starting issues

[goboatingaus]

Hi, just wondering after patrolling the forums if maybe you could help me. I "think" my starter motor is going.
after waiting for my glow plug clicks (more like 20seconds apart) the engine just clicks once when i turn the key. sounds like a dead battery but i have been driving it lots and i think the power is fine.

any ideas on what to check next?

Adrian

[Rattlenbang]

First check is a voltage check on the battery. Should be at least 12V on a healthy, well-charged battery. Lots of possible reasons why it might not have been charging.

[Firesong]

Check the connections at the battery and at the starter. Loose, frayed or corroded. Easy 1st step and most often the cause

[Yokohama]

As pointed out above, you should inspect the battery connections; inspect and clean off any residue off the connectors and terminals. You should also look at the battery cable ends where they meet the connectors as they can have corrosion also. Inspect the starter end of the cables too.

If the above does not work, you should try to use a known good battery from another car to test it. I have had instances of a battery indicating a full charge, but would register almost zero volts under load (shorted/bad cell in battery).