[tsk1979]

Recently while the safari was at workshop, the door motor was being worked upon. On attempting to start the engine, suddenly click click sounds came, with no engine turn.

Even with jump starting same sounds came.
Then the workshop guys engaged car in gear, rocked her back and forth, and reattempted started. Guess what. Engine started.

The tech told me the "solenoid" got locked. It happens once in a 500 times kind of thing. Won't happen again.

I am worried. If it happened once, why won't it happen again?
Whats the cause?

[dadu]

I have seen this one before long time back in other cars, I think its a gear lock in the starter which the solenoid has to rotate.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Recently while the safari was at workshop, the door motor was being worked upon. On attempting to start the engine, suddenly click click sounds came, with no engine turn.

Even with jump starting same sounds came.
Then the workshop guys engaged car in gear, rocked her back and forth, and reattempted started. Guess what. Engine started.

The tech told me the "solenoid" got locked. It happens once in a 500 times kind of thing. Won't happen again.

I am worried. If it happened once, why won't it happen again?
Whats the cause?

When the mechanic tried to start the engine, the pinion which is triggered by the solenoid switch meshed with the flywheel but could not rotate it due to:

1. The bendix drive could have lost lubrication.
2. The yoke which pushes the bendix might have gotten jammed slightly.

These are common issues and generally hard to replicate. Generally, an opening, cleaning and lubrication of the solenoid switch assembly solves it, if it repeats itself.

When the mechs rocked the vehicle, the flywheel turned slightly and it freed up the bendix and the yoke and it was pulled back to its place which solved it.

[Swapnil4585]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Recently while the safari was at workshop, the door motor was being worked upon. On attempting to start the engine, suddenly click click sounds came, with no engine turn.

Even with jump starting same sounds came.
Then the workshop guys engaged car in gear, rocked her back and forth, and reattempted started. Guess what. Engine started.

The tech told me the "solenoid" got locked. It happens once in a 500 times kind of thing. Won't happen again.

I am worried. If it happened once, why won't it happen again?
Whats the cause?

How do you ascertain that the solenoid has got locked? And that there is no problem with battery or starter motor?

My Altis isn't starting since Tuesday evening. The battery looks to be alright, as all other electronics are working fine. I cleaned the terminals and tried to start, but it did not.

And all the while, the starter motor is making machine gun like click sounds. I tried tapping the motor slightly with a screwdriver, I tried pushing the car back and forth in 3rd gear, still it did not. The clicks were happening though.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

How do you ascertain that the solenoid has got locked? And that there is no problem with battery or starter motor?

My Altis isn't starting since Tuesday evening. The battery looks to be alright, as all other electronics are working fine. I cleaned the terminals and tried to start, but it did not.

And all the while, the starter motor is making machine gun like click sounds. I tried tapping the motor slightly with a screwdriver, I tried pushing the car back and forth in 3rd gear, still it did not. The clicks were happening though.

On the face of it the battery is a goner. The battery can seem normal but fail when under a heavy load. Please have it load tested at the first opportunity.

But if you are sure about the battery then check for any voltage drop from the battery positive post to starter motor solenoid coil. Ditto for the negative/earth side.

[Swapnil4585]

Originally Posted by R2D2

On the face of it the battery is a goner. The battery can seem normal but fail when under a heavy load. Please have it load tested at the first opportunity.

You are absolutely right sir. The battery was dead and a new one, Amco, has been deployed today.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

You are absolutely right sir. The battery was dead and a new one, Amco, has been deployed today.

AMCO? Didn't think they make a 45 AH battery for the Corolla Altis/Honda Civic. Which model did you buy?