[urq] intermittent no crank

Thu Feb 11 12:40:45 PST 2016

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Going to have a set-to with the car 
tomorrow night. I definitely have a parasitic drain issue but when I did a 
current draw check the other day the draw didn't seem too high at 0.02A 
which in all articles I've read, is regarded as acceptable.
Have two batteries, a newish one and a very new one. I was starting to 
wonder if the very new one was faulty but having charged it up off the car 
and left it alone it hasn't dropped any voltage in  a week and half. The 
newish battery was fully charged when put on the car and has dropped to 8.6V 
in the same time and won't even light the dash up when ignition is switched 
on and doesn't even get a click from the starter solenoid. So tomorrow night 
it's fresh battery and pulling fuses time to see if anything improves the 
current draw readings.
I hate stuff like this.
Will update when I have news.
Thanks again and all the best

Keith

-----Original Message----- 
From: laraa at sympatico.ca
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2016 2:53 AM
To: 'Keith'
Cc: 'audifans urq' ; quattro at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [urq] intermittent no crank

Hi Keith,

Does the X relay (the relief relay that cuts power to all other circuits) 
click when you turn the key ? If not, maybe there's enough drain elsewhere 
to lower available voltage to the starter...

More, I don't know if your 87 is still like this, but my 1983 had a "hot 
start pulse relay". Maybe it is shorted or something and draws a lot of 
current when starting...

And finally, when was the last time you removed your fusebox ? Or at least 
checked the condition of the numerous connectors at the back ? They are 
getting old by now, approaching 30 years...

Louis-Alain

-----Message d'origine-----
De : urq [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] De la part de Keith
Envoyé : 6 février 2016 13:29
À : Steve Buchholz; urq at audifans.com; Patrick Carlier; 
theringmeister at triad.rr.com
Objet : Re: [urq] intermittent no crank

Steve
Thanks for this........I omitted to mention that I have cleaned them all up 
and even added an additional large earth strap between engine and body so 
earthing should not be a problem – even the battery earth strap is new and 
all are secure.

Pat
Re: starter relay – I have fitted a brand new startermotor and the starter 
is good. Tried it in another car.

I know this will be something really daft when I eventually find out what it 
is.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Cheers
Keith

From: Steve Buchholz
Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2016 5:03 PM
To: Keith ; urq at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [urq] intermittent no crank

I don't see any mention of the ground braid. You will find it going from the 
block to the unibody near the spark plug side engine mount. Check the 
quality of the braid and that the fasteners are snug.

I had a tough to find no crank issue on my 5kCSQA ... would usually happen 
when my wife was driving the car ... turned out to be a loose ground at the 
battery where the ground cable attaches to the unibody.

Good luck!
Steve Buchholz

-------- Original message --------
From: Keith <spotatashleys at hotmail.com>
Date: 2/6/2016 5:18 AM (GMT-08:00)
To: urq at audifans.com
Subject: [urq] intermittent no crank

Anyone who has been on the list for a while may well have read one of my 
earlier posts with this title. I’m getting closer to solving it but I’m not 
there yet.
I think I have had a number of issues running parallel because at one time 
it was intermittent no start as opposed to intermittent no crank  because 
sometimes it would crank and not start and other it would not crank. Now I 
just have the intermittent no crank having resolved a number of issues which 
I’ll list but now if it cranks it starts and starts instantly. Trouble is, 
sometimes there is a no crank issue.
So when it was intermittent no start I replaced plugs, cap, rotor arm, plug 
leads, coil lead, and coil, new fuel filter, all fuel pressures tested and 
confirmed in spec. Things improved. Then to counter the no crank issue I 
changed the ignition switch, the main battery to starter power cable, the 
battery, the starter the wires for starter solenoid and feed from there to 
cold start injector (from the connector behind the RHS headlight to the 
starter), yet still I have occasional no crank. This tends to happen when 
the battery is a little lower than full charge. I have tested for a 
parasitic drain on the battery. Off-Key drain is no more than 10 mA. The 
voltage of that battery today was 12.4V. If I disconnect the lead to the 
starter solenoid and put a meter on that and turn the key to start position 
it shows 11.9V which should be more than enough to activate the solenoid. 
This lead runs from the ignition switch to the jumper in relay position 8 in 
the fusebox (where an inhibitor relay would sit in and automatic 
transmission car) and from there round the engine bay to the grey connector 
under the RHS headlight and then on to the starter solenoid. As I say when 
this is disconnected and the voltage measured it shows 11.9V in start 
position. However, if I re-connect this to the starter solenoid and this 
time measure the voltage at the jumper in the fusebox (key is start 
position) it only reads 9.4V. Does anyone have any idea why this should be? 
I am confused.
I feel certain that I could overcome this by simply using a waterproof relay 
down at the starter solenoid, using the normal feed to the solenoid to 
trigger and take the main power for it from the alternator positive post but 
I’d really like to overcome it without have to resort to this.
Any words of wisdom gratefully received.

Many thanks

Keith

‘87 WR in a dismally wet Worcestershire.
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