Don't Start

[Dave-G]

Heard a faint whistling sound accompanied with a smell of burning the other day,like a fan belt slipping but much more muffled. revved engine but that noise kept the same pitch - so think it wernt fan belt related.

 

Car wouldn't start yesterday - instrumentation lights come on but wont crank. can feel/hear automatic selector lever switch operating. got it towed to an auto electrician mate - finally traced it to ignition barrel. Thinking back...thats about where I "looked at the whistling" :unsure:

 

He says disconnect battery for a while if it re-occurs (for now), it did - that trick dint work. tried it several times before phoning a mate to tow me back.

 

He arrives in about half hour - "just check before we put the rope on... huh it started!

 

drove to electrics shop to leave it there overnight for early attention - turned off... restarts ok...twice - then wont!

 

Any idea if this sounds right gents? Is it a big / special tool jod to fit a replacement

[bigdaddy]

Dont know about the noise it made,,,,,but I looks like a faulty ignition switch,,,,should be reasonably easy to replace,,,,

[seatkid]

Sounds as if the fizz maybe was an electrical arc, hence the smell. Could be a switch, could the main battery leads, the negative lead where it connects to the bodywork is a common problem. Try and "sniff" your way to the problem area...... :D

[Dave-G]

:( Well I had the ignition switch changed - the same fault occasionally appears...

 

:huh: or rather doesn't appear - when anyone gets to check for faults because it clears itself, sometimes within 30/40 mins :o

 

In desperation I took it to a main ford dealer for a diagnostic hook up, expecting to pay an hours labour (

[Guest j_mchattie]

They would only have checked for engine sensor faults (anything the ECU can pick-up on) - not mechanical things like that.

[Guest Bigboy]

I have similar problem,

Does the imobilizer light flash on the door when its not going to start?

 

Look at this thread

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...=6700&hl=bigboy

[Dave-G]

ok - I'm going to have to start replacing things i think

 

anyone know how much a g-box selector switch is ?

 

:( Ya know what really sucks?... :o

 

:huh: warranty direct wont cover some electrical switches! :o

[Dave-G]

Before I start spending money on parts I want to test the water on the following possibly which I have been reluctant to moot

 

:huh: clutching at straws springs to mind :(

 

If the immobiliser doesn't "reckognise" a key, would it prevent subsequent attempts at the use of any keys for a period of time before allowing further attempts?

 

I recently had reason to leave my keys hidden outside, near the car, for a few nights. It so happens that one of those nights reached minus 5 degrees...

 

I have started to use the spare key while running the car, so that I can lock it and leave it running if its only a short stop (it only has the intermittent fault after brief stops) and it has never failed to start when I use the spare key.

 

I'm wondering if sub zero temperatures can damage the chip in the key?

 

:o Sounds desperate huh? :o

[Guest Bigboy]

So i prezume your imobilizer light on the door flashes like crazy when its not going to start, have we got that im common?

 

""""If the immobiliser doesn't "reckognise" a key, would it prevent subsequent attempts at the use of any keys for a period of time before allowing further attempts?""""

 

Good question!

 

What my wife has noticed is that when it won't start if she gets out opens and closes the boot, then tries to start it again it will start on the second turn.

 

My response was, right, maybe thats a coincidence.

 

5-6 times it has worked for her, i tried it last night and it worked for me too.

 

Is this something to do with the boot door perhaps?

 

Any coments from anyone else with tthis problem maybe, or one of you experts out there?

[Masked Marauder]

""""If the immobiliser doesn't "reckognise" a key, would it prevent subsequent attempts at the use of any keys for a period of time before allowing further attempts?""""

 

No, it will work first time with the right key.

[Masked Marauder]

What my wife has noticed is that when it won't start if she gets out opens and closes the boot, then tries to start it again it will start on the second turn.

 

My response was, right, maybe thats a coincidence.

 

5-6 times it has worked for her, i tried it last night and it worked for me too.

 

Is this something to do with the boot door perhaps?

 

Any coments from anyone else with tthis problem maybe, or one of you experts out there?

Could it be the boot slaming is effecting a loose wire?

[Dave-G]

Actually a friend :P yes really I have one :lol: also mentioned the tailgate

 

I sometimes find it's locked when the other doors are unlocked

 

I've not had a reocurrence yet to check the led indicator in the door because I'm using t' spare key successfully at the mo.

