Certaintly sounds as though the starter solenoid jams.Does it eventually start if you try it a number of times?If you can locate the starter try tapping the solenoid with a hammer and that should free it off momentarily,although you will need to replace the starter motor eventually(solenoid is part of starter and cannot be bought separately).
Give us the details of your engine(petrol/diesel etc)and I'm sure someone will know where it is(usually the most inaccessable place the manufacturer can find!!)

 

Hi
I have tried it a few times but to no avail
The engine is a D( it has a throttle housing) series 1.2 Petrol
cheers

 

If no one else on the forum knows where the starter motor is,then tomorrow at work,I'll have a look at our Clio loan car(should be the same as yours) and get back to you tomorrow.
Once you've located it,check that you have a 12v feed to the small wire on the starter motor when you turn the ignition to the start position.If you have then it's more than likely that the starter is faulty.If you haven't,then the next suspect is the ignition switch itself.
Just another thought,the battery is O.K,isn't it?.

 

Sorry,to add to previous post;
Does the engine turn over by hand(i.e with a spanner on the crank pulley bolt)?.

 

Hi
Thanks for the info.
I out of the country for the next week so i will try your suggestings when i get back.
Its a new battery
Cheers

 

Just looked at our Clio 1.2 loan car and the starter motor is right at the front of the engine.Unusually,it looks very easy to change!

 

Hi
Changed the starter motor
Turned on the ignition and!!!!!!!
Nothing, not even a click.
Will try a jump leads as I now suspect battery not man enough to get the starter going.
Watch this space.

 

It's the battery!!!!!! Trust me!!!!
I've had this happen to me, where I've tried 3 different starters on and off the car (in a vice connected to battery)
Checked all the wiring, earth straps and ignition countless of times then it hit me!!!!
Tried a different battery, presto....vroom!!!

 

Hi
Tested the starter offf the engine with the battery al Ok.
Put it back on and tried jump leads still the same.
Noticed the warning lights on the dash are dim after i try to start the car????
Could it be a bad earth!!!!
Any fuses in the line????
I'll keep scratching.

 

This sounds more like an engine problem now. Have you tried turning the engine with a spanner on the bottom pulley. I know lagdti suggested it in an earlier post but not sure if you have tried. When and how was the last time you had the car running? Did the starter just give up, did the engine stall, and not restart? Before you do too much more please try to turn over engine. It is possible that the cambelt has snapped and the valves are touching the pistons. If this is the case no ammount of power from the starter or battery will turn over the engine. Sorry to sound like the prophet of doom. Please let us know how it goes. Oily

 

Hi Oily
The engine does turn with a spanner.
It started with the clicking noise when I tried to start the car.
I had problems of it stalling at low revs.
I have had the starter off and checked the solinoid on the battery.
The solinoid was operating.
Put a volt meter ( beep set Ohms) across the connection between the solinoid and the starter motor and then connected the solinoid to the battery.
The solinoid worked and I heard the beep which i assumed the connection between the solinoid wan the starter motor was made.
I then tried a direct connection from the battery to the solinoid, by passing the ignition switch.
There was clicking. Is the solinoid working??/. The engine never turned.

 

Yes the solonoid is woking but it sounds as though the dog on the starer motor is stuck. The way I check is to run a jump lead from the battery and connect it to the solonoid and the main feed wire to the starter at the same time (carefully). The solonoid should throw the starter dog forwards and the dog should then engage with the flywheel. If it still just clicks then you can say that the dog has stuck on its shaft. It is possible to lubricate the dog and shaft using a carbon grease, but in my experience this only gives the starter a very minimum extended live. Unfortunatley dust from the clutch plate tends to build up on the starter dog and using ordinary grease just speeds up the process. I hope this helps. Sorry if yesterdays seemed dramatic but any thing is possible in this world. All the best Oily

 

Are you absolutley sure the battery is OK?.
It's one thing running the starter motor seperately across the battery and another to try and crank the engine over with the starter.
Is there absolute continuity between the battery negative terminal and the engine.Any resistance at all will show a bad earth to the engine.
I know you have tried jump leads but they are often difficult to get a good connect with on to the Renault style battery connections.When you connect the jump leads, the car they are run from should drop it's engine speed slightly when they connected properly.

 

Hi Oily
When I apply power to the solinoid the dog gets thrown forward and rotates
I will connect power to the main motor as you suggest.
I will let you know

 

Hi Lagdti
I will try the jump leads again. I also had the battery on charge for a few hours and was getting 12 volts on the meter
Cheers.

 

What you need to check is the voltage you have when the battery is under load.If your ignition lights are dimming then I would still suspect the battery.

 

Please try a different battery or a new one....
U r going to kick ur self!!!

 

hi mate does the ignition lights come on and off when holding key in start position cos if they do the battery is flat and the start relay has a built in power sencer

 

hi m8 i do agree with the rest of the bunch on the battery.

theres one thing you can try though is put a jump lead on the negative(-) side on the batt and the other end on to the starter housing,(when its fitted to the car) if it starts then its usually the earth strap from the battery to the side of the batt tray. seen it about 2 times in 5 years lol

 

Mmmm. this thread is about 18 months old, wonder if the car ever started

 

Hi, Ive a 1.2 clio and its been dry stored for 14 months. Decided to sell it so fitted a new battery but it wont start. All ignition lights on and all can be heard is a loud click everytime I turn the key. I WAS able to jump start it from my car but as soon as it was switched off it was the sane again, any ideas?
Mike

 

When you jump started it, did you connect negative lead to battery or engine ?
I suspect bad engine earth and you inadvertently corrected this when jump starting.

 

Hi, I connected the negative lead to the neagative terminal, would this point to a bad earth then , easy fix?
Thanks
Mike

 

Nope but doesn't discount it.
Normally, I'd suspect a loud click is the starter motor solenoid clicking but not enough power to crank over.
Often due to bad earth.
Added battery may have provided the power.

Try connecting battery negative to engine with one jump lead and see if it will crank.

Other thing I would check is that battery terminals are tight on posts.

 

Thanks mate,
I connected the negative terminal to the engine earlier and it made no difference. I'm going to reconnect the new battery tomorrow and make sure all the connections are solid
Cheers
Mike

 

Check the connections are also clean & sound on the starter.