Vauxhall Vectra Not Starting

Sound like this guy is the poorest ever excuse for a mechanic. Lack of compression could be a worn engine, rings, sticking valves, head gasket etc but this wouldn't suddenly prevent it from starting. I have a kit car that had a very worn engine and it still started and ran fine, just a bit sluggish and a bit rattly. Also what's the problem with moving the car a few yards? Does that mean if you want to swap cars round on your drive you have to turn it into a mile round trip??!!! Nonsense!

I would engage the services of a mobile tune-up service. I use one that plugs into the car with a laptop and can instantly read fault codes. (Vauxhall I know charge =A350 +VAT for a simple 'read' plus more if they cant spot a fault immediately)

Sounds electrical to me but very hard from a vague description of the symptoms!

Stuart

PS When the fault is diagnosed I would put a complaint in writing about the clown who came out to your car. As you say, sounds like he wanted to get home above anything else!

Nope, not nonsense at all.

Many modern vehicles will refuse to restart if started from cold and then stopped straight away. The ECU detects a "flooded engine" situation and inhibits starting to prevent damage.

Ford, for example, have built in software to recover from this situation. It is detailed in the handbook. The procedure is to hold the accelerator pedal to the floor, crank for 30 seconds, release the pedal and then attempt to start normally. The ECU detects the accelerator position and sees no engine running signal, so stops fuelling until the pedal is released.

Micras are particularly subject to this problem. it is often necessary to crank with the fuel pump fuse removed to clear the excess fuel. Sometimes the plugs have to be removed and the engine cranked to clear it.

What job do you do? At the end of your working day, how much free overtime would you be prepared to give?

Chris

Have you followed what advice is given in your handbook for starting with a flooded engine?

The advice you got about not driving just a few yards after starting is perfectly valid, and applies to most modern cars.

Chris

Most modern *petrol* cars...

If you can't do a reasonable job. Don't bother doing it at all.

-- bucket

Heh!

Chris

OK. So what job do *you* do, and how much *free* overtime would you be prepared to do?

The "big three" motoring organisations are all going through periods of change. Many of their employees are upset about new working practices. Many of them are already scheduled to work 12 hour shifts, and then on their way home take additional call.

It's perfectly valid to complain about poor service; I was trying to make the point that perhaps it is necessary to complain about the company's working practices, rather than an individual employee.

Chris

Its either got valve stick and / or flooding from being cold started and then switched off, (this would be my bet) OR the cambelt has failed as you attempted to start it.

The first is fixable with no outlay, the second is not!!

You can check the latter by checking for the camshafts rotating when cranking.

Both causes will allow the engine to spin over faster upon cranking.

Tim.

I've experience similar with my Lanos. On wheelie bin days when I've forgot to park the car further up the drive to get the bin past, if I start it from cold to move only a few feet and stop, when I start the next day it will run very rough and spluttery but eventually clears itself. Next time I'll have to remember to run it around the block first.

My Capri with simple points and carb setup looks more appealing every=20 day.

--=20 Conor

I'm really a nice guy. If I had friends, they would tell you.

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Bit of a coincidence but I had the same problem today--I was doing some maintenance & drove it out yesterday and back to get at the front end (3 mins running). Now this morning the car (Nissan Primera petrol) wouldn't start! Seemed like it was flooded but I don't know the procedure to clear - flooring the accelerator did it in the end with an almost flat battery.

I've read that jump starting is *not recommended* these days for modern cars (even for manual box)-anyone confirm this?

Do you mean really jump starting, with two leads and a working battery?

If so, I don't see what difference the gearbox makes, and AFAIAA it is an entirely acceptable way to start a car with a flat battery. Probably the best way, in fact.

If you mean bump starting, then I think you're right, it's not recommended. But it still works, and I haven't broken my car (or the cat, which I think is the main worry) by doing it repeatedly when it had a slightly dodgy battery...

We have this problem with a K11 Micra - several times when the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator while cranking (thought they were in an older car which needed that), and once a couple of weeks ago, shortly after the car was being held on the clutch at the top of a driveway then driven off. Removing the fuel pump fuse has always fixed it though.

Gareth

My Diesel 306 goes a bit funny if you turn the engine off too soon after starting it.

Certainly isn't. I had the same problem with my '94 BMW 525, after moving it a few yards. I virtually flattened the cars battery , and another battery connected with jump leads before I finally got it started. In shortish bursts, I reckon I was cranking it for over 10 mins in total. Once it had started though, a few coughs and splutters and it was running perfectly. Mike.

Ditto mate! : o )

bucket wrote:

Ditto mate! : o )

bucket wrote:

How do we know he was not being honest? His opinion was that the engine was suffering from low compression and that was the reason for the non-start. That is indeed entirely possible.

The fact that you run your own business is entirely irrelevant to this thread. We are talking about an employee of a large company. If he was from the AA, their guys are being particularly shafted by their current employers ATM.

Does your business employ others? If so, do they all display your commendable attitude? It would be suprising if they did surely?

Chris