I have a 2004 MC. Up through last night when I parked the car in the driveway everything was fine. This morning when I tried to start the car it when bizarre. When I hit the start position on the key switch it died. I backed of to the run position, and then the drivers window starts going down in 1/4" increments for about 3" of total travel then quits. Everything electrical resets. Thinking the battery may be almost dead, I jump started the car with the same results. The battery shows 12.55V and 0.6 ohms resistance. I can not find anything on what the resistance is supposed to be through the battery to know if the 0.6 ohm figure is good. I tried it again without depressing the clutch, and everything was fine until I pushed the clutch in. As soon as the clutch safety switch made contact to put the juice to the starter the bizarre stuff happened again. Everything is fine in any of the key positions including the start position until I push the clutch in. All of the battery connections are solid, and the resistance was measured with the batter disconnected. Any help please???

 

I do have an idea that it may be the starter, but do not have any experience with these types of symptoms connected with the starter.

 

I'm saying a big fat negatory on the starter being the culprit. I would have your battery load tested. If you have a bad connection when your jump starting could give you the same conclusions. The windows are doing what they are doing because of low voltage...cable connections tight???

 

+1 on the battery as a culprit. First place I'd check. Dying batteries on the MINI's can cause strange behaviour. No two cars seem to exhibit the same symptoms for that particular ill. Do the load test, check connections.

 

The only thing to check on the battery is the voltage. If you can have someone crank the engine while you monitor the voltage it will drop off some but not a great deal. If you can not do that turn the head lights on and check your voltage. If this is your original battery there is a very good chance it is your battery.

 

Replace your four year old battery.

 

A good battery will read 14.6 volts not 12

 

I tried a test by disconnecting my battery (that was replace about 1 1/2 - 2 years ago under a recal), and removing it from the system. I hooked the cables to my wifes car using my trusty jumper cables, and attempted to start the car. The result - The same symptoms as with my battery in the circuit. Her battery starts her car (1999 Miata) just fine. We tried it with her car running, and with it off. Any ideas from this? I still need to be convinced of what it may be before I pop for either a battery or a starter.

 

You certainly don't have enough to go on to deem the starter faulty...I have replaced hundreds of batteries in these cars over the years and any one of them that came in with a dead(but just not all the way dead) battery would do this with the windows. Hook a voltmeter up the cables(not the battery), and attempt to start the car and the voltage should stay above 9.6V and probably closer to 11-12V. I stress to put the meter on the cables and not the battery because if you have a Voltage drop, you wouldn't be able to catch it. If the results are below 9.6V, put the voltmeter on the battery and if the results are the same(meaning no Voltage drop), then you have a bad battery.

 

Batteries will not hold a static charge of 14.6, more like 12.5 or so. Only way it would be that high measuring at the battery is if it were running and the alternator was doing it's job.

 

A fully charged 12 volt battery will read 13.5 volts if all 6 cells are working perfectly (and the stars align) - 2.125 to 2.15 volts per cell. 12.5 to 13 is where you find most of them sitting. The 14.6 would be the alternator output.
The bizzare stuff that happens when you try to start it (with either battery) could be a frozen starter/shorted solenoid that is drawing down the battery when you try cranking the engine. The deal with the clutch seems to indicate that it is starter related (no starter in the circuit until the clutch is depressed and the safety switch is activated.
Put the voltmeter on the battery and measure voltage (don't worry about the ohms, not applicable here). Now try starting it and see where the voltage drops to. Anything below 9.5 is bad.
You can try using one side of a jumper cable from the positive post down to the starter (the heavy stud/wire from the solenoid to the starter) to see if the starter will spin. If you do that, the starter will not try to engage, just spin. If it does, and does easily, it may well be the solenoid.

 

Run the jumper cable from the terminal marked 3 to the postive post of the battery to see if the
starter spins. Positive voltage applied to terminal 1 will cause the solenoid to engage (click!).
Both together will crank the engine (this bypasses the safety switch on the clutch, so make
sure it's in neutral and BE CAREFUL!

 

I decided to take the battery to my local Advance Auto Parts, and let them test the battery on their test stand. It did check out as bad. I had a good idea this was the case when the voltage check under starting conditions showed the voltage dropping well below the 9.6 volt mark. I got a new battery, installed it, and it just cranked right up. Thanks guys.

 

batteries can read good voltage but still not have the amps to crank a car over . the load test is the best way to go . nice .