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Old 26-04-2009, 11:40 AM   #1
mussing
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Help! Car won't start.

Alrighty so I decided not to wait any longer and bought an alternator, which I installed with the help of my dad over the last couple of days. Got it in there and running, everything seemed great, battery was charging again, but then last night the car wouldn't start.

Installing the alternator required removing the fuel filter (which I replaced) and charcoal canister, but these were easy to put back in properly. It doesn't look as though they're the cause of the problem, because after installing the alternator I ran the car for about fifteen minutes and it worked fine.

While the alternator was out we degreased the whole engine bay and hosed it off. I was thinking that possibly some water got in the distributor, but I would've thought that that would've stopped it from running the first time, right?

After running the car yesterday afternoon I also secured the rear speakers properly. Before they were just held on by one screw 'cos the holes didn't line up, so I drilled a couple of holes in the brackets and screwed them in. Could I have knocked something out of place in the boot, like a plug to the fuel pump or something similar?

The engine rotates but does not start, it's definitely not the battery being too flat. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 26-04-2009, 12:46 PM   #2
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check your ignition coil..make sure its getting spark..u havent knocked the lead off or wet the coil?
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Old 26-04-2009, 01:10 PM   #3
mussing
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Coil is dry, I sprayed the dizzy with wd-40, but no spark whatsoever.

I'm pretty sure now I know why. When the previous owner sold it to me, he mentioned that it had an alarm and immobiliser that the owner before him had installed, but he never had the fobs or the key for it. The main unit sits under the dash behind the fusebox on the driver's side, and supposedly there's another in the engine bay somewhere. The documentation says "The alarm unit is only splashproof not waterproof. When washing under the bonnet ensure that the unit is covered and does not get wet."

I've disconnected the battery to see if it'll reset itself, but what the hell should I do if that doesn't work? I don't even know where the other unit is!
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Old 26-04-2009, 01:37 PM   #4
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Damn man sorry to hear that ay, I suggest getting a air compressor with a nozzle attachment and blowing out each and every part of the engine bay, everything that has wires going in and out of it, cus moisture + electrical = death try it see what happens. I don't think you should of used wd40 btw but that's just IMO
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Old 26-04-2009, 02:15 PM   #5
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Check the spark plug wells
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Old 26-04-2009, 04:34 PM   #6
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Spark plug wells are ok. I've now completely removed the immobiliser unit that was under the dash, and reconnected the wires that it intercepted. It still wouldn't start after that.

After some more checking of electrical stuff in the engine bay I tried it again and this time it worked, ran for half a minute, then stalled. That pretty well eliminates the immobiliser as a possibility.

The igniter has voltage with the key in the "ON" position, but there's no spark. So I'm thinking maybe the igniter has died? Would water cause this?

EDIT: Ok, I just tried again and it started, coughed and sputtered, then stalled, so it has spark again.

Last edited by mussing; 26-04-2009 at 05:24 PM.
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Old 26-04-2009, 06:22 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mussing View Post
After some more checking of electrical stuff in the engine bay I tried it again and this time it worked, ran for half a minute, then stalled. That pretty well eliminates the immobiliser as a possibility.
fuel pump immmobilised? that will last about 30 seconds after being disconnected depending on how much pressure you have in the system?

just a thought...
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Old 26-04-2009, 10:29 PM   #8
mussing
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Nope, the wiring has been completely reverted to how it was pre-immobiliser. Plus it doesn't start easily and then die - it kicks and screams and *might* start before stalling. It's not pretty
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