1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Strange Sequence Of Events

Strange Sequence Of Events

My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why she's only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time. Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's had those two done and a new clutch.

She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come back on. Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air. Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says once it gets going. But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't even turn over.

So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these problems? Breakdown company on their way as we speak!

Cheers Paul, West Yorks

Reply to
Paul
Loading thread data ...

Someone's probably either trapped a wiring loom or mashed the connections in a multiplug somewhere.

Reply to
Chris Street

Normally because when they took the engine out to do it they didn't reconnect the earth strap properly.

Reply to
Duncanwood

Sounds like its not charging, and the strange stuff is happening as the battery goes flat. They probably disturbed the alternator wiring when they did the job.

Reply to
SimonJ

It'll be a loose Earth from the battery to the engine/Gearbox,chances are they didn't tighten the bolt when refitting.

Steve

Reply to
Steev

Certainly sounds like loose earth strap. Complain loudly and get some money back. Good luck ;-) DaveK.

Reply to
davek

Thanks for all the replies. Seems all diagnoses were roughly correct - it was a loose wire between the alernator and battery - reconnected and all OK at no cost (I should think not anyway)! No idea why the breakdown man didn't spot this.

Anyway, I have a happy Mum again.

Cheers Paul

Reply to
Paul

I had a (soon-to-retire) AA man tell me once that the engine management system had died on my B-reg Nova (all basic carb setup, no trace of EMS anywhere). That was the earth strap too.

Reply to
PC Paul

Yes, dodgy earthing can do some strange things. My full beam indicator used to come half on when using the dipped headlights. The current was prefering the earth path through the full beam lights and dashboard indicator to the dodgy earth connection to the light bulb.

The lights were a lot better after I replaced all the bulb multiplugs (the old ones were charred and melted).

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.