vauxhall combo van 53 plate not turning over

[burts]

my van is not turning over at all. I have power when I turn on the dashboard. The past week it has struggled to start in the mornings so I thought it was the cold or that the battery was dropping charge over night. This afternoon it struggled and did not start. Then after a couple of attempts there is just nothing now. I put a multimeter across the battery and it had 12v, also a jump start made no difference.
??? Starter motor??

 

[AlanE]

What is voltage on the battery when the starter is actually engaged?

 

[burts]

Hi Alan, thanks for responding. Earlier I had 12v whilst the battery was off then 12 when dash/lights on.

I then had my sister come over to try a jump start. I did have her try turning it over whilst I checked but my multimeter back light kept going off by the time I could place on the terminals and see. It was dark, no torch. I thought if it were the battery then the jump start would have go it going? No?

 

[Mursal]

Yes, you would have thought it would start with a jump, if it was a battery.

Have you good headlights when stopped?

Hopefully just a bad connection around the battery and when you jumped you still used the bad connection?

Next time put the black lead onto the engine block, and the red lead as close to the starter as possible.

Do the warning lights go dim when you go for a start, or stay bright? Any clicks from the starter? Check you still have the little thin wire still on the starter.

 

[burts]

Maybe I just done a poor attempt of a jump start. I just clipped on to the battery terminals. It was dark and with my sister who did not want to hang around too long.

The headlights are bright, windscreen wipers seemed a little slower but I can't be sure. All dash lights stay bright and when I turn over I do hear a click. It is dark now so I will get up when it is light. Is the starter motor easy to get at? What is the thin wire?

Regarding battery, I have 12.1 volts with engine off and about 11.7 with the lights on. My Haynes manual says anything under 12.2 is dead?

Is it dead and I was just useless at jump starting a car!

 

[Mursal]

Usually if the battery was at fault the ignition light would go dim when you go for a start, but as you say the battery is quite old anyway.