Engine wont start!

hello again! well the mk1 is back in the garage where its been for the past few months… :cry:

A few days ago i got it back on the road and was fine for about 3 days. Took it to the petrol staion then coming back home in traffic at the traffic lights….everything cuts out and dies! at first it sounded like it ran out of petrol…having no petrol gauge i know what that sounds like!!!!  

It turns over but wont start, it sounds like it wants too, if you keep on the ignition it nearly starts but as soon as you let go of the key…nothing!

i've cleaned out the dizzy cap and checked for water that seems fine…

Im thinking its the fuel pump??? it was very noisey before it f'd up :evil:

please help me get to the next nwm meet :pray:

when you turn your ignition on can you hear the relay for the pump click? and then the pump buzz as it primes?

if not then your relay is dead - very common problem it has a number 2 written on it second from left in your fuse box, if that working/clicking ok, then could well be your fuel pump,

i have just been through the same thing, and changed my fuel pump,

tim

Hi, This sounds daft but you haven't put diesel in it by mistake have you. I've done it and a friend of mine laughed and then a while later did the same thing. Cheers.

cheers lads, imhoping its the relay as i cant hear it click and buss… can you get relays from german and swedish?

…and i deffo didnt put diesel in…..errrrr i think! :mrgreen:

lowmk1 said

can you get relays from german and swedish?

Yes and euro car parts too.

What was the weather conditions like on the day? my car failed to start last week because the spark from the HT lead was jumping across the cap. The problem ended up being damp between the outer black protective plastic and the cap. I solved the problem by removing the outer black plastic and putting it in the bin.

right then, got it running today although when it first fired up if you reved it it died….sounded very rough!

anyway 30 mins later it was running fine, even managed to make it to the pub!! when i came out i was surprised to see it started first time

then on the way back i put 5 quids worth in and the problems started again! wouldnt start! so its gotta be something to do with the fuel???

is it worth changing the pump or is my tank full of crap? when going up a hill it was chugging like its not getting rnough fuel….

please help

I remember reading a post recently with a similar problem. It was with the gauze filter inside the tant (under rear seat) that was all blocked.  Cant find it at the mo, but was within the last 2 weeks i'm sure.  Maybe adding more fuel stirred up the cr P in the tank and it got caught by this filter?

Good luck

I assume you have replaced the relay, checked the wiring (that you're getting a nice fat 12V at the fuel pump) and the problem persists. There is a little filter at the end of the fuel line which goes into the fuel pump, this apparently gets clogged.

Otherwise, its a case of taking the rear seat out, taking the sender out and getting your hand/wet vac into the tank to give it a good cleaning out.

Or you could do what I do and split the car in half and replace everything at the back end (feels like it - its still on the axle stands it went onto 2 months ago!)

cheers lads 8)

just tried jump starting it and it fired up again after a few tries, had a look in the tank and it doesnt seem to be full of crud,  although when i took the jump leads off it just died..??

dont dont have a volt tester to see if im getting anough power to the pump, could this be a poor power suply

If it died at exactly the same time as you removed the jump leads, it could be a faulty electrical connection, probably at the battery terminal. It would be worth putting a voltmeter on the + of the coil (and the other end to a known good earth) and seeing what the reading is. If the engine stops, the fuel pump should also stop, because there is a 5th terminal on the fuel pump relay (from the coil) which receives the same pulsed signal as the tacho and senses the engine is running (for safety).