d40 starting issues

Hi all,

this is my first time posting on this forum but not the first time ive used it as a reference my 09 navara d40 isnt starting it just clicks was working fine i dropped my son off from school no dramas went to go back to work and it wouldnt start both batterys are fully charged has a new starter motor (which did nothing to fix the problem) and im just at a loss when i turn the key the needles on the dial vibrate up n down and it just clicks any help would be greatly appreciated

I suspect a faulty earth or dirty or loose terminals on the cranking battery.

ive tightened the terminals as much as possible ive poured boiling water over the terminals they dont look to bad how wouldi go about checking to see if its a faulty earth would i just run a jumper lead from the starter to the body?

See if you can jump start it from another battery, also pull the terminals off and clean with a Bicarb and vinegar paste use an old toothbrush. Also check and clean the - from the battery to the body.

would the second battery start the car ifi disconected the main battery?

With a set of good jumper leads yes, just disconnect it from from the isolator before you try.

Also check the terminals on the starter. mine were loose once and make it click... and check the other end of the lead where it goes under the fused battery terminal. The earth goes to the body under the battery first then to the block. check them also.

sorry to seem dull but what am i cheking the leads for? corrosion and breaks?

The first thing I'd check is the large heavy cable that runs from the battery negative to the side of the engine. Undo both ends, clean and reinstall.

Second, the heavy red cable from the battery to the starter motor. Again, both ends. You're cleaning it - the cables are too heavy and made from multistrand wire so there won't be any problem with breaks in there.

The next thing I'd look at is the starter solenoid. If the clicking sound is coming from the solenoid itself (the smaller round thing on the side of the starter) and it's not coming from the starter itself (the starter gear may not be engaging properly on the flywheel) then the solenoid might be faulty.

It's happened before that a fully charged battery can't start a car. Battery chargers will charge a battery based on the voltage that the charger sees on the battery and smart chargers will look at the rate of change of voltage in response to a particular amount of current going in. If the battery has aged to the point where its surface voltage is high but it has very little depth (like putting 10 AA batteries in place of your cranker) then you'll turn the car on, but the battery will die quickly and be unable to turn the starter over (it needs about 500A to turn the diesel engine over).

You can sort of test this yourself. While cranking, your battery should be showing no less than 10V (measured with a multimeter while the engine is being cranked). If it's showing less - the battery needs to have a "charge depth test" done on it by an auto electrician.