Assuming it is a loud click from by the starter.

Battery flat..... what voltage reading when you hear the click.

Terminal loose, loosen both (one at a time) push down and twist to ensure fully seated..tighten.

Fuse gone in Battery positive connection box.... usually three, look like connectors are fuses... large one provides power to the motor side of the starter. Visual check will tell you nothing, check you have 12v both sides.

Earth strap poor... try with a jump lead from battery negative to solid metal bit on engine.

Bad connection on starter motor. Probably the big cable if click from starter. While checking, make sure you have 12v on the big wire, should be permanently live.

Starter motor dead. Least likely but can happen.


If quiet click from underbonnet fuse box, different items to check.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, Dad!

I've got the battery hooked up to a charger in "repair mode" so hopefully that will sort it, if not I shall work through your list.

Is the starter hard to get to? I can't seem to see it.

 

Is the starter hard to get to? I can't seem to see it.

Oh yes.
As DD says the nature of the click is relevant- is it inside, or from the engine compartment?


It's worth noting what happens to the dash and clock/radio displays when the button is pressed. Do they go blank for a second or so, then come back on? If so, then it could be a corroded solenoid tag.

 

Thanks for the tips. The sound seems to be quite loud and coming from the engine, I can hear it much clearer with the door open.

When I press the button, the lights stay the same.

So far, I've charged the battery which is now 12.7 volts and checked the 3 fuses DD mentioned. All seems good there. Tomorrow I shall tackle the earth strap test and starter motor if I can find it!

Do you know where I should be looking for the starter?

 

I tried the putting a thick piece of wire from the negative on the battery to the car body with a crocodile clip and the car fired right up! Thanks for the suggestion!

Can I leave this in place if I secure it or do I need a more permanent fix?

 

Need a permanent fix :grin2:
Which may be a suitable bit of thick wire without the crocodile clip. :wink2:

Check the earth straps on the vehicle, you will probably find that one at least is green (copper corroded) and possibly broken up.
Could also be a poor fixing...loosen clean, re fix.

You know what it is now and that is often the major part of the problem.

 

Thanks for tips. I did replace the crocodile clips with proper terminal connectors that I crimped onto a very thick piece of wire and then bolted both ends down securely, one to the battery and the other under a bolt on the body.

It has randomly worked before for a day or two so I'm no 100% sure this is the issue but time will tell I suppose, I did try it this morning and nothing, then I added the wire and it fired right up.

Do you know where the earth strap is located?

 

Not a scoobie where the earth straps are, sorry.
Being as you seem to have located the faulty one as being to body, would suggest that one.
But short of looking..... ?

Generally from battery.
One to underbonnet fuse box that the ECU uses as needed.
One to bodyshell, lights and the like use that one.
One to engine.
But varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Not even common styles.
Some use heavy round wire, some braided straps.
Should be black insulation but not going to guarantee that.

Can't even look on my Scenic for you... not got it anymore.
Someone else with a Scenic 2 may be able to pinpoint.

 

At a guess the big ones are headed down to the top of the gearbox or bellhousing. Can't see exactly where they attach at the bottom end.
Just found a pic in the Haynes book of the bottom end of the main earth strap.
Reckon the battery, box, air cleaner and so on have to come out. Either that or the wheel arch?

Copyright Image Removed

 

Thanks for the tips. For now I'll just make sure that is the issue by leaving my fix in place. That seems like a bit too much hassle so I will order a new strap and wire it in where I have my wire now.

 

Sounds like a plan.

My only concern is that earth to bodyshell is not the usual one to "fix" the starter click.
That it has certainly suggests that it's found a route.
Which makes me wonder if the engine strap is duff and that you have been living on an earth to body (which isn't designed to take the load) and a secondary strap from body to engine.
Thinking out loud only.

 

I'm not really sure, if the issue doesn't come back in a few days then it's almost certainly a bad earth somewhere, I just figured it would easier to replace my fix with a proper earth strap than it would trying to locate exactly where the underlying problem is, if it's starts when she pushes the button, that's good enough for me as long as the car isn't at risk of bursting into flames!

 

Well that didn't last long! The car is clicking rather than starting again...It's going to auto electrician as the a normal garage has already charged £155 to 'fix' this and it lasted a day.

Any pointers on where to tell them start first?

 

Have you tried connecting a jump lead from the batt - terminal to a metal section of the gearbox/engine and see whether there is any improvement? If there is you need to find the gearbox earth strap (probably on the top) and redo the connection there and where it connects to the body.
If still no improvement then get partner to press start and use a length of timber batten onto the starter body and hit it moderately hard with a medium hammer. If starter engages you need a replacement starter as the starter solenoid plunger is sticking.

 

Thank you. I will pass this info onto the auto electrician. I have asked a few times but still no answer, does anyone where the starter motor is located?

EDIT: Oh and yes, I did try the negative to body with a jump lead but no joy.

 

Dont know with the Scenic but the Megane's was at the front of the engine

 

Yep. Our S2 has it front side on the bellhousing end, obviously.

 

Lee, its the - terminal to gearbox that completes the return path from starter to battery, so try connecting jump lead to a large bolt head on the engine to the battery - terminal to rule in/out a defective gearbox earth strap.