406 HDI GLX problem seconds after a successful MOT!!!

[richyb83]

Hello all, I am having a bit of a problem and wanted to put it out to the masses. Took the 406 in for its MOT this morning and it went through fine as expected as I've done a bit of work on it myself recently to make sure its all good. Got the call the MOT was finished and ready for collection and when I get there the guy trys to start it but it didn't turn over. All the electrics come on and everything is normal then once you turn it to engine on nothing. Now I did have a sticky key problem which you had to flick back from 'start' to back to 'on' which I told them about. They took the steer column section off and had a look about and they think its the ignition switch that is at fault. The wire between the ignition barrel (security but the key goes in) and the connection on the steering column. The guy was showing me it with a screw driver in the ignition switch and he was twisting it and again the electrics are coming on but no start up. No noise from the engine at all. Now I am not sure if its the ignition switch. The car does have an immobiliser link to a chip in the key so would a screw driver in the ignition switch actually turn the vehicle on? I did think maybe the starter motor. Maybe the guy didn't click the key back from 'start' to just 'on' and had burnt it out. There is still battery life though? Any suggestions? I am just not sure how to play it. I did notice when I tried to turn it on the fuel tank didn't show as full which it was when I put it in. Not that I think its gone just that maybe that is linked. Any advice here.

[djp30djp]

If everything else is working OK apart from the starter motor then the "exiter" wire is the first thing to check. That's the small wire that goes to the starter motor(white & red I think). Then check the starter motor itself, but the "Garage" should be doing this already?

[mypugscool]

when you turn key to start, the starter motor engages in turns engine and then engine starts, but if they didnt turn key back (where it would normally do on its own) the engine fires up and runs but the starter motor also keeps running too which after a few seconds will burn out starter motor, could this of happend? as i did this on my 205 once as the ignition barrel lost its spring inside

[djp30djp]

I don't understand. Does it still start like that, or did it only start pror to MoT?? If it no longer starts at all then my previous post still applies.

[mjb]

Hang on a sec. You took it to the garage, it passed its MOT and they want to give you it back in a non-running state?!?! I'd tell them to fix it pronto!