bloody car wouldnt start this morning
 

ive just asked this question on the 205gtidrivers.com forum, but as activity is slower on there, im asking here too if thats ok.

copy/pasted from 205 thread i started...

"erm as above. i jumped in the car (88 1.9gti) this morning at about 6.30 to take my fiancee to work. turned the key and nothing... not turning over or coughing etc, just a whining noise for 3 or 4 seconds. so i turned the car off and attempted again... nothing, just the same whining noise. "weird" i thought. tried for a third time, and again nothing, just whining, then 3-4 seconds later it suddenly sparked into life. no hesitancy, just suddenly decided to work. car drove absolutley fine.

im looking through my haynes service/repair manual trying to figure out wtf is wrong. im worried this may happen again, and would rather sort the issue out."

cheers

andy:)

starter solenoid issue is my guess. sign of problems to come maybe? A jump start to turn the starter over may be a way to get her gong if the problem happens again.

All this is pure guess work from me :D

If the whining noise was loud it could be the starter running but not engaging with the flywheel.

Clunk with a stick normally works. But long term you might want to overall or replace the gear on the end of the starter and the track it runs on.

Not a big issue.

IF it was not loud and stopped even with the key still turned to position 3 it could be the fuel pump your hearing... in which case it sounds like the solenoid as above. Again treat with a big stick :-)

excellent gentlemen, where abouts is the solenoid located? any ideas. ive had a quick look under the bonnet for signs of loose connectors etc, but engines are not my thing unfortunatley. now if someone asked me to draw one...:lol1:

Its part of the starter motor and a common fault on elderly 205's. As above a carefully placed tap with something can somtimes spur them back into life, Unless your battery is low on charge? The whiring noise was probably your fuel pump I used to hear mine on my 1.6 sometimes.

Definately the starter motor it happens on my 205 from time to time usually just before im going out on track so a bump start cures that :). Also makes a whine like you mention when the battery isnt fully charged.

erm, where is the starter motor. over the 205 forum they have suggested a clean, but ive heard its a bugger without removing the inlet manifold.

battery may be low on charge, but dont think so. i remmber when i had the car recently set up (was running lean) the battery warning light was constantly on. this was due to a bad connector on the alternator belt, which does admittedly still need doing. not loose or anything.

That is maybe why he was running late in the first case :D

On a Monday?! He's done well if that's the case :thumb:

Basically its under the inlet manifold and is a cylinder about 6 inches long with another small cylinder attached to the side which is the solenoid.

Agree, started solenoid.
My 205 GTI went through a couple of starter motors and I changed them without removing the inlet manifold.
I used to carry a 2ft metal pole that I used to tap the starter motor to spark it into life prior to changing the s/motor.

Mate, I did warn you about the starter motor on these things - I was going through about 3 per year!! If it goes again before you get it fixed, put in in gear and rock it backwards and forwards a few times, usually sorted it out for me!!

We could have closed this thread after the 2nd post ;)

probably the same with the "transfers thread" too, but hey...:lol1:

i had a similar problem on my old 306 :brickwall ^^^ that did the trick tho :thumb:

Just wait 'til it gets cold and wet starting an old 205, my old one was a nightmare.