[Masked Marauder]

 

I sometimes find it's locked when the other doors are unlocked

Is the engine running? You can't open it with the engine running unless the drivers door has been opened in the last 30 seconds or so.

[Dave-G]

Good point MM, but I've noticed it locked sometimes immediatly after getting out of the driver seat

[Masked Marauder]

Faulty drivers door open sensor?

[Guest Bigboy]

Yes, musical doors.

 

When the bus is running with driver at the wheel the parenger can't open the boot.

Took us a good while to figure that one out at first.

 

The solution is to bang on the back window and should "open the fuc..... door"

 

 

Back to the current problem, mmmmmmmmmm.

When it won't start we try the other key straight away, that makes no difference.

It still won't start.

What i'm going to do is hide 1 key (the spare that might be giving problems) and see if this persists.

 

Ciaran

[Dave-G]

:) update: Woont start last night with the spare key either :P

 

I then left it locked up for 15 mins... non starter

then 30 mins...non starter

 

Disconnect positve battery terminal,wait 15 mins started Thats an hour roadside!

 

There were no door led flashes apart from the usual one at/during start up

 

;) O - I also opened and closed boot a few times :P

 

Going back to basics now - will temporarily treat it as a 20 year old car and check the starter lead and engine earth connections

 

:huh: I'd joined the AA last friday (online) as a backup - but cant use em till i got the membership card ;)

[Dave-G]

:P Eventually got the battery carrier off to check the positive lead was on the starter tightly (well one my mates kept "telling" me it was that),and that frikkin clip on the plug to the expansion bottle got a right good kickin with a pair of cutters!

 

;) only to find that I would have been able to feel it anyway ;)

 

I cant seem to find the earth cable - (I know - dont expect it to be an easy to spot braided cable it's probably now pvc covered and in a "hose pipe looking tube" the bisturds!

 

:) I remember being able to remove the bonnet and sit on the front of a cortina with my legs down either side of the engine bay and still have room to turn sideways ...well almost... :huh:

 

GRR RANT RANT

[Masked Marauder]

;) I remember being able to remove the bonnet and sit on the front of a cortina with my legs down either side of the engine bay and still have room to turn sideways ...well almost

One of my first cars was a Triumph Vittesse. I used to open the bonnet and sit on the wheels when I was working on the engine....

[Guest vr6galaxy]

 

:) I remember being able to remove the bonnet and sit on the front of a cortina with my legs down either side of the engine bay and still have room to turn sideways ...well almost... :huh: 

 

GRR RANT RANT

What are you saying Dave? the engines too big, the engine bays to small? or just be honest and admit it ;) you've put on a bit weight since then ;)

 

 

who ate all the pies? :P

 

 

 

Dave did :P

[Dave-G]

nice one boys - but where's the earth lead?

 

And wot does it look like - is it sheathed etc??

 

Another edit:

what am i saying? well it was easy then to find even the smallest items ...like say a core plug, a temperature sender etc

 

Yet another edit:

 

I think I asked the question in a dysexlic way - well I know what I meant ;)

I actually meant between the body and engine block.

 

Found it - yep, partly sheathed and partly hidden in a hose - all nice and tight.

 

:) I'm goin to join a small feedwire into the plug of the solenoid lead and try a direct to battery connection if it happens again :huh:

[Dave-G]

:D Sorted I think... :ph34r:

 

:lol: It appears to have been a bad connection. B)

 

Since removing the battery carrier, and yanking on the feed to the starter - and the negative to the engine block (which has a small portion of the insulation removed to allow a "through the saddle" type connection to the body) there has been no failure to start.

 

In the process I had separated/reconnected several in-line plug/sockets leads.

 

The flylead I joined into the solenoid supply will remain for a while, it worked - after reconecting all the wiring I turned the ignition on and started by touching it on the positive battery terminal.

 

Thanks to all for the input

[Dave-G]

Sorry guys - Ignore this, I'm just using it as a picture host for somewhere else

[Guest vr6galaxy]

The cost of picture hosting will the use of the weapon for the day :ph34r: I wont leave prints or a drop you in it if I get pulled ;)

 

now what if everybody started doing that Dave? image what a mess the forum would look with all sorts of odd pictures flashing up all over the place ;)

[chromedome]

I wonder if he's going to track down the designer of the Galaxy :ph34r: