Whilst sitting here with no Scooby to drive I wonder if anyone has a brilliant solution to a non-starting problem.

Car parked in lean-to garage for two weeks.

Battery in good health and starter spins engine ease but without a hint of starting.

My simple investigations showed a big fat spark but no fuel flowing from the filter. Tank half full.

Dealer has had the car for three days so far and admit they too are stumped.

All sugestions gratefully received.

 

In technical parlance that's probably...

"S'f*cked, mate..."

Maybe there was some detritus in the tank that's settled over the couple of weeks and been sucked into the fuel-line, blocking it.

But I'm sure the dealership should have had this problem sorted within that time... They'd have tried clearing the fuel-lines, checking the tank, fuel filter, fuel-pump, fuses, ECU, etc...

Hmmm. Your car probably doesn't have a serious problem - I'd say your dealership sounded more worrying!

Good luck!

 

Thanks for your reply Squizz

No doubt, hopefully all those things have been tried.

If it is a fuel blockage I suppose it would have at least fired up if only momentarily?

Anyway we'll see what progress is made tommorrow. Nearly three weeks without a blast could drive one to drink!

 

nbs when you turn the engine over does it sound like it has no compression?

 

Scoobyboy

Sounds normal, just won't fire up.

What prompts your question?

 

when some scoobys are left for a long time or even when they fire and stall some times the oil drains or is squashed from the tappits and when you turn the key it won't fire and the engine sounds like it has no compression but if you hold the acc pedal on the floor and keep the engine cranking over it gradually sorts it self out and you can hear the cylinders fire up one by one. after it has run it is usally ok.
just wondered if this is similar to the problem you have got.

 

Do you have an alarm/imobolizer fitted to your car?
The reason for asking is that on the rare accasions that we get non starters it is almost always to do with aftermarket items fitted such as alarms.

Phil

 

Does sound like maybe the fuel pump cut off on you immobilliser is faulty,Assuming its a CAT1 then it most probably will have this option!!!!
Darren

 

Thanks guys.

Car now running again. Yes problem was imobiliser. Although the engine turned over ok there is in fact also a fuel cut off on the standard imobiliser system. Wire was well charred presumably due to a loose contact. I wonder what the consequences would have been if it had decided to mis-behave in the outside lane rather than in the garage!

 

I'm interested at Scoobyboys post as I had exactly those symptoms whilst on holiday (in France!).
The evening before I left, I had shuffled the car back and forth in it's parking bay while I was loading it up.
The morning of departure I turned the key, it fired briefly and then died. Subsequent turnovers sounded like there was little compression and no hint of firing.
I tried all sorts and in the end (against handbook advice) I floored the throttle and turned it over until it staggered into life.
I then drove 800 odd miles home, mostly at around 90mph (over private land of course) without a whiff of a problem.
Strange I thought, until I read this post.....

Neil.

 

Neil F & Scoobyboy:

I had the same problem with my sti5 when it had been siting outside for 3 weeks.
when you tried to start it , it sounded like there was no compression.. kinda wierd stomach renching sound. At first thought some serious internal damage had happened.

After some dective work, found out that it was the crank sensor that was at fault, must of had some moisture in it.
Took the crank sensor out and warmed it up in another scooby.

I was lucky in having a guy that did my chip change in that he sussed what was wrong..
The crank sensor was put it in his uk scooby and then started it .. kept it running for 10-20 secs and then put it back in my sti.

Fired up first time no problems since, but then again i have been using it every day.

It would beworth noting that if you intend not to use the car for a period of time, every couple of days, go and start it for a few seconds!!

Graeme

[This message has been edited by GraemeF (edited 25 April 2001).]

 

graemef
if the sensor was faulty how come it started his car? also in my experience when a crank sensor is faulty it usually starts the car when cold but gives it trouble when hot.
but starting the car for a bit every couple of days if you can is a good idea.