Hi everyone,

I'm after some help from you very wise people

We have a 97 300tdi - currently in about 1000 pieces. It struggled to start this morning but eventually went and got my partner 60 miles to work with no problem. As soon as he got there and turned the engine off it wouldn't start again.

We were advised it could be the spider unit and to get a bypass - got the bypass took the dash to bits - no spider !! Bit more research and they didn't all have one.

So now ... On turning the key there are no lights on the dash apart from the red blinky light, there's a clicking from a relay in the passenger footwell.

If a wire is put from the battery to the fuel cut off solenoid, arc the starter motor out and it will start and run with no problems.

Thank you for reading ... Any ideas ?

Have you checked the fuses in the pod adjacent to your RH knee in the dashboard, most particularly fuse #3 if i recall correctly, it can be still not blown but have a bad contact in the fuse holder.
Also you did not make it clear if or not the engine turned over but failed to start or if in fact the starter would not operate at all from the key.
The female spade connector onto the starter solenoid beneath the exhaust manifold gets "cooked" and the joint becomes "dry" and will give sporadic start failures.
The clicking solenoid you hear in the LH footwell kick panel may be the glow plug solenoid.

Thank you for your reply,

Currently when you turn the key nothing happens other than the clicking.

All fuses have been checked and are ok

I would start by checking all the earths and connectors on the starter and then the starter relay.

ruffday said:

I would start by checking all the earths and connectors on the starter and then the starter relay.

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Agreed - problems of this nature are most likely caused by an earth fault - might be worth inspecting the connections on the back of the instrument cluster for verdigris too....

Disco1BFG said:

Agreed - problems of this nature are most likely caused by an earth fault - might be worth inspecting the connections on the back of the instrument cluster for verdigris too....

Click to expand...

Sorry to butt in. I get the same problem occasionally if it fails to start, no starter motor, take the key out, reverse the key insert and turn and will normally start. Have spoken to others but no idea of the cause.