Hi i have a vw bora which doesnt start but has ignition lights, when key is turned lights dont fade and there is no click from starter motor

Hi, there are a few possible faults that i can think of: the first could be that the battery may be low and does not crank the motor. The second could be that the starter needs attention.(you do not say whether any ignition lights come on) When the key is turned and the motor does not crank, the ignition,battery or the starter could be faulty. I would suggest you start with the battery then test the starter, if the battery is good and the starter is okay then check the ignition. All the best.

- Switch on the head lamps for 5 minutes.
- Keeping the head lamps ON, start the engine.
If the lights die,
- Check the battery terminals.
- Check battery state of charge.
- Charging system.
If the lights still glow sharply,
- Check fuses and relays in under the hood fuse and relay box junction.
- Battery to starter motor cable.
- Battery to engine ground and chassis ground cable.
- Solenoid on starter motor.
- Starter motor.
- Wiring.
-Ignition switch.

Start by checking the battery cables for corrosion at - to motor and + to battery. If all cables are good It will be the starter. the lights dimming while turning the key is normal. PS you can also give the starter a few good whacks with a hammer then try to start it.

possible starter issue, try to lightly tap starter with hammer, be very cautious when doing so, you will damage starter if you hit it to hard, after tapping starter start car if that does not work another simple possibility is the steerwheel lock, with ignition on off possition turn steering wheel, listen for click, then turn key to start.

The starting system consists of:

• starter motor
• starter switch, part of the ignition switch
• starter motor solenoid relay switch
• starter solenoid
• starter drive

When you turn your key to start your engine, it just clicks, right? If so, more than likely this is due to a bad battery. Even though your battery may appear to be fully charged, it may have a dead cell, or worse. If you get a jump, does the vehicle start? If so, replace your battery.

Possible sources of the problem if the engine does not crank or the relay clicks:

1. Battery
2. Starter motor
3. Starter motor relay
4. Ignition switch
5. Damaged fuse
6. Anti-theft system
7. Circuitry

I’m happy to help further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/jeremy_69f3cc28d95bf514

Hi Kelly,
sounds like your battery is a bit sick. Or it could be the starter motor solenoid sticking.
The click you are hearing is probably the starter motor solenoid. If you hear a series of loud clicking its usually due to a flat battery in which case you need a jump start from another car.
If you can get someone to charge up your battery using a portable charger and the car starts OK, its a fair bet your battery is on it's way out. You can get your battery tested at any large reputable auto repair shop.
If the battery is OK, the solenoid can get stuck on your starter motor. Often a light tap with a rubber or wooden mallet can free up a stuck solenoid, but ultimately you will need a new starter motor. (BTW The solenoid is the smaller bit attached to your starter motor. There will be heavy wires attached to it) Have a look at link 1 below for more info.

Have a look here for some info to help you understand your starter circuit:
http://www.samarins.com/glossary/starter.html
or
http://www.caradvice.com.au/37/car-doesnt-start-engine-doesnt-start/
or
http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_5225934_diagnose-bad-starter-motor.html

Regards, Steve
PS Feel free to vote for my answer or give a testimonial if I have helped.

sounds like the boot lock motor. this happened to my 2000 bora also. a new motor from vw dealer cost me €24.

Hi I am Vortash when you turn the key is there a sound from the engine a clicking noise this would be the pre engaged starter motor solenoid trying to engage if you do then the starter motor may be jammed or faulty or possibly has a bad earth check all your body earthing straps .. ( the lights would work as they dont take much drain but the amperage of the starter motor wouldnt ) .
If after checking the earths you dont hear this then I would suspect that the ignition switch is at fault and the starter motor contacts in the switch have burned out or the starter relay hope this is of help regards vortash

hi their how are you ? are you local to east sussex ?i work out of their it hard to say why your airbag light i on most of the time it the wireing undre the front seats get move or comes unpluged but you wont be able to turn the light out without a computer if its loged a fault now as it thinks that there is something wrong it would have to be rest sorry. the abs light comeing on when you start the car means their is a fault with the abs motor or a wheel sensor but again with out pluging in to the car its hard to tell you what the problem might be the reverse light is most of the time ie a bulb switch in the gear box or a fuse . i hope that helps you let me know what happens thanks

Check those wires in the trunk if one of them had power to something you could be grounding something out, dont keave exposed wires exposed to any metal thers a battery drain, or your starter motor just went out, if you can check the voltage coming from the starter it should be close to 10volts, 10 volts is required to start an engine. Also chek the relays in Power Distribution Center (PDC) located under hood in upper driver side corner. You need to try to diagnose where all the power is being disipating to.