Hey y'all

My Disco died on me today morning. When I turn on the ignition, there's a clickity-click-click sound, and thats it. I wasn't sure if it's the battery, or the distributor or something else. The noise seems to resonate from the passenger's side of the engine bay.
The headlights come on and the horn honks - so I'm guessing the battery is fine.
Any ideas on what it could be?

Thanks all,
Leo

 

starter sounds like it has crapped out. I have seen them on ebay.

 

i doubt it would be a distributor since i think 2000 Discos had a DIS ignigtion, mike, correct me if i am wrong please.

check the charge on the battery, it should be 12.6 Volts

 

Defently something between battery to the starter or batt to ground, could be batt connection or caroded wire to starter or battery to ground. And yes it too can be a battery. Take it to auto zone or some where and have it load tested, you need at least 9.6 volts under heavy load test. any less and the battery is the source. Make sure you un hook connections because then you risk the chance of testing the battery thru what could possiably be a bad connection and not a bad battery. If batt test fine check you cables for corosion inside them where you can't see it.

oh yea, does it only do this when you crank it over, if there is a clicking sound when you turn the key to run, you have a differnt problem, (just had to be sure)

 

mike, 05 & wild .. thanks for the input.
I'll check it out tonight after work, and give it a test.

Yes, the sound only comes when I crank it up.
Now.. I've had my Disco for just about 3 weeks... and I had noticed a noise when I used to crank it up. It would come right as the ignition is turning on, and right before th RPMs rise. It might be totally unrelated... but I'm not sure.

 

So it does start? If so then you do have a differnt problem. Non battery related. I thought you were saying when you tried to start all you got was clicking sound and no starter spining at all. Please explain a little better.

 

Im sorry about that, Mike.
Yesterday, the car was NOT starting - so you had it right.

[ "I had noticed a noise when I used to crank it up. It would come right as the ignition is turning on, and right before th RPMs rise. It might be totally unrelated... but I'm not sure." ] <<< This was when the car WAS starting up.

Here's an update on the situation though -- last night me & a friend, cleaned off all the corrosion on the terminals, jumped the Landy... and it runs!! Started her today morning & drove her to work (about 18 miles). and seems to be fine.
I don't know if it was purely due to the corrosive deposit on the terminals - that she wouldn't fire up. I'm guessing its not the alternator - as I drove it for a while.

I'm thinking of taking it to the dealership and running an electrics test on it - they quoted like $45 for it - and maybe that'll give me some further insight

 

yea, when you take it in make sure they check your cables for resistance, if you had bad enough corosion on the connections, i would bet its in the cables too.