Hello,

The Scoob won't start.

It's a MY00 UK Turbo, standard apart from fuel pump, decat, newage WRX TM, 3 port and a couple of hours with Bob Rawle working his magic.

I thought it was the starter motor that was knackered a few weeks back so had that refurb'ed. Whilst the TM was off to get at the starter motor I decided to plumb in a catch can and I also put the car on a diet so all the under bonnet air con components came out.

I also started stripping the interior starting at the back and working forward and so far I've got to just behind the front seats.

Finished the catch can, refitted the starter and the TM and now it will not start.

The battery is fine and kept that way by a ctek xs3600 (great bit of kit) it spins the engine over no probs at a decent speed but it will not fire.

Has fuel in the tank
I can hear the fuel pump priming
fuel at engine side of under bonnet filter
starter motor turning engine quickly
changed cam sensor
changed crank sensor (not guaranteed good one tho - off a Leggy in scrappy with big front end damage, still looking for a good one to try)

no spark ( if i take a plug out and earth it then turn try and start it)
not fueling (the plugs are dry if I remove one after trying to start it)
joined green plugs and no fault codes

Please has anybody got any good suggestions, actually I settle for a daft suggestion at the moment.

Thanks Paul

 

you say you have fuel but then you say not fueling? if you have no spark and no fuel sounds like the immobilizer . Quit a common prob in this year car

 

Hi, thanks for your reply.

There's fuel in it, and the pump is priming but if I try and start it then spin a plug out the plug is completely dry.

Is it possible to bypass the immobiliser?

 

There is no way of bypassing the immobiliser as its a complicated alarm. It is a Sigma? Do you have a key pad in the glove box?

 

does the cel light come on with key on?

 

Don't know if it's a sigma but I do have a keypad in the glovebox.

 

yes it does - behaves as normal

 

Yes its a Sigma if you have a code for it use it it will turn the immobiliser off . If you don't have the code you can reset it and put a new code in then you will be able to turn the it off by the key pad

Link for reset

http://www.andypugh.co.uk/car/m30.doc

 

surely the fuel pump wouldn't prime if it was immobilized ? or does the sigma system only cut ignition ?

 

When I forget to press the keyfob button and try to start it nothing happens - does the immobiliser work on different levels?

I have tried the code and it all behaved the same, before code nothing, after code it turns over just doesn't start.

 

Well it doesn't sound like the immobilizer now at least. Do you now anybody with another ECU you can swap with yours to check it hasn't lost its memory.


No fuel in chambers but at filter= Injectors not firing

No spark = coil pack not getting signal to fire spark


Are the cam and crank sensors you put in from another car are off the same year and UK spec

 

no crank sensor would cause no spark and injectors not opening, would of thought you would have a cel tho

 

hoping to get hold of a good crank sensor tmoz and I'll see what happens.

 

What made you think that your starter motor was Fu**ed??... Was the engine not turning over or was it turning but not firing?

Do you have exactly the same starting fault as before, or do you now have a different problem since the starter motor was refurb'ed?

The reason I ask this, is that after reading your post, it appears that your car had some sort of problem & you decided that the starter was at fault, so had it reconditioned, but you then go on to say....

You say "NOW" it won't start... Are you saying that it was possible to start the car before, but now that the starter has been changed & you have removed certain components from the car, that it will no longer attempt to fire up?

If this is the case then you have inadvertantley removed or disturbed something critical that's giving you the same symtoms that a knackered crank sensor would.

The immobiliser has only 2 modes... On or Off... If it is on, then you will get nothing when you turn the key.... If it is off then the engine should both turn over & start.


Don't worry too much about which engine the sensor came from... They are nearly all the same (Impreza, Legacy & Forester)... The exception to this would be very early engines (1992-1995)... These engines can have sensors fitted that you would not be able to connect to yours.... So, if it fits, it's the correct sensor.

 

i had same prob with my p reg wrx ,i changed the crank sensor and still the same,i put the old crank sensor back on and i tapped it with a spanner and it started .plus did your old sensor have oil or dirt on it?

 

Hi Pee Vee, thanks for your reply and sorry i didn't have chance to respond yesterday - ok, the starter motor was not behaving at all well, just clicking even with jump leads on to another running car - the Scoob doesn't get used very often so the battery wasn't great (I have now got a ctek xs3600 so battery condition is no longer a problem) I am now actually thinking that there wasn't anything wrong with the starter motor and that is was behaving badly purely due to the battery at the time being completely knackered. I think there was a different problem then, the same as I am having now.
Running order -
couldn't start car
remove starter motor and get refurb'ed
remove under bonnet aircon components
start stripping inside
refit starter motor
fit catch can
still won't start.
So, do I have the same fault - to be honest I don't know. All I know for certain is currently it isn't fuelling or sparking, I don't know if it was doing that or not at the stage I removed the starter motor.

The immobiliser seems to be behaving as normal, as you said if it isn't switched I get absolutely nothing.

I haven't been able to try a confirmed good crank sensor yet, the replacement I tried is off a non turbo Leggy that has heavy front end damage

I have had a crank sensor and the inlet harness of a MY99 breaking on here, hopefully that will be with me in a couple of days - first I'll try the crank sensor and if it's not that I'll try switching the loom. I wonder if I have disturbed soemthind whilst removing the aircon or fittin the catch can - that harnes is really quite tight in places.

 

Hi, yeah the cranksensor was a little grubby but nothing too bad - I have tried giving it a little help with the 'knockometer' as well - still no spark!!

 

Just a thought isnt the ecu fused under the bonnet??this could kill the spark and injectors.

 

Just another thought, you haven't occidentally disconnected the plugs under the Top Mount? IE the crank plug, as this would cause your symptoms.... and wouldn't throw a CEL.

 

Just a thought have you checked the timing belt hasn't snapped?

 

Hi John,

I've checked the fuses and those big see through topped chaps - unfortunately I cannot find any reference to what the big ones are for.

I don't know what the black boxes are, I'm assuming relays of some variety and again don't know what each is for - I haven't checked them.

It's going to the doctors tomorrow, so hopefully Wayne d'man will be able to sort it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Hi James,

I pretty certain I didn't disconnect anything whilst the TM was off and I was playing starter motor and catch can plumbing. I've checked and rechecked but there could be something underneath that I haven't seen. I got a top harness coming from a MY99 UK that breaking so that may be going on if we're still struggling.

I'll be so pleased when it going again. I'd finally got around to booking a airfield day and it's next Monday so we've got a week - bloody sods law it chooses now to get ill!

 

Still in one piece

 

It would make sense like, as the main sensor connectors are all where you have been working.... there are three plugs (off the top of my head) directly under the top mount and not far from the starter motor connected to a little bracket on the top if the gear box... worth a check.

 

Running out of time now so it went off to the man who knows today to get it sorted.

 

Who's that then ?

Shaun

 

Need to get me one of them trailers... looks mint... better then my brian james

 

A local guy to me, Wayne at WDM Autocentre, good guy.

 

Thanks James - it is a nice bit of kit I have to admit. It's the first time I've used it, not had it long.

Incredibly it only weighs 520kgs with a spare on it and it's a 2.4t capacity tilt bed!

I'll really cheese you off now by telling you I picked it up off ebay for under £1500!

 

Less then £1500 - What a bargain, especially for a tilt bed.

Although the trailer is a bit big for the Mondeo