car problem

fernandovargas

my car (98 almera 1.4) has been laid up last 2 weeks as it wont start
batterys fine,starter,fuelpump&new fuel filter,new spark plugs all fine
its ticking over but not starting and im at my wits end as i cant really afford a mechanic for few weeks, iv checked couple of sensors and i found one down behind cylinder head which was covered in grease and oil inside and outside and looks in bad nick tbh, not sure if this could be the problem

Midnight_EG

I know it sounds stupid, but is there petrol in it?


You have spark, so maybe you need a new fuel pump, unless you bought a new one? Unclear as to your OP.


Also, distributor?

fernandovargas

yep iv petrol in it, fuel pumps working all right i can hear it, im thinking even maybe fuel line from tank to filter is blocked, distributor cap is fine too

johnayo

fernandovargas wrote: »

my car (98 almera 1.4) has been laid up last 2 weeks as it wont start
batterys fine,starter,fuelpump&new fuel filter,new spark plugs all fine
its ticking over but not starting and im at my wits end as i cant really afford a mechanic for few weeks, iv checked couple of sensors and i found one down behind cylinder head which was covered in grease and oil inside and outside and looks in bad nick tbh, not sure if this could be the problem

First things first. You need to check the basics.
You need to check to see if you have fuel up at the rail. Then you need to check for spark at spark plugs. Without these two, engine wont start.
Good luck.

fernandovargas

johnayo wrote: »

First things first. You need to check the basics.
You need to check to see if you have fuel up at the rail. Then you need to check for spark at spark plugs. Without these two, engine wont start.
Good luck.

new sparks put in, iv changed fuel filter but nothing has come up from the fuel line going into the filter so thats why im thinking it could be fuel line blockage

bryaner

Just because you can hear the fuel pump doesn't mean it's working, came across this a good few times where the pump sounded like it was working on ignition but was putting out nout.

johnayo

fernandovargas wrote: »

new sparks put in, iv changed fuel filter but nothing has come up from the fuel line going into the filter so thats why im thinking it could be fuel line blockage

If you have no fuel at the filter then you may have a problem back at the pump. Lift up the back seat and look underneath for a cover about 3 inches in diameter on the floor. If you remove this, you will see where the hoses are connected to the pump. Remove the hoses and switch on ignition and watch to see if petrol pours out(use a towel or similar to catch excess fuel). will only come out while the pump is priming or the engine is being turned over. And remember that replacing the plugs does not guarantee that you have spark there.

robtri

how you know the starter is fine... it might be spinning but the solenoid could be stuck and not engaging the engine..

shamwari

johnayo wrote: »

If you have no fuel at the filter then you may have a problem back at the pump. Lift up the back seat and look underneath for a cover about 3 inches in diameter on the floor. If you remove this, you will see where the hoses are connected to the pump. Remove the hoses and switch on ignition and watch to see if petrol pours out(use a towel or similar to catch excess fuel). will only come out while the pump is priming or the engine is being turned over. And remember that replacing the plugs does not guarantee that you have spark there.

Do not attempt to check the fuel pump by removing the hoses in the car. The correct fuel pressure of an operating pump is close to 3bar, and if the pump kicks in, you will fire fuel everywhere. This is not a smart move. The fuel filter is under the bonnet on the rear bulkhead, and I would remove the hose here and put it into a bottle, and then test the pump.

First things first here, and as others have suggested, the two fundamentals required are fuel and spark to get the engine going.

To test, remove a sparkplug and see if it is wet with petrol after all the cranking that has taken place. A wet plug with petrol indicates fuel is present.

Whilst the plug is out, put it back into its plug lead but not into the engine, and earth the body of the plug using a jump lead. Crank the engine and watch for spark across the plugs electrodes.

Fuel and no spark suggests problem with the electronic IGN.

Spark and no fuel suggests pump / relay / or blockage problem.

No spark or fuel suggests could be caused by a few things

Also does this car have an immobiliser / alarm fitted? If so, this might have something to do with it.

And check your handbook to see if the car has an inertia cut-off for the fuel system. The handbook will tell you how to reset it.

Owen

Just talked about an non-starting Almera today with a buddy. Disconnect the battery for 5 minutes, it'll reset the ECU. He did this with an Almera recently which he'd done all the standard checks on - after the reset, it fired straight up.

fernandovargas

took off battery leads today and switched fuel pump lerads around , got it started on a jumpstart and it ran for bout 5 mins firstly loads of white smoke for about 1 min then it was fine, then after bout 5 mins it just seized again and i coudnt get it started.

Muckie

Next find the crank sensor, take out clean and retry.
This sensor has bein know to cause non starting. Good luck.

fernandovargas

got it sorted, the lad who put the replacment fuel pump into my car never tightened the fuel line and it kept falling off:mad: gobshyt 3 weeks im without it:D