Sudden Death On The Side Of The Road..

[TU_Later 0]

I was driving my little beast home sunday evening when it suddenly died out, power stopped but the ignition stayed on so it sort of bogged to a halt at the side of the road. Tried to start it, fuel pump's not coming on.. So I hard wired the pump but even with fuel there's still no ignition so i'm guessing there's no spark either.. Now my alternator's dying out so I need a new one, and I've been told having a dodgy alternator and battery on low charge can damage your ECU.. Now i'm not sure, but I've got a spare ECU after someone kindly gave me some free to collect parts earlier this year! But i'd like to hear some points of view before I end up tearing out my ECU on a busy side road in the middle of the day And how is the ECU multiplug removed? Last time I tried I remember it being a bitch!

Edited September 22, 2010 by TU_Later

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Everyone loves to point the finger at the ECU, but they are very reliable and I've never had a problem with one. If there is no spark and no fuel then the ECU is probably not getting a cranking signal from the dizzy, and therefore it is only doing what it is told.

[omega 82]

think you need to whip a plug out first and check if you have a spark.

[TU_Later 0]

So no crank signal from the Dizzy means?.. Sorry but i'm not an electrically compatible at ALL! I'm a manufacturing engineer.. Don't have a go, i'm not pointing fingers at the beloved ECU.. I'm just pissed off with my 205 which isn't giving me much reason to keep fixing it.. But it's narrowing it down. I wasn't pointing fingers I asked a bloody question! I'm not a mechanic, hence i'm on this forum!

And yeah I'll check the spark today, I just wondered what it could be.. Naturally

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I'm not having a go, but given the tone of your reply, I'm not inclined to try and assist further.

[shalmaneser 26]

If you're a manufacturing engineer you should be used to solving problems with logic. And be nice to Tom, he knows his onions!

 

Why do you suspect the ECU? They've never proven particularly vunerable.

 

You say your battery and alternator are knackered? And they produce electricity? And the engine needs a spark to run? Can you see where I'm going here?

 

Did the battery warning light come on at all (check your Haynes/Handbook)?

 

Sounds to me like you're low on charge so can't power the ignition amp for the spark plugs to me.

 

Check your charge and change your alternator. This isn't 'electronics' it's just problem solving.

[smithy 1]

another vote for the dizzy.

 

basically inside dizzy is a hall sensor that tells ECU engine rpm,this then turns on fuel pump relay and also sends signal to ignition amp/coil to allow spark.

[large 33]

So no crank signal from the Dizzy means?..

 

It means you have no cranking signal from the distributor THIS may help you.

As pointed out you say you have a possible faulty battery/alternator. Would it not be an idea to fix them first.

 

Come on guys give him a brake, he must be gifted to be an engineer at 19!

[shalmaneser 26]

It means you have no cranking signal from the distributor THIS may help you.

As pointed out you say you have a possible faulty battery/alternator. Would it not be an idea to fix them first.

 

Come on guys give him a brake, he must be gifted to be an engineer at 19!

 

hah good point.

[DamirGTI 342]

If there's no spark and no fuel , id bet on a dizzy , precisely - broken pick up coil ... or broken/dislodged dizzy signal cable .. as said , pick up coil along with the magnet and trigger wheel (which are inside the dizzy) provides pulse signal to the ignition (ignition amp. -> coil) and fueling (tachymetric relay , i.e. fuel pump relay ..) ..in the case of Jetronic car .. Motronic is a tad different .

 

It's essential pulse signal for ignition and fueling , during the cranking and running of the engine ..

(this distributors on a 205 are of "pulse" sensing systems , "hall" sensing is different , but kinda similar .. and so are the type of the ignition amplifiers/coils for the two ..)

 

This the "pick up coil" thing , when it breaks it does so quickly .. the engine just shakes for a second or two and then dies completely leaving you without spark and fuel all together .

 

Damir

[giveitsomebar 0]

my guess is something simple! one of the battery leads has come out or come loose on one of the terminals

[Anthony 1,003]

Before jumping to conclusions, check whether you have spark or not - depending on the answer to that we can give you an idea of where to look, but otherwise it's little more than guesswork.

[S@m 156]

I was going to say crank sensor...but then i remembered that not every 205 is an Mi16 or a Gti-6.

[TU_Later 0]

If you're a manufacturing engineer you should be used to solving problems with logic. And be nice to Tom, he knows his onions!

 

Why do you suspect the ECU? They've never proven particularly vunerable.

 

You say your battery and alternator are knackered? And they produce electricity? And the engine needs a spark to run? Can you see where I'm going here?

 

Did the battery warning light come on at all (check your Haynes/Handbook)?

 

Sounds to me like you're low on charge so can't power the ignition amp for the spark plugs to me.

 

Check your charge and change your alternator. This isn't 'electronics' it's just problem solving.

 

Thanks for your advice, that was more than helpful!

 

Maybe i read Tom's tone wrong, Sorry.. But im a novice, my profile explains that.. Thats why im on here, to ask questions i cant find answers myself to

 

No Battery Light on the dash either =/ I did have the light up when i'd rebuilt it, but after i saw a loose terminal on the Alternator it soon went out.. Now the New battery's still not charging, So all i can think on that one is that the bulbs have gone on my dash.. So it doesn't show up

 

I love my car! Ha ha

Edited September 23, 2010 by TU_Later

[TU_Later 0]

WOW, thanks again! I just finished reading everything.. I've finished work now and Towed the beast home yesterday, So i've got the afternoon.

 

Connection wise i'll check everything

 

And I do problem find as an Aeronatuical Engineer doing my Higher National Diploma.. But thats related to my job, which isn't a 205 I know very little on Specific Injection systems.. A year ago i learnt how a basic engine worked after having a few old Mini's, and I'm here to keep learning..!

 

You've all been a great help! I'll get back to the forum when I've had a pot about with it

[TU_Later 0]

Right, Ive checked for spark.. And there's spark

 

What confuses me more is that if i wire up the fuel pump from a 12V live it works, but the car doesn't start still? :S

 

Please help