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Car help! Turning over but not starting

Trapper

By Trapper
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Trapper

Trapper

Posted
Posted (edited)

My car is currently parked in yonder Tesco car park across the road. After bimbling around 30 miles across Birmingham today I popped in on my way home and now she won't start.

 

Mark 1.5 Focus, 1.6 petrol, 52 plate.

 

Turns over, clicks, chugs then nothing.

 

Doesn't help that I chose to be frugal (D'OH!) and don't have the home start option on my breakdown and Tesco is *just* within 1/4 mile.

 

From what I've read it could be:

 

* Fuel pump

* Bogged up fuel filter

* Spark plugs - fitted somewhat crudely by my father in law 36 months ago

 

Any ideas? I've had a gaze at a plug in situ (can't get it out all my tools are at work) and it looks OK, got a whiff of fuel as well.

 

I've stopped turning it over in frustration before I kill the battery.

 

The fuel is low, as in under 8 litres, but the fuel light is not on and there should be sufficient for another 20 miles. I'm hesitant to get a jerry can as if it has to be scrapped that's another wasted £20.

 

So ... any ideas?

 

I'm going to let my FIL have a look tomorrow and if not then it's either do a tow to a garage ourselves or sign up with another breakdown company and wait 24 hrs.

 

Luckily my in laws have a "spare" old car they are saving for my brother in law to pass his test, so I can at least get to work for the next couple of weeks.

Edited by Trapper
unixman_again

unixman_again

Posted
Posted
Why sign up with another breakdown company. Just tow it far enough away to qualify. Generally if a car has been running fine and when you come back to it, it doesn't go, it's either fuel starvation, or flooding. Either way, you need to pop the spark plugs out and have a look. Often, if you leave it overnight, they will magically spring into life when next you try, although if you have discharged the battery, you'll need jumper leads. If it is fuel starvation, clean the fuel filter and give and try again. If it nearly starts, but doesn't quite want to go, a squirt of aerostart usually does the trick.
Homer

Homer

Posted
Posted

Is it actually cranking or is the starter just spinning?

 

Coil pack could be a possibility they can be a weak point on the old Focus', has it been running badly?

Trapper

Trapper

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Running fine. Had the damn coil pack replaced same time as the plug.

 

Last time the coil went - you knew. Misfiring like crazy. This time - nothing running smooth as always.

 

Can't tow now, edict from the mother in law. Can borrow car, if no towing involved. I'd rather have a guaranteed car for a while.

 

Going to leave it overnight and see what happens.

DPrince

DPrince

Posted
Posted

If you call the breakdown provider, they usually let you upgrade on the spot.

Alternatively, a good mobile mechanic could fix it in the car park cheaper than signing up to a new breakdown company.

Trapper

Trapper

Posted
  • Author
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Tried it this morning and no dice.

 

Going back over later to find the fuel pump cut off switch - last gasp attempt at doing it myself. You never know.

Homer

Homer

Posted
Posted
Good shout, check all fuel / ignition fuses, see if you can hear the tank pump running when you put the ignition to position 2 (before cranking). Have you tried giving it just a tiny bit of throttle when cranking? If the idle control is completely blocked it could starve it of air? Just a random idea
Trapper

Trapper

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Fuel cut off - not cut off. Not surprised!

 

£20 for a tow to a garage of my choice - decent pricing and good work rather than one of the breakdown companies choice = expensive.

 

It has probably worked out cheaper this way than having the correct breakdown cover in the first place!

 

Obviously breaking down in a free, open cark park within spitting distance of your house, having access to a "spare" car and it being the summer holidays so I can pop in and out of work at whim does make things much easier!

cpjitservices

cpjitservices

Posted
Posted
Check the injectors.... Size 13 Spanner, undo injector one by one and see if fuel squirts everywhere out of all injectors. Have you checked the HT leads, wait till dark, pop bonnet and get someone to crank it whilst your looking at th HT leads.. if they are faulty you'll know as you'll see the spark in the lead and it looks like Blackpool illuminations lol. In failing that you could always try an old fashioned bumpstart... presuming its not the Auto model.
cpjitservices

cpjitservices

Posted
Posted (edited)
Tried it this morning and no dice.

 

Going back over later to find the fuel pump cut off switch - last gasp attempt at doing it myself. You never know.

 

Dont think there is one on the mark 1, 1.5 Focus... it's part of the immobilizer... and thats another thing to check.. the immobilizer isnt causing this is it ? best way you can check is by turning your key till the instrument panel illuminates, listen for a slight hum which means fuel pump is spinning, preferably do this with your spare key (one with the blue transponder chip). Should be a lttle red flashing LED on the dash which should go off when you turn the key in the ignition switch, if it stays on then immobilizer could be stopping the engine starting.

Edited by cpjitservices
Trapper

Trapper

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Can't hear the pump, then again I can't remember ever hearing the pump and it is in a noisy car park.

 

Got some guys towing it to my local garage some time between now and the end of time, who'll take a look.

 

Last time this happened it was the battery - and I do remember that the internal lights and the radio still worked - which surprised me. Could be there's not enough juice to start it.

 

In all probability it's the fuel pump that's just gone. Or knowing my luck the fuse that controls the fuel pump and all of this is caused by a 50p bit of metal.

 

This annoys me greatly. When people have silly simple problems wrong with their PC I always think why don't they just mess around with one and learn. Same thing with a car. When something goes wrong we really should be able to spend some time figuring it out. With modern cars there isn't much you can break yourself.

 

I keep meaning to get a cheap banger, pull it apart and learn how it all works. Then I don't, and I get annoyed with myself when this happens.

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cpjitservices

cpjitservices

Posted
Posted
I'm curious - do all cars have a fuse for the fuel pump etc ?

 

No usually its done by the immobiliser or a cut off valve... However I suspect the fuel pump fuse was in the box under the bonnet and not the one under the glove box, if so Focuses like to let water in, and the fuse might of just gotten a bit of damp in.

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