Engine won't start after sparks last night..........Will now
- Thread starter Fast Guy
- Start date
Dooie Pop Pop
New Member
time to whip the inlet hard pipe and give things a wiggle/turn then. seems odd it ran ok before being switched off id have thought it would have been instantly noticable if you' d lost a plug.
Right, update...................
I took the dizzy cap off and it was like new, so was the rotor arm and the little bolt was in place. I couldn't turn the rotor arm by hand so decided the dizzy driveshaft must still be in one piece. The spark appeared to be all present and correct.
I took the plugs out, saved number 4 till last just incase. 1 and 2 were spot on, 3 was slightly black and 4 was......................slightly black also, both smelled a little of petrol, but on the whole they all looked fine.
I tried looking down the plug hole, couldn't see much bar intact bits of pistons, but that doesn't realy mean much as I can't see the ring lands etc.
I tried doing a compression test, but it was a cold engine and I wasn't expecting totally accurate results. 4 showed 4bar, 3 showed 10bar 2 showed 8bar and 1 showed 0 So I did one again and it went upto 4bar.
So I decided my compression was stuffed and thought as the plugs were OK, I'd whip the rocker cover off and see if a cam had snapped. I eventualy got it off, those damn breathers get in the way and couldn't see anything, so I turned it over and all seemed to be working as should be. So I put the cam cover back on and put the whole thing back together thinking she was stuffed.
I thought I'd give her one last go as I thought it should run even on as little as 2 cylinders, she turned and turned and turned and kicked and turned and kicked and kicked some more and turned some more and then kicked and fired into life
She sat running very happily, obviously the compression test was a waste of time as she was as smooth as before. I let her run for about 10mins then shut her down. I put my tools away and restarted her first time
So she seems cured, but fuck knows what it was. And it could happen again?
Did she flood due to some fuel reason, AFM/O2 or coolant sensors playing up or was it an intermittant ignition problem just starting
It was turning over fairly slow and plug in or out didn't seem to make a difference like it did on my monty when I did that one.
So all in all I'm at a bit of a loss I'll just have to see how it goes and hope I can get my mot sorted this week after all.
I took the dizzy cap off and it was like new, so was the rotor arm and the little bolt was in place. I couldn't turn the rotor arm by hand so decided the dizzy driveshaft must still be in one piece. The spark appeared to be all present and correct.
I took the plugs out, saved number 4 till last just incase. 1 and 2 were spot on, 3 was slightly black and 4 was......................slightly black also, both smelled a little of petrol, but on the whole they all looked fine.
I tried looking down the plug hole, couldn't see much bar intact bits of pistons, but that doesn't realy mean much as I can't see the ring lands etc.
I tried doing a compression test, but it was a cold engine and I wasn't expecting totally accurate results. 4 showed 4bar, 3 showed 10bar 2 showed 8bar and 1 showed 0 So I did one again and it went upto 4bar.
So I decided my compression was stuffed and thought as the plugs were OK, I'd whip the rocker cover off and see if a cam had snapped. I eventualy got it off, those damn breathers get in the way and couldn't see anything, so I turned it over and all seemed to be working as should be. So I put the cam cover back on and put the whole thing back together thinking she was stuffed.
I thought I'd give her one last go as I thought it should run even on as little as 2 cylinders, she turned and turned and turned and kicked and turned and kicked and kicked some more and turned some more and then kicked and fired into life
She sat running very happily, obviously the compression test was a waste of time as she was as smooth as before. I let her run for about 10mins then shut her down. I put my tools away and restarted her first time
So she seems cured, but fuck knows what it was. And it could happen again?
Did she flood due to some fuel reason, AFM/O2 or coolant sensors playing up or was it an intermittant ignition problem just starting
It was turning over fairly slow and plug in or out didn't seem to make a difference like it did on my monty when I did that one.
So all in all I'm at a bit of a loss I'll just have to see how it goes and hope I can get my mot sorted this week after all.
Looks like it did :? :lol:Dooie Pop Pop said:
Dooie Pop Pop
New Member
:lol: glad it seems to be ok 
i know that on occasion mines sort of started and then died. i have to turn it over with part throttle for 10secs or so and when it does start it chucks out a bit of fuel smoke :roll:
its only happened a few times but its done it with both engines, i think the R' s cold start goes up the creek if it fails to catch properly the first time around and im sure iv read of people having a similar problem :?
i know that on occasion mines sort of started and then died. i have to turn it over with part throttle for 10secs or so and when it does start it chucks out a bit of fuel smoke :roll: its only happened a few times but its done it with both engines, i think the R' s cold start goes up the creek if it fails to catch properly the first time around and im sure iv read of people having a similar problem :?
