Q: Why won't the starter motor engage and turn engine over. Also, the clutch pedal won't move and the clutch is partly engaged but slips.

asked by on March 03, 2017

So we picked this car up for 900 bucks with a supposedly knackered engine, we thought it would be a good idea to put a battery in to see if it would turn over, but we got some weird things like the brake lights won't turn off even without the keys in, and the starter solenoid won't engage the starter motor, we then tried to bump the motor over but the clutch pedal is stuck in the fully engaged position, so that wasn't going to work, then when we tried to move the car we accidentally left it in gear but we only noticed after we moved it because the clutch was slipping so much that we didn't even notice that it was in gear, could this be that the clutch is worn out and the started solenoid id shot? or something more sinister? Cheers
My car has a manual transmission.

If the clutch pedal is not moving and the clutch is partially applied, then the clutch release bearing may be damaged and the fork is jammed into the clutch forcing it to slip.

For the no start condition on the starter, try tapping on the starter solenoid and see if the starter engages. If the starter does not engage, then remove the starter and see if it engages without the engine. If the starter does engage, then try to crank the engine over by hand and see if it turns. If the engine does not turn, then the bearings may be locked up or there could be an issue inside the engine. If the engine does move, then the starter needs to be replaced. For the brake lights not shutting off, the brake light switch could be applied as it may be not connected properly on the brake pedal. Check to see the location of the brake pedal light switch and adjust the location to relax the switch. If the switch is relaxed, then the brake light switch would need replaced.

I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you with the no start and clutch issue.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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