Not Starting Cti After Sitting 12 Months

[john-melbourne 6]

Hi Guys,

 

I recently got my CTI moved back onto my drive, as i would like to start getting some jobs done on it. Please excuse all the stupid questions that may follow as i am really crap with cars, but everyone has got to start somewhere hey! I can strip/fix/flash an xbox which i couldn't do a few years ago so don't mind learning as i go! Anyway back to the car!

 

I bought my CTI about 2 years ago, drove it 350 miles home with no problems and then drove it around for a few weeks after that, had plans to slowly restore the car starting with a new hood, as mine was leaking, as always things get put on the back burner so it just sat on my mums drive with cover over it.

 

went to check on it about 6 months ago and it was a mouldy pit as the cover had sprung holes!! Battery was obviously flat but charged it up and she started pretty much straight away so i clean all the interior up, dried the car out and left the car running for about an hour to dry everything up properly. Anyway went back to the car and it had cut out but the heater was still going, didn't think anything of it as it had probably ran out of fuel.

 

So yesterday got it put on my drive as i want to start getting some jobs done on it, pretty much the same as before, gone mouldy inside and looks like a paddling pool! I have a new interior and a 2nd hand hood and frame so not so worried about that, again the battery was flat so i have charged it over night but it still only shows 3/4 charged, put £6 of fuel in their and now she wont start! It sounds like she is not even trying to start, just sounds like the engine is turning over without really firing up. The one thing i have noticed is that the fuel pump doesn't prime or seem to make a noise. I am charging the battery up again over night to try and get it fully charged as i know the battery died very quickly previously so that's fubared as well.

 

So i suppose my questions start with, should i hear the fuel pump priming and making noises when switching the ignition on? What should be my first things to try and in what order?

 

Sorry for the long essay but i thought i may as well tell you as much as possible

 

Thanks

 

John

[jackherer 543]

The battery is probably no good, check the voltage under cranking if you can or just get a new battery as you'll definitely need one.

[john-melbourne 6]

The battery is probably no good, check the voltage under cranking if you can or just get a new battery as you'll definitely need one.

 

Is that just a case of running multimeter over both terminals while trying to start it?

 

I am going to get a new battery asap anyway, i have seen them for about £30 at ECP.

 

Thanks

 

John

[jackherer 543]

Yes, as simple as that. It shouldn't go below about 10 volts while cranking.

[john-melbourne 6]

Ok thanks Jack, I will try this tomorrow and report back to you.

 

Thanks

 

John

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

You want to check the cambelt straight away if its been sat for 12 months unstarted

[john-melbourne 6]

Hi Slo,

 

Sorry for the stupid question, how should i go about checking the cambelt? I have a new one ready to go with a water pump and tensioner, which hopefully i will be getting someone to fit with me.

 

Thanks

 

John

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Hi Slo,

 

Sorry for the stupid question, how should i go about checking the cambelt? I have a new one ready to go with a water pump and tensioner, which hopefully i will be getting someone to fit with me.

 

Thanks

 

John

 

If you have replacement parts ready for the cambelt then just swap them before doing any serious mileage. You'd usually start looking for small cracks/splits on the belt itself but seeing as you have the bits ready you may as well just play it safe and change it all.

 

Aside from that, I'd go about giving the engine a good service after having sat unused for so long...oil, oil filter and coolant especially.

[john-melbourne 6]

 

If you have replacement parts ready for the cambelt then just swap them before doing any serious mileage. You'd usually start looking for small cracks/splits on the belt itself but seeing as you have the bits ready you may as well just play it safe and change it all.

 

Aside from that, I'd go about giving the engine a good service after having sat unused for so long...oil, oil filter and coolant especially.

Thanks for the reply Simon,

 

The engine doesn't run at the moment, so i cant do any miles at all never mind serious ones

 

I am going to try and test the battery tonight with a multimeter as suggested above by Jack and report back, i am hoping that i will put a new battery on and she will fire up, although i am not that lucky!

 

With regards to my post above, should i hear the fuel pump prime at all when turning the ignition on? Their are no noises at all?

 

Thanks

 

John

[Anthony 1,003]

Often won't prime on ignition on, but it should be running whilst cranking.

[john-melbourne 6]

Often won't prime on ignition on, but it should be running whilst cranking.

Thanks Anthony,

 

Sorry if this is a stupid question:

 

Is it a noticeable enough noise to hear while cranking?

 

John

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Might be a little hard to hear it with the lump spinning, lift up the back seat. Take off the dizzy cap and see if the rotor is spinning on cranking at least you will know if the belt is still on.

[john-melbourne 6]

Cheers Fella's

 

Will give the suggested a try when i get home and let everyone know.

 

Thanks again

 

John

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

As said, barely noticeable as you crank the engine...but if you know what to listen for you should notice it. If you get it running and you're low on fuel that's when you'll really hear it

[john-melbourne 6]

Hi Guys

 

Well i have just tested everything that has been mentioned above, my results are:

 

Rotor Arm is spinning with the dizzy cap off:

I "think" i can hear the fuel pump running on for about 1 second when i stop trying to start the engine, does this sound right?

Voltage before cranking was 12.64 and during cranking was 11.04 again does this sound right?

 

Thanks

 

John

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

All sounds correct yes and (you really want to replace it sooner than later) I only mentioned the cambelt as if it had broken the camshaft/dizzy wouldn't have been turning which would mean no pulse for ecu to fire the coil, ignition amp, or injectors and fuel pump .

 

Do you have the proper air box setup or the ever popular k&n setup?

[john-melbourne 6]

All original air box and setup, I can take a video which will show the sound of the engine not firing if this helps?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

A simple diagnosis for you.

 

If you undo the elbow on the inlet manifold and have someone crank the engine while you spray in wd40 with the straw through the gap in small bursts this should make the engine start but be careful of misfires and back firing don't spray in a lot at once, just a quick blip a second should be enough.

 

If the engine runs it will rule out the ignition system in part.

[john-melbourne 6]

Will I need any specific tools for this?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

screwdriver?

[john-melbourne 6]

screwdriver?

Thanks Slo,

 

Sorry for asking to be spoon fed, but can you explain where on the inlet manifold i should look for the elbow to remove?

 

Sorry again for asking silly questions

 

Thanks

 

John

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

The big rubber elbow thats attached to the inlet manifold with a massive jubilee clip. You want to direct the wd40 straw towards the inside of the inlet manifold rather than up the elbow.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Actually scratch that, disconnect the air hose above the air flow meter and spray it in there. That way you will be able to rev it up if it starts.

[john-melbourne 6]

Actually scratch that, disconnect the air hose above the air flow meter and spray it in there. That way you will be able to rev it up if it starts.

Thanks Again Andy,

 

So the big jubilee clip just above the dizzy?, spray some WD40 in there with the straw direct down the middle, and stand back?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

No the jubilee clip attaching the hose above the air flow meter.

 

You don't have to stand back just don't squirt too much in, you can't flood it as there's no fluid to wet the plugs but if it back fires the bang can only come out one way.