HELP!!! This car is ruining my life!

What's it reading now?

12.8

yep that plug is for fog lights, factory fit would have a length of wire from there to the fogs. just double check the lights in your grille are fogs, they're more commonly main beam lights

for fixing damaged wires the best way is to crimp new pins on or solder. the double crimp joint things arnt an amazing fix they arnt sealed and can come loose. if you at least cover with tape that'll stop the water getting in

just to be clear did you take the gearbox and chassis earth straps off and check for damage and clean the ends as well as the connection points on the gearbox and chassis? Reason I'm asking is a mate who did his apprenticeship on mk1s and has read this post says to make sure this cable is 100% right.

Reason why I keep coming back to this cable is because you did this "thought I'd degrease the gearbox area as it was filthy".

Jonny….sorted one wire with the crimp things as that was what it was previously fixed with.  This other wire to the AAV is an absolute mare.  Got one end sorted, problem is the wire is so brittle that each time I try and pull the plastic I've cut off the wire, the wire snaps (I'm not cutting into the wire either).  I'm basically down to the last possible go before it's too short.  I once had (and saw the other day and think I binned it) these blue plastic things that basically clipped down onto the wire and as they clipped down pierced into the cable through the plastic…joining the wires that way.  Just done a search and cannot find them, any ideas what they would be called to get some more?

wvw…yeah, it is a good call for that reason.  But all looks good to me on the connections.  I wire wooled any rust off.  The battery is still on charge so when that's done I'll give her another go

Thanks again guys.  You both seem to have the patience of saints and will be getting some amazing karma for your efforts

dont think the blue things would help ya unfortunately, better to pop down the scrappy and cut a plug off with a good length o wire and splice that onto your car

Took me a week to get mine back on the road.

Just out of interest did you touch the plastic s bend from the air flow meter? And what size engine is it

Need a car to get to the scrappy  Most my mates in sunderland don't have a car, and the one that does is a very busy boy at the moment with the sacking of Bruce from Sunderland!!

I'd be happy with it taking a week!!  This is over 3 weeks now without wheels

Just tried again with a fully charged battery and nothing.  What's strange as well is that a few times a week or two ago you could hear her try and start, but she doesn't even try now.

It's a 1.8.  The plastic s-bend I'm confused which bit you mean.  If you mean the large bit from the actual metering head then yes I have had this off.  When I had had it off it was damp inside if that gives any indication.

I guess it's on to injector testing which I still can't seem to get out.  But I also cannot see how they will have suddenly changed (unless they were deteriorating and got to the crossover point of working to not working).

I always start the day with such positivity that today will be the day.  And end the day dis-heartened n effing freezing!!!lol.

That's the one. You need to take it of and put it back on again and check that it is sealed . if there is any leak from this it won't fire up.

Ok mate thanks.  I'll double triple check tomorrow.  I need to warm up!!!!

I agree with vwv . It's very easy to miss a slight air leak when you've had the air inlet tube off. sometimes the jubilee clips don't sit completely right and cause a leak. Don't know if it would be enough to give a complete lack of response on starting though :dontknow:

I've had a check and it all seems fine in that area.  Managed to get my aav connected which will be for the first time since getting her!  So want her to start to see the difference!!haha.  Taken the sparks out to dry again as they're soaking.  Could the engine just be seriously seriously flooded?

Trying to think of other things I've changed that could be causing it…changed a coolant hose…shouldn't do anything…changed the connector on top of the tts but did this all properly with solder and everything (I know…check me out!lol) so that should be better not worse.

could be the cis air flow sensor needs adjusting

When you tested the spark plugs against the block what colour was the spark?

Have you tried swapping the leads on the coil, incorrect connection can cause bad bad starting.

what's the cis air flow sensor?lol  And how do I adjust this bad boy?  The spark looked white if I remember rightly.  

Side issue to get bits off for an injector test.  How the hell do these clips come off?  The buggers are everywhere on the vacuum hosing and can they be replaced after with standard jubilee clips?



Thanks again

It's under the big rubber cover which is connected to the big plastic s shape thing that I asked you to check for leaks. Spark from the plugs should fairly strong and BLUE.

That's what that's looking like.  I'm pretty certain the spark wasn't blue, but will double check again later when it gets dark.  What would the wrong colour spark mean?  They're brand new!