a flat battery but this isnt the case as its been hooked up to a perfectly good high power diesel car battery. So what is my problem. Can it be a duff starter motor or solenoid maybe. Really scratching my head!

check main earths

Charge the battery and clean the connections for a start, then check the earth lead to the engine

(1) Undo & clean the battery terminals
(2) To do a quick and dirty test on the earth straps, use one jump lead to connect a good clean earth on the engine to the battery negative, then try the starter, if it starts its is the earth braids.


What voltage is the battery showing across the terminals with the engine off ? It should be at least 12.5v if the battery has a decent charge.


Jump starting from a battery no matter how big won't charge a completely flat battery.
A flat battery needs a slow low amp rate charge absolute minimum 12 hours 24 better 30 hours max.
If after charging the battery and resting it for half an hour the terminal voltage still doesn't show 12.5 to 12.8 volts the battery is goosed.

If that doesn't work you need to do a bit diagnostics with volt meter to test for a dead cell in the battery battery.

The test is to check the voltage when operating the starter, if when you operate the starter the voltage very quickly drops to 6 volts the battery is goosed, but if the battery voltage stays over 9v the battery is probably OK.

I can recommend anybody having similar problems to buy load voltage tester such as a Silverline 282625 a seriously useful bit of kit and Argos are selling them for £12.99

link to item in Argos online shop.



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[Edited on 26/2/12 by britishtrident]

The slave battery I have used is fine. This is not a battery problem. My W/F battery I think is shot but but connecting a good car battery or jump lads does not make the car start it still only just turns over once and then dead. When bump started it runs fine.

Have you altered the ignition timing ?

I any event you should check the battery voltage under no load and when you operate the starter.

Alp if your battery is completely flat or goosed normal DIY jump leads won't do the job.

If you connected a known good battery and it still failed where did you connect it? If you connected a known good battery to the existing battery terminals and the problem is a seriously corroded joint at one of the battery lead ends , say on the starter or the engine earth or one of the leads is part broken then you still won't get the current flow you expect and it still won't start. The car has been standing unused for months. Corrosion happens. Start at the most likely problem (and the cheapest). Clean all ends of large cables before you look elsewhere for the fault.

+1 for cleaning the terminals had to jump start mine the last couple of times cleaned all the terminals starts first time, saying that it is a pinto takes the power of a god to turn the bugger over lol

I'm sure you all know more than me but with the jump leads connected or a jump starter connected it does try to turn over. This doesnt sound to me like corrosion, am I wrong?

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am I wrong?

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Remove the duff battery and put the good battery onto the car then try to start it. Humour us. Are you connecting to your battery terminals or to the live and a good earth point on the chassis ?

[Edited on 27/2/12 by Peteff]

jump leads cannot supply proper cranking current, only an extra boost to support a weak battery. your battery is completely knackered, and as you say can't hold a charge.
replace knackered battery with good battery (NO jump leads) and i can almost guarantee it'll start run and restart fine

i tried starting my car with no battery in place (same as completely knackered battery basically) and connected up with jump leads. managed a quarter turn and some smoke from the leads.

ditched leads, connected battery up with proper cables and battery clamps, started and ran perfect


so, take the old battery out and its not doing anything, and swap for the good battery from your diesel, and it'll all be good

Proper pro jump leads (£40 upwards) will start a car with a dead flat battery DIY quality leads won't.