27 replies to this topic

[Ben NA]

Right so I bought 2 festoon LED bulbs for the number plate light on my NA (I was bored and they were £1.39). They arrived today and I fitted them. All the lights on the car work but when I tried to start it just after fitting them, I get no fuel pump whir and only clicking when I press the starter button! WTF?! The car has pretty much always started on the button for the last year or so. Can changing the number plate bulbs really stop the car from starting...or is this a MASSIVE coincidence? I'll take the new bulbs out and replace the old ones tomorrow when there's a bit more light!

[VXT Tim]

Battery is dead.

[Ben NA]

Heater comes on, dash comes on, all the lights work, radio works, the car was used about 2 days ago and the battery is about 3 months old! I'm pretty sure the battery isn't dead but I'll check the connections tomorrow. Cheers

[meldert]

It's most probably the battery. It still have enough power for everything else but the startermotor that requires much higher current then the battery in it low state is capable to deliver. Then you will get the clicking sound... The exact same thing has happened to me. Just charge the battery before it gets completely flat and it will be OK.

[VXT Tim]

It will charge if you have a charger. If it's completely dead though it'll pop the fuse in the charger in which case take it back and get it changed under warranty.

[2.2_na]

clicking when I press the starter button

Clicking (coming from the engine bay) when pressing the starter button = flat battery.

[Bargi]

There was talk of the cheap LED lights not tuning off or glowing just a little and doing all sorts of strange light things. Perhaps it could be related?

[Ben NA]

There was talk of the cheap LED lights not tuning off or glowing just a little and doing all sorts of strange light things.
Perhaps it could be related?

Hmmm, perhaps. As I say I'll change the bulbs back tomorrow and hope that fixes it. If it is the battery then I'm a bit stuffed as I bought it off the net and the car is too far from the house to charge the battery! Obviously I really don't wanna be pulling the battery out because I like my hands the way they are!

I can't believe it is the battery though. I've only been for long drives recently and the battery is an uprated one which is 3 months old. DOH!

Oh the last time the battery was flat, it had been left for 3 weeks or so and even then the started motor and fuel pump made noises. This is no fuel pump noise and just lots of clicking when I press the starter button.

Cheers for your help guys.

[p4cks]

Sorry for the thread hijack but I have just searched in the titles only on the 'VX220 Discussion' board and it returned...

Your search for the term "won't start" returned 36 results

[Ben NA]

Lol, I did the same. I didn't wanna hijack anyone else's thread or resurrect an old one!

[ChrisS1]

Would bump starting work if you can't get a charger on the battery?

[Ben NA]

I'm not sure that would work in my situation as the fuel pump isn't making any noise at all?! Surely this means that even if you could get it started then the alternator would charge the battery enough to make the fuel pump work before fuel starvation. This is probably complete rubbish!

[turbobob]

There was talk of the cheap LED lights not tuning off or glowing just a little and doing all sorts of strange light things.
Perhaps it could be related?

I seem to recall there was a thread where someone replaced the interior light bulb with an LED, and they complained it was glowing all the time, but I don't think it was related to starting problems.

To the OP, if you think the LED's have caused the problem, put the bulbs back in and try again. Out of interest are the festoon LED's resistive or not? If not, in theory if you apply power to them without a resistor, there is a chance you may have popped a fuse and / or the LED's.

Edited by turbobob, 23 February 2011 - 09:56 PM.

[Ben NA]

There was talk of the cheap LED lights not tuning off or glowing just a little and doing all sorts of strange light things.
Perhaps it could be related?

I seem to recall there was a thread where someone replaced the interior light bulb with an LED, and they complained it was glowing all the time, but I don't think it was related to starting problems.

To the OP, if you think the LED's have caused the problem, put the bulbs back in and try again. Out of interest are the festoon LED's resistive or not? If not, in theory if you apply power to them without a resistor, there is a chance you may have popped a fuse and / or the LED's.

Yep that was an interior bulb being replaced with an LED one. There is some current flowing through the interior bulb circuit which meant that an LED bulb would glow slightly as they use less power than the normal 10W one.

The LED's still work so I assume I couldn't have popped a fuse. I will change them back tomorrow and report back. Hopefully my car just doesn't like LED number plate bulbs! CBA checking fuses, relays, earthing points e.t.c!!

[turbobob]

If the LED's are still working, it doesn't necessarily mean you haven't popped a fuse. If they are literally just an LED in place of a bulb, then when you power up, its as good as creating a short circuit, therefore a fuse may blow. However, if it does have a resistor in it, then it shouldn't have.

[Ben NA]

Hmmmm, anyone know what fuse number may have blown, if this is the case? "Ignition services" is number 7. I'll try replacing that if replacing the bulbs doesn't fix it

[H1 HWK]

Hi Ben, I have led festoon lamps in my plate lights and side lights and they work fine, however the sidelights needed a bit of contact cleaning before they initially lit (I know they are polarised and only work one way). The interior light had a faint always on glow, so I swapped that back to a standard filament lamp, but wired in an led array in paralell under the dash for a bit more indirect lighting. The VX does seem to have some weird electrical characteristics compared to other cars which I don't fully understand? Mine doesn't drain after being left for a week or so though. To be on the safe side, switch back to std filament lamps and try and get someone to listen (or feel) if the fuel pump relay in the boot is engaging when you turn the key. Not sure which fuse runs this, but worst case remove the fuses one at a time and inspect/con check. To get an idea of the battery health, main beams on, then switch the heater in...if the battery is low/on the way out you should see a significant dip in the lights. Bump starting the car is not a good idea (unless you have no other way),... can you get another vehicle out to yours and run jumpers for a few minutes, then try cranking it? Good luck, hopefully you'll have it back to life soon

[Ben NA]

Hi Ben,

I have led festoon lamps in my plate lights and side lights and they work fine, however the sidelights needed a bit of contact cleaning before they initially lit (I know they are polarised and only work one way). The interior light had a faint always on glow, so I swapped that back to a standard filament lamp, but wired in an led array in paralell under the dash for a bit more indirect lighting. The VX does seem to have some weird electrical characteristics compared to other cars which I don't fully understand? Mine doesn't drain after being left for a week or so though.

To be on the safe side, switch back to std filament lamps and try and get someone to listen (or feel) if the fuel pump relay in the boot is engaging when you turn the key. Not sure which fuse runs this, but worst case remove the fuses one at a time and inspect/con check. To get an idea of the battery health, main beams on, then switch the heater in...if the battery is low/on the way out you should see a significant dip in the lights.

Bump starting the car is not a good idea (unless you have no other way),... can you get another vehicle out to yours and run jumpers for a few minutes, then try cranking it?

Good luck, hopefully you'll have it back to life soon

Cheers for your help H1 HWK! I'll try your suggestions tomorrow.

[2.2_na]

I seem to recall there was a thread where someone replaced the interior light bulb with an LED, and they complained it was glowing all the time, but I don't think it was related to starting problems.
.

That was me.

It didn't affect starting. In the end I gave up with the LED, and opted for a brighter normal festoon bulb.

[Ben NA]

Right so after my lights, radio, heater, alarm e.t.c worked yesterday, nothing works today and the interior light barely even illuminates! Maybe those LED number plate bulbs drained the battery?! I've changed them back now and will have to walk to Halfords to buy a battery charger then pull the battery out to charge it!!! I do have breakdown cover and was/am tempted to ring them to give it a charge/bump start. I heard bump starting a VX was a no-no though. Any truth in this?