Car Won't Start? Starter Motor?

[FireFly 4]

Today after I finished work the 205 wouldn't start, it appeared to be flat as a pancake.

I had to get a bump start and drove it to my field / workshop and put the battery on charge for at least 2 hours.

After having charged the battery I immediately started it and it was fine, I then drove home 5 miles and parked it up for an hour. After the hour passed I went to start it and it wouldn't start again so I had to jump start it.

The dash lights weren't dimmed down or anything which I thought was strange.

Does this signal the starter motors dead? If so are they easy enough to fit? The 205 is using the XU7 one on the XU9 atm so if it's easy enough I'll pop a XU9 one on there.

Any suggestions / advice is much appreciated!

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Google search - 205 gti drivers starter solenoid. Covered 10000001 times.

[dt_ 7]

Hi, you charged the battery a bit by running the car after a bump start and started the car on the key shortly afterwards?

 

To me this says a tired battery

[ablister 31]

if you had to jump start it (+ it started ok) then sounds like a battery issue

[FireFly 4]

Google search - 205 gti drivers starter solenoid. Covered 10000001 times.

 

Thanks, done some reading so gives me an idea of where to look for now.

 

Hi, you charged the battery a bit by running the car after a bump start and started the car on the key shortly afterwards?

 

To me this says a tired battery

 

I charged the battery off a proper car battery charger via a mains socket for over two hours. It was showing around 80% charge. I then drove home, stayed there for an hour, went to start the car after an hour of it being turned off and it wouldn't start again.

 

if you had to jump start it (+ it started ok) then sounds like a battery issue

 

I've got plenty of spare batteries so I'll try changing it but the battery has been fine up until now and if I remember correctly it's not even two years old.

[welshpug 1,622]

Battery or alternator, given it starts fine with a charge, I would say the starter is fine.

 

Being a diesel it wont have the usual issues the gti does with the starter solenoid, the loom is routed differently, no brown plug.

[cheesegrater 43 1 Cars]

Could still have an under dash issue though. Mine had a poorly terminated wire where it entered the fuse box.

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Check your alternator voltage whilst the engine is running

Should be 14.4v

[FireFly 4]

It was the battery guys.