starting probs still...

[john.med]

had some starting probs over the last few weeks. Car would start and rev high, throttle wouldn't work and the management light would come on... Then it would just turn over, and not start. Since then it's been an intermittent fault, revving or just not starting... and i've replaced the throttle body, accelerator pedal and yesterday the tdc sensor. This morning it wouldn't start again, just turned over quickly without kicking in. What's wrong with my car? There's no fault codes, no warning lights... Sorry for the essay

 

[john.med]

anyone? Fred, Brun? Help me out here guys

 

[john.med]

Bumpety bump.

 

[john.med]

when cold the engine management light is on, goes off by itself. Only then will the car start. No fault codes. This is doin my head in...HELP!!

 

[Terry172]

Do a quick search on TDC sensor problems and see if their problems match your ones.

 

[john.med]

i've replaced the tdc 2 days ago mate. Made no difference.

 

[Christopher]

Have you checked the connections on all the sensors?

 

[mini-valver]

Has your ecu bracket worn through any wires John?

 

[john.med]

i'll check the ecu dave... Which sensors chris? I've not checked lambda, but all others seem ok. I.A.T's connections are fine, but it is loose in plenum, but has always been

 

[john.med]

i'll check the ecu dave... Which sensors chris? I've not checked lambda, but all others seem ok. I.A.T's connections are fine, but it is loose in plenum, but has always been

 

[john.med]

All sensor connections seem fine,.. Clean and secure.

Could it be a relay? Fuel/pump related? Started fine from cold today, but then wouldn't start again, then started when the management light went out...

It's doing my nut in now!!! The gf's £500 banger starts better.

 

[john.med]

Is it time I replaced the Coil Pack????

 

[Christopher]

It could be a coil pack fault, yeah... but it normally runs like a bag of sh*te if that's the cause... and you said that it runs ok when it actually starts?

Does the fuel pump prime when you turn the ignition? Can you hear it?

 

[SBV116]

Throttle body?

 

[sideways danny]

temperature related starting always points me to the temperature sensor. Your best bet is to get plugged into a diagnostic tool and see what fault has made the management light go on.

 

[john.med]

it won't start at all now. Management light on, turns over, won't kick in. Fuel pump can be heard priming yeah. Yesterday it wouldn't start when warm too. But ran fine when it did. No fault codes either... I've already replaced the t/body...

 

[mini-valver]

Sounds fuel related to me, any ignition faults would throw up a management light I think. Maybe try a second fuel pump?

 

[john.med]

Wouldn't start at all last night, then this morning started first time! I've checked every connection to every sensor now, one of the ones to the plenum was oiled up, the coil pack connections seem fine, but I've cleaned them etc...

The car starts immediately now,.. just know it'll let me down again tho.

Dave, Chris and others, thanks for the sugegstions.

Dave, if the pump was on the way out, surely the car wouldn't run well once started? If it was temperamental it'd be leaving me on the side of the m'way and stuff?

 

[john.med]

car wouldn't start again, managed to get it to my regular indie specialist, he did a code read, found some weird codes and stuff relatin to t'body and throttle pedal. Suggested it could be immobiliser... He said i'd already done what they would do and more. Cleared codes and sent me on my way. Oh the joys of french motoring!

 

[Christopher]

Does the immobiliser light flash quickly when you're trying to start it?

TPS is another thing to look at. They are prone to failure too.

 

[Beef-Mc]

Duff batery?

 

[john.med]

Battery is fine. Is that throttle potentiometer sensor Chris? I'll do a search now, I've read a bit about that I think.

Immobiliser light seems normal TBQFH!

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, that's the one. It's the block connector on the side of the TB.

Try cleaning/securing that... if it's thrown up a fault code about it too, it certainly looks dodgy.

 

[john.med]

Seeing as I've replaced the t'body, throttle pedal and TDC sensor already, the garage were fairly certain the fault codes would have originated from the old faulty units. They tried to get the ECU to register new faults after clearing the faults, to no avail.

I've had every sensor connection off and cleaned over the weekend too. I'll be burning this car if it carries on.

If it was the TPS would I not be having ruff running, limited revs/limp mode? Cos when it goes, it's absolutely fine.

My boss doesn't sound too happy with me being off work either. SHAME!

 

[BRUN]

all these parts you have fitted, were they new genuine parts ?.....as your never going to be certain if your putting 2nd hand parts on

also, the TDC sensor you fitted, was it genuine, otherwise their was probably no point, the new genuine sensors have a blue connector and you have to buy the new loom aswell as they wont fit otherwise, buy a factors TDC sensor and your problem will still be their

 

[john.med]

cheers brun, i replaced the throttle body and pedal with used parts. But i fitted a new blue tdc sensor. I know what you're saying about buying used, but hey i'm not on your average CS wages... The fault was still intermittent, and persisted. It wasn't till i took it to a garage, that i found the fault codes hadn't been clearing with my code reader. Once cleared the car's been fine. Starts on cue nearly a week later!

 

[MarkCup]

I had this, turned out it needed a new throttle body for me.

 

[BRUN]

glad its working mate, personally id have bought a new pedal assembly, IIRC they are not very expensive new

 

[john.med]

Maybe I should have,.. This morning, a week after having had no probs at all the same thing happened. Started but revved, management squiggle on. Switched on and off and all was well. The car hadn't been used for 2 days, so maybe it is the battery....

I can live with one hiccup a week anyway... Hopefully it won't play up more.

Aren't the pedals about £50 new? I paid about £20.

 

[VXR killer]

could be key reader or key, had similar problem. try using spare key

 

[john.med]

^maybe. It's been fine for a month now, touch wood.