Alibro, you can say that again. BTW read with great interest your recent thread re: your new Freelander. Fantastic work, and good luck keeping it under £500.

Got my kit from RepairkitsUK as well; Carl was very helpful when I called him with a question. Great post BTW, wish it had been up about six weeks ago...

Thank you 4x4dog. Wierd is right, never dreamed this was going to be the battery.

OK, put a new battery it in two days ago, after the old one tested weak at about half its rated amperage on demand. Since then, it has started right up each time. That said, I've been told that it wasn't the battery, it has to be either the ignition or the starter contacts. Well I guess we'll...

Too true, yet typical of past behavior I'm afraid -- I have a talent for doing things the hard way. It's just that this doesn't match my expectations (born of limited experience I admit) of what a weak battery acts like. Either a car starts or it doesn't, and it is usually pretty obvious when...

Fair assumption. I did open it up to look for a fuse but saw nothing untoward (i.e. blackened or melted). The meter appears to remain at least partially functional as I've since tested the battery during output. DCV starts out at 12 or so and drops to between 8 and 10 while starting. From what...

evidence of a weak battery?

Greetings everyone, time for an update. Thanks for all the helpful comments so far. With respect to Grumpy's latest suggestion, it turns out that I had in fact blown the green 20A fuse in the engine compartment fusebox, explaining why I started getting nothing at all when I turned the key, but...

Good point.

Redwood, outstanding. Thank you. That said, any good reason not to just run a new lead directly from the ignition to the tab on the starter?

Alibro, makes good sense. I'd really prefer finding the problem rather than running a new lead anyway; if the circuit passes through a relay it must be for a sound reason. Can't do much about it right now as I need to attend to some other things first but when I can I'll tackle this and keep you...

Hello everyone, Thanks for your support. Thought it time for a quick update. As stated above, I can start the car by jumping from the tab contact on the starter to the battery. Drove it over to Jean-Pierre's place where we pulled the ignition and bench-tested it. We determined to our...

V6, right now there's no noise of any kind. I'm more and more inclined to think it's the ignition switch. I'll order one tomorrow. Easy to change out and not too terribly expensive; between now and when the new one gets in I can always jump to the battery to start the car if I need it.

Nodge, Tried it just now as per your suggestion; didn't change a thing. Still nothing, no noise, nothing yet all dash lights work. Left the key on and jumped from the tab on the starter directly to the battery and the engine started right up. Checked lights, radio, windshield wipers, heater...

Just went out and attached a lead from the tab on the starter by the battery post and touched the other end of the wire to the positive post of the battery and the starter turns over just fine. So I think I'm OK with the battery and the starter. Now I have to figure out why there's no more juice...

Grumpy, I was pretty sure the battery was OK so I didn't check it before. For the sake of being thorough I've put a charger on it. But now I need to confirm or eliminate the ignition as the culprit since now nothing's getting to the starter.

I went back out intending to check the line under a load as per Alibro. First though, I wanted to double-check the connection at the tab so I crimped the clamp just a bit and then tried to start. I was still getting the ka-thunk, so while holding the key in the start position I wiggled it around...

Nodge, We did apply 12v to the tab on the bench with my neighbor. Makes sense to test the line under a load as per Alibro's comment, will try that next. Should be able to get to it in about an hour or so.

Greetings everyone, At wits' end here. Perhaps some enlightened souls can see something I obviously am missing. Two weeks ago, after a series of intermittent not starting, I changed the solenoid contacts and plunger. Started first time every time for two weeks, then that ka-thunk ka-thunk...

Good to be here