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!

 

[scam75]

So far has started every time. Today got a big tacho bounce however, just over 1k on cranking, as well as some "normal" little bounces. Did same on journey home. Normally just see little bounces before it fires but can't confess to paying attention every time I've ever started it!

Anybody else's car do this sometimes?

 

[dlknight]

Glad to see, no issues, will check my tacho next time I start her up.

 

[scam75]

It's back, 2 months to the day from the last issue. New coil clearly not the problem. I am getting tacho bounce. Wiggled the speed and ref sensor wires and also the MAF connection wires but no change. Due to darkness and pissing rain that was the extent of the trouble shooting. Thankfully the car is my car park and I'm not stuck somewhere.

I bet it starts first thing tomorrow, at least the forecast looks dry. Becoming a royal pain in the hole sadly and sick of it. Matches or ebay next you horrible bastard car with your shitey intermittent soul destroying fault. Time for alcohol!

I will employ my new spark tester tool tomorrow if it doesn't start and take it from there. But it will start, and leave me unable to fault find until it decides to have another episode.

 

[scam75]

Probably worth mentioning yesterday it started and then died, not done that before. Left it a minute and it started and all was well. In case that helps anyone point me in the right direction. Would that rule out the crank sensor?

 

[fire3500]

Probably worth mentioning yesterday it started and then died, not done that before. Left it a minute and it started and all was well. In case that helps anyone point me in the right direction. Would that rule out the crank sensor?

I know that you've said that you changed it, it does have the whiff of a DME issue about it.

 

[scam75]

I know that you've said that you changed it, it does have the whiff of a DME issue about it.

It does. It also has a whiff of an intermittent MAF or MAF wiring issue (or AFM wiring plug issue which connects to my after market MAF loom) which has caused me no start issues in the past (the loom is a patched up affair although I thought I'd done a good job when I stripped it back and fixed it best I could). I am running a SciVision MAF kit (and an almost brand new Bosch HFM-5 MAF) and the loom has seen better days, there is also an electrickery box that goes with it that could also have went Pete Tong. It converts the MAF signal to an AFM signal for the ECU. I fortunately have a brand new turbo AFM that I will probably fit and see if that cures it. I am lacking the gasket however that goes between AFM and air box. Might get some gasket paper and make one and fit it and see what happens.

 

[scam75]

Phoned OPC for the AFM gasket today, can only buy a batch of 5! Still, it's £15 for 5 with the big discount they gave me, the other 4 will go on ebay at £20 each which seems to be the going rate for unscrupulous ebay re-sellers. Happy to sell to any PCGB members for £19.50 and 50p postage . Also they arrive tomorrow morning on special order so can't complain at that. Seem to remember you can only order the infamous heater clips now in batches of 10 but again they are pennies. Still a bit weird though.

 

[scam75]

What OPC couldn't get me was a new retaining clip for the AFM plug, the square springy thingy. Mine pinged off years ago and was lost. Its a 5 pin Bosch timer plug I think if anybody can help with that. I'm sure it will be fine without the clip but be good if I could get a new one.