No Start............

[scam75]

Evening all

Just home from the golf club without the car. Wouldn't start, turns over fine but not interested in starting. Was fine this morning. Swapped the DME relay to no avail, had very little tools, recovery man couldn't start it. So its sitting waiting for a flat bed to recover it to the house.

I suspect the crank sensor. The tacho is bouncing as normal but sometimes when turning over, without starting, the tacho rhythmically bounces its way up to about 3.5k rpm, goes up in increments whilst cranking. 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500 then no higher, the engine certainly isn't spinning at that speed.

I unplugged the crank sensor (I think it was the crank sensor, the higher one in the bracket?), wiggled wires, plugged it back in, no difference.

It could be the immobiliser, which is bult into the alarm, it could also be MAF or MAF wiring related like I've had before but the odd tacho behaviour is focusing me on the crank sensor (or reference sensor). Dunno, baffled.

What are your thoughts chaps?

Cheers

Stuart

 

[dlknight]

Thoughts / ideas are like ****holes

Start working through the troubleshooting guide on Clarks you know it is the right thing to do

Troubleshooting - Engine

1. Do you have spark?
2. Do you have fuel?

 

[scam75]

Thanks, yes i know! I was hoping someone had experienced the weird tacho behaviour before and knew the cause.................

 

[dlknight]

Sorry mine hardly bounces at all, just a little tiny movement.

 

[scam75]

Sorry mine hardly bounces at all, just a little tiny movement.

Yes that's what mine normally does, except today it decided big massive bounces were in order! Not all the time though, most times it was just doing its tiny bouncing then a couple of times it went ballistic. Up 1000rpm, down 500rpm, 1000rpm, down 500rpm, up 1000rpm until reaching 3500rpm before I stopped cranking. Most odd.

 

[dlknight]

Let us know how you get on with the diagnosis, I'm wondering if it could be the coil.

 

[scam75]

Let us know how you get on with the diagnosis, I'm wondering if it could be the coil.

That's a good shout, I've never replaced it in the 16 years I've had the car.

 

[scam75]

Ordered a coil, arrives Tuesday or Wednesday. Went out today and it started first time. Drove it about 20 miles, faultless including some WOT action. Drove about 20 miles. Turned it off, started on the button again when warm.

I've had this issue 2 or 3 times in the last 6 months (about 2k miles). The first couple of times it just started after a few attempts. Obviously on Saturday that wasn't the case and the car needed recovered. Sat since Saturday evening then wants to start first turn today and drive faultless. It drove faultless after the previous couple of no starts when it actually did start. Intermittent faults are always a right laugh.

I shall replace the coil when it arrives and see what transpires.

Stuart

 

[scam75]

Coil arrived so duly changed it and it fired up first time. Old coil looked........old, possibly the original one, however was still in spec for primary and secondary coil resistance. I suppose this doesn't mean it didn't have some sort of intermittent (or other) fault. Time will tell. Just need to use the car now and see how it goes.

 

[dlknight]

Hope it sorts the problem, if not back to the troubleshooting!

 

[scam75]

Indeed! Been out and about a bit this evening with no dramas. Fingers crossed!

 

[scam75]

Well all is still good, no starting issues so far. Did buy myself a wee spark checker device to throw in the glove box next to the spare DME relay in case it gives me grief again. Slots on a plug then the HT lead goes on top of it. Be easy to use and let me crank the car at the same time and check for a spark. £3.25 delivered from eBay, nice little thing!