1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Vectra 1.8 petrol non-starter. Any ideas?

Vectra 1.8 petrol non-starter. Any ideas?

A couple of weeks back my 1997 R reg 1.8 petrol vectra started playing up. On first start in the morning it would refuse to idle - the second you took your foot off the throttle it would die. After a few seconds it would be fine and then would be OK all day until the next morning.

I put this down to damp/cold and cleaned up the (already clean!) HT leads but it made no difference.

Then one morning the usual thing happened but after it stalled the engine would not restart. It turns over fine, but there's not even a hint of firing. Connected an old spark plug up to one of the HT leads and there appears to be a good spark.

Not having much luck getting the codes from the engine management system (there seem to be so many varients!) but will try again today

Anyone got any ideas where to start on this? Most sensor failures seem to result in engines going to limp home mode rather than refuse to start mode, does the complete lack of starting point at any one sensor? What about fuel system? I noticed a quiet dull "clunk" when the ignition is turned on which I guess is the pump switching on, not sure if this is right though, our Escort makes more of a whirring noise..

Just thought I'd try asking here in case anyone's had similar experience before I spend all weekend head scratching/spending many £s on unrequired replacement parts (been there too many times already!!)

cheers!

al

Reply to
stupidworld
Loading thread data ...

"stupidworld" wrote in message news:1102759025.0b6436e8adb28a40c3daf58c0a8f39c4@teranews...

Fuel pump should whirr, they clunk when they have jammed up , the clunk is torque reaction till they stop. Check the engine will run by lobbing a spoon full of petrol into the air intake system as close to the engine as is easily accessible. If the engine fires up for a few moments then you are on the right track (fuel)

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Thanks for the advice - just been out there having another go, some more info....

On closer inspection the noises appear to be coming from the ABS system under the bonnet so the clunk may be a red-herring. I uncovered the top of the fuel tank and stuck my ear to it whilst the ignition was turned on but can't hear anything at all coming from there (living next to a busy road doesnt help though!!)

I also tried starting again (left it turning over for quite a while) there is the very occasional but fairly regular hint of a fire, nothing to get excited about, sort of sounds like (sorry can't do the accent) whir whir pip! whir whir pip! whir whir pip!

I tried removing the air intake and poured a teaspoon of petrol on top of the butterfly valve, then tried starting again but it made no difference :-(

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

al

Reply to
stupidworld

"stupidworld" wrote in message news:1102763055.7a753bffa68d907a733d70b063c48e47@teranews...

The pump will only run for a second or two after you turn on the ignition. Your initial description sounds like damp leads. But there may be more than one problem manifesting itself.

From your description of the noises it is making now: do the camshafts still turn?

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

in

Oh dear god I hope so.... :-( I'll just finish my cuppa then I'll go and look. Perhaps I better top up the tea with something a bit stronger first though!

Reply to
stupidworld

Peeped in through the oil filler and could see that camshaft turn. Phew.

I'm still a bit suspicious of the fuel pump though, in that I can't hear it at all. The Escort can be clearly heard, as you say, whiring for a second or so when the ignition is turned on. I'll try measuring voltages at the connector when the ignition is turned on

Reply to
stupidworld

I've got a R-Reg 1.8ltr Petrol Vectra and it also has this same clunk when I put the car into "on" mode (next turn fires ignition) - there is no whurr of the fuel pump like my old Rover displayed.

I take this clunk means dead fuel pump in general? It SOUNDS like it's coming from behind, not at the front... Car starts normally (although it has stalled a couple of times for no reason while driving at normal speeds)

--Nick.

Reply to
Nick

Ford pumps give various clunks shortly before they fail completely

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Hmm. I'll mention the clunk to the garage. It's in for its first service (while I've had it) on Tuesday.

--Nick.

Reply to
Nick

Oh what joy. :-( Checked the fuel pump relay, working fine. Disconnected the fuel pump and checked its resistance, a few ohms, probably OK. Checked voltage across the fuel pump supply leads. Generaly around 4v (ignition off or on). But then sometimes with the ignition off it went to 0v, rose to 12v for a few seconds once ignition was turned on, the dropped to 4v and stayed there. Very odd!

Anyway at this point I gave up, put it all back together and gave it one last try to start. After much cranking, and a bit of (pissed off) throttle pushing it starts the ocassional fire, so I continue cranking whilst pressing on the throttle, much spluttering but eventually it runs, rough at first but then fine. Left it for a couple of minutes running, restarted again fine.

So I'm no wiser! Will it start tommorow? who knows!

The warning light isn't coming on but I managed to get the engine management codes flashing out when I stopped the engine, and it's giving 0320,0110,1230

Reply to
stupidworld

Check the cambelt NOW!

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

"stupidworld" wrote in message news:1102777435.5fb9ab6a330971811028ec08f5f356f7@teranews...

You probably had wet plugs,

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

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.