Trouble with my saxo starting

  1. Newbie Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 1
    #1
    Hi,
    Bought my first car a couple of weeks ago and all was well for a couple of days. Then one morning after a particularly cold night, it wouldn't start and hasn't since. I found that the guy i bought it from hadn't put any antifreeze in the system!!!

    I have since defrosted all the ice with heaters and blankets.
    The engine hasn't even attempted to tick over at all since that first morning (it didn't tick over then so i assumed it was the battery but my lights and radio are fine)

    The terminals that attach to the battery are cracked, could that be the problem? Somebody's said it could be the starter motor? Also, i phoned a garage and explained the problem and they said it would prob be that i've torn the teeth on the cam belt, is this possible if it hasnt even tried to tick over?

    When i turn the key all i hear is one dull thud or dunk (hard to write the sound!) its as if the battery's dead.

    It's a 1.1 saxo east coast 1999.

    Any help would be great!
  2. Infrequent Poster Joined: Aug 2009 taunton Posts: 147 saxo vts turbo
    #2
    well mine done this once last week my starter was stuck u can either do to things first i would take the cam belt cover off and check the belt if ok replace it and then find a hammer and a long bit off wood about a foot and a half long put it down the back off the engine on the starter moter and beat the wood and try and start it it will probley mine did let me know if it dosent and ile have a think at what els it could be
  3. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Oct 2009 Basildon And Corringham, Essex Posts: 5179 MK1 Focus RS, Discovery TD5, Renault Trafic 2.0
    #3
    If the coolant has frozen you could have all kinds of Damage.

    Cracked head, Cracked Block, Cracked Rad, Ruined Water Pump/Thermostat.

    You can also strip all the teeth off the Cam Belt by trying to turn it over with a frozen water pump, I found this out last winter when I was trying to help start an Engine I was buying, like yours it had no Antifreeze and it froze.

    Take every pipe off and get all the ice out with a hose, then check the Cam belt. Then put all the rad and pipes back on then fill it with Antifreeze.

    And hope you have not cracks
  4. Established Member Joined: Dec 2009 Bolton Posts: 1068 Saxo 1.4i sx
    #4
    when you first tried to start it- did you keep trying and trying, and did it turn at all or was it solid?

    Does it turn slightly when it dunks? If so it could be a valve twatting the top of a piston.
  5. L-plater Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 89
    #5
    I bought a 99 1.1i last sat and the next day it wouldnt crank at all, battery seemed dead, so I got a friend to jump the battery and it still wouldnt start but it was cranking,

    turns out the fuel was low , it had froze or went slushy, so I top it up with 2 gallons and 2 mins later it started no probs, worked fine since !

    I did notice that the rear window demisters seem to play havoc with the alternator so best to have it switched off b4 you turn the ignition off, allthou that could be something to do with my car and not a general thing lol
  6. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Aug 2009 ilkeston derbyshire Posts: 9823 C2 VTR stripped, 406hdi, clio 172
    #6
    oh dear, check cam belt before you try and run it, chances are its stripped
  7. Established Member Joined: Sep 2007 Armadale, West Lothian Posts: 1230 flatty 16v sleeper and a regular vts
    #7
    haha i'm scared to look at my car in this weather incase i break it. it wont start in good weather sometimes