Author Topic: Car Won't Start  (Read 5873 times)

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Offline Counterpunch

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Car Won't Start
« on: Jun 25, 2006, 12:59AM »
I've just finished putting my engine back in my Attesa in for the second time.  This time round, I accidently short circuited the battery terminals while connecting the power cable to the battery.  I'm not sure if this had any effect but I can't seem to start the car.  Headlights work, dashlights turn on as normal but doesn't do anything when I turn the key to Start.  It does have an immobilizer but it appears to have disarmed the car with the correct LED flashes as is normally does.  Made sure the gearbox was in Park/Neutral but alas nothing.  It is possible I may have fried the ECU?  I tried hooking up a second battery in parallel but still nothing.  Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated especially if you're an autoelectrican.  Thanks.
« Last Edit: Jun 25, 2006, 11:03AM by Counterpunch »
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Offline greenbird

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #1 on: Jun 25, 2006, 04:37PM »
Does the starter motor crank the engine over at all?
Have you checked all of the fuses, both in the cabin and under the bonnet?
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Offline LUP15

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #2 on: Jun 25, 2006, 06:32PM »
i had this prob with my bird a few months back. all the electronics would work, but hte car wouldnt turn.  turned out that the wires to the start motor had come off. so check this first.

having some crap luck with this conversion jimmy. hope its nothing major
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Offline Counterpunch

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #3 on: Jun 26, 2006, 11:32AM »
OK, I check the starter motor and the cable is connected still.  Next thought was the imobiliser.  So I proceeded to take the kick panel off from the driver's side.  Took apart the imobiliser and believe it or not the connector plug was burnt out.  I think the short circuiting sent a spike to the imobilser. ???  Anyhow one of the diodes on the imboiliser was dead and created a break in the circuits.  So the fault has been found.  I bypassed the imobiliser and nowshe starts! :)  Also noticed though that she starts intermittently due to the auto gearshift not switching over correctly to identify the car is not in gear.  If anyone has had any experience in adjusting or fixing this, it would be muchly appreciated.
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Offline Jono

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #4 on: Jun 26, 2006, 11:47PM »
I'll ask my dad about the neutral switch and let you know. For now, just make sure all the connections on the neutral switch (a plastic box on one end or the other of the 'manual shaft', the thing that the gear selector cable moves)

Does it start fine if you hold the shifter to one side or the other of the neutral 'notch'?
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Offline Counterpunch

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #5 on: Jun 27, 2006, 02:49PM »
No it doesn't.  I just go through the gears up and down and crank it until it starts.  Trial and error.... ::)
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Offline Jono

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #6 on: Jun 27, 2006, 10:45PM »
If all the connections are fine I'd say it's the neutral switch itself, they can get dirt in them and because they're a sealed unit the only solution for it is to replace the switch.
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Offline Counterpunch

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #7 on: Jul 3, 2006, 12:59PM »
Problem fixed.  The rubber mount for the gear selector cable was not seated in properly.  Now she starts everytime.
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Offline LUP15

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #8 on: Jul 3, 2006, 05:01PM »
ah always little things like that causing problems.. u seem to be finding them at least :)
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Offline Counterpunch

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #9 on: Jul 3, 2006, 05:33PM »
Eventually......but I have got to say I am learning a lot about my car.
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Offline slim

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #10 on: Jul 3, 2007, 04:59PM »
Why start a new thread when its called the same as this ?
My car died last weekend. its cranking but not starting, reconnected the TPS after discovering that the people that did the head left it unplugged.
Well now its cranking a few times and then stops cranking altogether unless it sits for a while.
i get a fuel pump running and relay clicking when trying to start.
i think the battery is dieing after trying to start the car so many times, have treid starting off another battery but get the same, cranking
or its an electrical fault somewhere
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Offline greenbird

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #11 on: Jul 3, 2007, 07:28PM »
Slim,
Take off one of your spark plug leads, jam a screwdriver in there and have someone crank the engine over whilst you hang onto the handle and hold the metal shaft of the screwdriver near some clean metal in the engine bay that is earthed, like a nut ot a bolt on the engine itself. Hold it only about 1mm away and look for any sparks jumping between the screwdriver and the earth point that you are holding it near.
This will tell you whether you are getting a spark.
The engine needs 3 things to run. These being compression, fuel and a spark. It's just an elimination process to work out what is wrong!
Post back what you find and we can then try and help you further.
p.s. don't hang on to the metal of the screwdriver, or you will get a boot!
Dan.
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Offline hrmmmm

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #12 on: Jul 3, 2007, 07:59PM »
Slim,
Take off one of your spark plug leads, jam a screwdriver in there and have someone crank the engine over whilst you hang onto the handle and hold the metal shaft of the screwdriver near some clean metal in the engine bay that is earthed, like a nut ot a bolt on the engine itself. Hold it only about 1mm away and look for any sparks jumping between the screwdriver and the earth point that you are holding it near.
Dan.

Another maybe slighly safer way of doing this was shown to me by an efi dude.
    Just take of the spark plug and hold in close to the metal bit that the distributor mounts to. In the end same result though.

My car had a similar problem to this a while ago and it was the fuel pump. It clicked and made the whining sort of noise, but sometimes it would'nt start or would start then promptly die.
     If you can get it to do what you say it is doing, tap under the fuel tank below where the pump is, if it start's/stay's running chances are it is time to say au revoir to your fuel pump and get a new one.

Offline greenbird

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #13 on: Jul 3, 2007, 08:32PM »
My car had a similar problem to this a while ago and it was the fuel pump. It clicked and made the whining sort of noise, but sometimes it would'nt start or would start then promptly die.
     If you can get it to do what you say it is doing, tap under the fuel tank below where the pump is, if it start's/stay's running chances are it is time to say au revoir to your fuel pump and get a new one.

So true. This is another possibility. I would just take the fuel line off of the fuel rail, sit a coke bottle in your engine bay and put the fuel line into the coke bottle. Turn on the ignition and see if the pump is actually pumping the fuel....
Dan.
93 U13 Bluebird
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Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline JelloBello

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #14 on: Jul 3, 2007, 08:41PM »
yeh, when it originally broke down we did the fuel line into empty bottle trick, the pump is working fine which leaves spark and compression (unlikely as the head gasket was replaced a short while ago).
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Offline slim

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Re: Car Won't Start
« Reply #15 on: Jul 3, 2007, 09:06PM »
jellobello right there with all 3 gettin ticks
if its head related then i can get it repaired free on warranty, that would be good.
there isnt a blown fuse anywhere on car, spent most of day lookin over it.
Got a mechanic checkin it thursday.    FCAL
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