any car experts in here?

[Dane]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Lurch]

[quote name='Andy

 

[a1]

** Update ** - And I feel A fool for this, as it happened to me a Month or two Back and I forgot about it asa possible fault...

Talking to My Wife's friend down the school this morning. (The one I mentioned in my post on this thread).

She had an Auto Electrician out and it turns out that it WASN'T the ECU - BUT...

The Ignition. The actual plastic bit that the Ignition barrel goes into.

This happened to me when I changed all my door locks and Ignition Barrel.

The new ignition barrel, I would be able to start the car one minute - then cut out - leave it and it would start - tick over and cut out again, then it wouldn't start at all. It also had a full range of ignition lights and on the 3rd (start) click position, all the lights would go out and... Nothing.

Andy, Take your igition barrel out - and try a Flathead screwdriver, carefully on the plastic 'X' shape - the the igition barrel slides into, and see if it starts.

Let us know mate.

I hope that it is this as it will be a Heck of a lot cheaper than an ECU etc.

Good Luck.

 

[septiclecky]

** Update ** - And I feel A fool for this, as it happened to me a Month or two Back and I forgot about it asa possible fault...Talking to My Wife's friend down the school this morning. (The one I mentioned in my post on this thread).

She had an Auto Electrician out and it turns out that it WASN'T the ECU - BUT...

The Ignition. The actual plastic bit that the Ignition barrel goes into.

This happened to me when I changed all my door locks and Ignition Barrel.

The new ignition barrel, I would be able to start the car one minute - then cut out - leave it and it would start - tick over and cut out again, then it wouldn't start at all. It also had a full range of ignition lights and on the 3rd (start) click position, all the lights would go out and... Nothing.

Andy, Take your igition barrel out - and try a Flathead screwdriver, carefully on the plastic 'X' shape - the the igition barrel slides into, and see if it starts.

Let us know mate.

I hope that it is this as it will be a Heck of a lot cheaper than an ECU etc.

Good Luck.

Sounds like you've had some practice nicking car

 

[a1]

Sounds like you've had some practice nicking car

I'll have you know that I come from a respectable area.

 

[Andy™]

its been over a week since it last failed to start, everytime i go to try and fault find, it always works as it should, making things a little harder! i dont think its the ignition, but if it goes stops working again, it shouldnt be too hard to check it just incase

 

[the doctor]

hi

a blocked fuel filter never gives a code, like running out of fuel:coat

 

[Badger]

my dads car has gone into the vauxhall dealer where he purchased it from with the same symptoms that you have andy and the tests that came back where something called a sim neds to be ordered and changed so thats going to be ready for monday morning for im, im asuming its a sim card or something, but not sure, it could be something similar thats wrong with your car??

 

[the doctor]

my dads car has gone into the vauxhall dealer where he purchased it from with the same symptoms that you have andy and the tests that came back where something called a sim neds to be ordered and changed so thats going to be ready for monday morning for im, im asuming its a sim card or something, but not sure, it could be something similar thats wrong with your car??

hi Badger,

mmm maybe, but you're dad's car would have generated a fault code when plugged in. The OP's car shows no codes at all...

 

[Badger]

argh ok, just thought it might have been an option, ill get me :coat

 

[Andy™]

hia blocked fuel filter never gives a code, like running out of fuel:coat

i dont think it is this. a while back when i did change the filter and didnt put lid on properly, it wouldnt start, exactly the same as it wont now. but when i do remove lid/stop fuel, it slowly struggles for a few seconds before cutting out. with this fault, it cuts out immediately as though youve turned the engine off

ive had it in my garage for over a week now. everytime i start it, it works fine and has never cut out (making fault finding a little harder). took it out of garage earlier, and it vut out less than 10 minutes later....

 

[the doctor]

ok

how about an ignition wire bad connection. that would immediately cut out like turning it off and no codes....

 

[sellers]

could be air in the fuel lines, never a good thing on a diesel. The pressure while idling might be low enough so the air stays where it is in the pipe, but when driving it may pull with the diesel into the cylinders. Just an idea. I've had it before on a caddy with a perished fuel pipe leaking in air. Would take 2 attempts to start, idle all day long but if driven last about 5-10mins.

 

[revjames]

My turn for car problems. (Cmax diesel 1.6 04) went out a few days and tried to start - flat as a pancake, jump started from sons car. left running for a while to recharge. next morning same story. This time drove it for half hr. This morning it started perfect. Measured battery voltage after the first time it did it and it was 14V with engine running and 12.8 and dropping when I turned it off. Looks like I may need a new battery soon or perhaps been on too many short journeys with lights/AC/heated screen on perhaps

 

[Andy™]

most likely battery. what does the voltage drop to when you start it?

still not got my car fixed. its probably going to the dealers to get them to find the fault with it

 

[Lurch]

My turn for car problems. (Cmax diesel 1.6 04) went out a few days and tried to start - flat as a pancake, jump started from sons car. left running for a while to recharge. next morning same story. This time drove it for half hr. This morning it started perfect. Measured battery voltage after the first time it did it and it was 14V with engine running and 12.8 and dropping when I turned it off. Looks like I may need a new battery soon or perhaps been on too many short journeys with lights/AC/heated screen on perhaps

Most likely the battery by the sounds of it. As a rough guide the readings should be around;

13.8V with engine running, everything electrical switched off.

13V+ with engine off, all electrical loads switched off.

12V+ with engine off, electrical loads on (wipers, lights, heated screen etc...)

13.8V with engine on, all electrical loads on.

If it gets below 10Vish, or definitely below 9V at any point with the engine off then the battery is most likely discharged. If the battery isn;t getting up to 13.8V with the engine running then the alternator is faulty, if it is then the battery is faulty.

 

[revjames]

Battery voltage when car running is 14V and alternator replaced last year. Battery voltage when engine off and loads off is only 12.8V and falling so I guess its battery. Havent tried to start it today. It started yesterday after a cold night but I did leave it running half an hr to charge the day before.

 

[revjames]

well it was icy outside and the car fired straight up. I think I may have done too many short journeys in the dark and used electric heated front screen to clear ice a few times too often without going on sufficiently long enough trips to recharge it.

Not about to spend

 

[Lurch]

If it's the original battery it's due a change anyway. It may be wise to spend the

 

[revjames]

Its an 04 CMax and has the original Motorcraft battery, due to the engine bay layout its pretty hard to get the caps off without removing the battery.

It seems OK at the mo so not a high priority. If it wont start I'll walk to work - less than a mile.