Car Won't Start...

[willis 18 1 Cars]

Hi,

 

My 205 gti 1.6 is refusing to start. The engine is turning over but it never gets going.

 

The last time this happened it turned out to be the relay (which I think controls the fuel pump) but two years on it's happening again. Earlier today I did put the old relay in (which was working intermittently before I swapped it) and with that one in you can't hear the fuel pump prime, with the other one you can which leads me to think it's not at fault this time. You can only hear the pump for a very short time, say half a second.

 

I did try charging the battery and also tried "engine start mode" on the charger but no joy.

 

Even though the fuel gauge was reading just under a quarter full I topped this up a bit but still no joy.

 

Does anyone have any more ideas? The battery hasn't been holding it's charge very well (about three years old). Could it be this?

 

I haven't used the car very much this year at all.

 

Thanks in advance.

[willis 18 1 Cars]

Anybody?

[j_turnell 137 3 Cars]

Do you have spark? and fuel to the injectors?

[SkyQuake 70 1 Cars]

The fuel pump sounds to be working normally to me. You hear it when you start the key as it primes the system. It cuts off once it has pressurised the fuel rail, and you don't usually hear it start up again, because by that time the engine is usually running.

 

Start with James' advice above; make sure your spark plugs are actually sparking and that the fuel is definitely making it's way as far as the injectors.

 

As a pure gut feel guess, I'd suggest this is likely to be an electrical connection. It usually is on mine. If you've still got the brown connector block of doom fitted, that's a good place to start. Plenty of threads about that on here. The other problem I get from time to time, which is identical to what you've described is the sensor wire coming from the distributor. There's a connection (usually yellow) which dangles down below the dizzy wires, somewhere below the header bottle/around the SAD which sometimes causes this problem. Pull that apart and give it a clean, see if that helps.

 

If that's not it, see what you can rule out, and post that information up...

[Anthony 1,003]

As a pure gut feel guess, I'd suggest this is likely to be an electrical connection. It usually is on mine. If you've still got the brown connector block of doom fitted, that's a good place to start. Plenty of threads about that on here. The other problem I get from time to time, which is identical to what you've described is the sensor wire coming from the distributor. There's a connection (usually yellow) which dangles down below the dizzy wires, somewhere below the header bottle/around the SAD which sometimes causes this problem. Pull that apart and give it a clean, see if that helps.

If it's cranking over, it won't be the under bonnet brown plug - usually it's that the starter won't work if that's at fault (or gauges/warning lights play silly games).

 

The dizzy signal wire and plug is a good call though and are a common issue that causes a non-start. Either the wire gets damaged where it connects to the dizzy, or the yellow plug gets damp/corroded - bit of WD40 and plugging and unplugging the plug a few times should fix it if so.

 

Check as James suggests and go from there - spark plug out to see if you've spark as the engine cranks over, and if it's injecting fuel there will be a noticable whiff of petrol from the open bore (sometimes you'll see the puff of petrol vapour being ejected from the bore too). Relay sounds like it's working to me, but to rule it out AS A TEST use a length of thick wire to bridge the thick brown and two thick white wires on the relay - that'll make the fuel pump run constantly and provide constant 12v to the injectors (so don't leave it connected!)

[willis 18 1 Cars]

Thanks for the tips guys.

 

As it happens I did a bit of research last night and cleaned up a few connections (prior to reading this)

 

I cleaned the plug which connects the fuel pump but there was no joy here.

 

Then I cleaned the earth connection on the top of the suspension (which was very grimy) under the hood and I also looked at the dizzy cap which all seemed a little damp as it has always had a plastic sock over it.

 

I then tried to start it again and after a few seconds, a bit like when a car has had no fuel in and then been filled up, it started. I've tried a few times today and it's been fine.

 

I'm not sure if the delayed start I'd just achieved was due to a bit of flooding due to trying to start it previously or of it's something up with the injectors.

 

Could the earth wire bad contact have been causing this?

Edited September 17, 2015 by willis

[jackherer 543]

The earth connections on the top of the dampers are only used for the brake pad warning light circuit, they aren't used by the engine at all.

[willis 18 1 Cars]

I've found the dizzy signal wire so I'll give that a good clean. Thanks.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Have a careful look at the plug where the dizzy signal cable connects to the loom, I once had a pin push back into the plug hence an intermittent misfire until one day it just would not start at all.

It took some finding but at least was an easy enough repair.

[willis 18 1 Cars]

Well, I took the connection apart at both ends of the dizzy signal cable and it looked very clean. I gave it the once over with some WD40 and a cotton bud.

 

These intermittent problems are the worst aren't they?!? Until (or if) it happens again there's little I can do.

 

I also replaced the oil filler pipe whilst I was down there. I forgot how cramped the gti's engine bay is. It's got more space than a V8 but it seems to have annoying things in the way where you want to put your tools! I also replaced the main filler top as it had cracked but the new one doesn't seem to fit very well. Before I speak to peugeot on Monday does anybody know if there were more than one variant?

 

It does seem to run better with the new pipe on though :-)

 

Thanks

Edited September 18, 2015 by willis

[Anthony 1,003]

Is the rubber O-ring missing from the replacement oil filler cap? They're a very loose fit if so.

[willis 18 1 Cars]

Um... Yes! Peugeot didn't supply one and the old one had snapped so it wasn't on there either!

 

It looks like the other end of it should almost hook over another bolt but it doesn't line up, it seems around 20-30mm too short...

[willis 18 1 Cars]

I should have been more specific, I mean the neck, not the cap/top

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Um... Yes! Peugeot didn't supply one and the old one had snapped so it wasn't on there either!

 

It looks like the other end of it should almost hook over another bolt but it doesn't line up, it seems around 20-30mm too short...

No that's standard issue!!. Good old Peugeot.

[welshpug 1,657]

it was used on many other engine configurations, it is used for something on another one, can't remember what though!

[willis 18 1 Cars]

I feel a modification coming on...