Well it had about a minute of turning over with the plugs out and another 15 or so when it finally started. It was like an old carb'd car trying to start. I wonder if it was just coincidence with the sparks or if they were related :?Dooie Pop Pop said::lol: glad it seems to be ok
Dooie Pop Pop
New Member
have you tried driving it yet?
Chiffs
New Member
not R with sparks but was playing with a audi s3 and when i let him infront coming upto a rounndabout it was trailing sparks out of the exhaust like a firework.
Nice light show and the car was all standard still with a cat to i think.
Still runs fine. I rekon the spark where prob just carbon burning of the inside of the exhaust.
Think you might have a slight electrical prob maybe, but its just fixed itself so woould not worry about it if it where my car.
Bad connection somewhere thats sorted itself gets my vote
Nice light show and the car was all standard still with a cat to i think.
Still runs fine. I rekon the spark where prob just carbon burning of the inside of the exhaust.
Think you might have a slight electrical prob maybe, but its just fixed itself so woould not worry about it if it where my car.
Bad connection somewhere thats sorted itself
gets my voteHave to agree with the if it doesn't catch first time when cold it won't start easily thing.
Happened to me 2 or 3 times now where I've let off the starter just a moment to soon and it stalls. Then takes about 30 seconds of turning over playing with the accelerator to start - then runs on 2 or 3 cylinders for a few seconds. Just flooded I guess.
Doesn;t sound like the same thing though tbh.
Is it all OK now? Drive OK and start OK?
I'd be doing a hot engine comp test just for my own sanity - dry and with a spoonful of oil.
If you have blown a bit of ringland out you want to know before the rest disintegrates and wipes out your turbo compressor on the way.
Just my 2p worth.
Cheers
Graham
Happened to me 2 or 3 times now where I've let off the starter just a moment to soon and it stalls. Then takes about 30 seconds of turning over playing with the accelerator to start - then runs on 2 or 3 cylinders for a few seconds. Just flooded I guess.
Doesn;t sound like the same thing though tbh.
Is it all OK now? Drive OK and start OK?
I'd be doing a hot engine comp test just for my own sanity - dry and with a spoonful of oil.
If you have blown a bit of ringland out you want to know before the rest disintegrates and wipes out your turbo compressor on the way.
Just my 2p worth.
Cheers
Graham
I haven't driven it today, but yesterday it was fine and drove like before. It's not running lumpy as I'd expect with low compression on 1cyinder.
It was more the way it was turning over that had me worried, just didn't sound right. :?
I already have a turboon standby, but want to have at least one last run donw Shakespeare on the standard one before I change it.
It was more the way it was turning over that had me worried, just didn't sound right. :?
I already have a turboon standby, but want to have at least one last run donw Shakespeare on the standard one before I change it.
turning over really slowly?
may just have been stupidly flooded causing fluid lock or shorting on the plugs to some extent :? Except fuel doesn't conduct a spark so that makes no sense!
Or you may have had a dodgy connection you've sorted by pulling it all apart and reassembling.
I've had a few of those give it one last try before I burn the thing moments and it come right for no obvious reason. Generally I proceed straight to the pub, drink at least 10 pints of stella and wake up in the morning wondering what I was worrying about :lol:
Good to know it 'seems' to be sorted.
Cheers
Graham
may just have been stupidly flooded causing fluid lock or shorting on the plugs to some extent :? Except fuel doesn't conduct a spark so that makes no sense!
Or you may have had a dodgy connection you've sorted by pulling it all apart and reassembling.
I've had a few of those give it one last try before I burn the thing moments and it come right for no obvious reason. Generally I proceed straight to the pub, drink at least 10 pints of stella and wake up in the morning wondering what I was worrying about :lol:
Good to know it 'seems' to be sorted.
Cheers
Graham
Dooie Pop Pop
New Member
haaaaaaaaaahahahahahaaaa :evil: aint we all :lol: last one was that 'oops iv put the reverse light/ignition plugs on the wrong way round type thing...grrgeetee said:
:lol: