not firing

[paul ds]

hi all,big problem with the car it won`t go ,can`t get the bitch to fire.Fitted a new fuel pressure valve an FSE should have been straight forward,but engine just locked up.Been told that this can`t happen ,but it did.Took the new valve of back to standard engine turns again but will not fire ,for love or money.car has a good spark ,new dizzy,leads,starter motor,throttle pot,coil,so just can`t get a handle on it!any ideas?cars an s3c.

Edited by paul ds on Thursday 18th January 07:12

[spivvy]

which model is it ?

fuel pump ok ?

is it priming ?

Edited by spivvy on Thursday 18th January 09:01

[paul ds]

2.9 s3c fuel pump seems to be ok there`s fuel at the regulator+can here it working when turning the ignition on

[hargo]

I had a similar starting problem with mine a few weeks ago. There was spark, pump could be heard running etc.

Turned out to be the TPS ( surely not a problem with the TPS I hear you all cry ), unplugged it and it started straight away. Oh, mine had a new TPS fitted a month or so earlier.

Just as thought

Cheers

Al

[clarenceboddiger]

If it was running before and this is the only work you have done,then I would suggest you have disturbed a wire/connector, are there any in that area that you may have caught whilst changing the unit??????

[F908 Tim]

When you say 'locked up' what does that mean exactly?
If the pump is running and all was fine with the normal fuel regulator before,then think it has to be electrics and a coincidence. Can't see why changing the regulator to an FSE one would mean non startingat all, it might need tweeking to get the pressure right but when the old one was returned usual service should have been resumed.
All connections to the distributor and coil are good?

More info?

[GreenV8S]

I'd second the suggestion that changing the fuel pressure regulator can't make the engine lock up. Surely there must be something else going on here. Has the fuel pressure gone through the roof and then shoved so much fuel into the bores that they have hydrauliced? It seems unlikely unless there's some other fault too.

[clarenceboddiger]

GreenV8S said:

I'd second the suggestion that changing the fuel pressure regulator can't make the engine lock up. Surely there must be something else going on here. Has the fuel pressure gone through the roof and then shoved so much fuel into the bores that they have hydrauliced? It seems unlikely unless there's some other fault too.

Good point, pull the dipstick and smell the oil it will be smelling strongly of petrol if it has hydrauliced. Have you tried taking a plug out and checking how wet they are,it may be worth a try.

[F908 Tim]

Is it sorted Paul?

[paul ds]

no its not sorted.spark plugs are ok ,took them all out put a bit of oil in each cylinder,engine fired and ran but then stopped and would not restart,i think may be fuel starvation?

[spivvy]

paul ds said:

no its not sorted.spark plugs are ok ,took them all out put a bit of oil in each cylinder,engine fired and ran but then stopped and would not restart,i think may be fuel starvation?

have you got enough petrol in the tank ?

seriously though

you can check delivery of fuel at the engine end not the safest thing to do but the fuel line comes in on the neaside above the rocker cover you could disconnect this and see put in a container and turn over the engine and see if fuel is being pumped ,also it should be slightly pressurised

Edited by spivvy on Thursday 25th January 16:56

[paul ds]

as i have said previously there is fuel at the regulator and going into the injectors ?

[GreenV8S]

paul ds said:

no its not sorted.spark plugs are ok ,took them all out put a bit of oil in each cylinder,engine fired and ran but then stopped and would not restart,i think may be fuel starvation?

Did the plugs smell of petrol when they came out? If not, you have fuel starvation.

[paul ds]

no they do not smell to much of petrol,so why is`nt the fuel getting through ,any ideas?bearing in mind everything else is working ok?

[hargo]

I'm no expert and someone will probably correct me on this but isn't there a fuel pressure switch / sensor on the injection rail that will stop the fuel once the pressure's up ?

Could it be that or the wiring's possible been disturbed to it so it now thinks there's pressure when there isn't ?


Cheers

Al

[F908 Tim]

Na, that's just a pressure releasing point if you are dismantling the injection system, or taking the regulator off!
Your local garage should have the bit of kit to plug into the valve on the fuelrail and measure the pressure through it though. Mine did.

I don't suppose you could have dropped crap into the rail at any point when changing the regulators over and then returning the original again? Not one of the rubber 'O' rings or muck that fell in?

If you try to start, and can hear the pump, but it does not fire up,you should see wet petrol on the plugs and certainly be able to smell it if you remove the plug smartly after trying.

How did it run when it did start?

[F908 Tim]

ps...what did you mean when you said 'locked up'?

[paul ds]

plugs are quite dry so fuel not getting through somwhere.when i said locked up thats literally what i mean engine would not turn.

[F908 Tim]

And you tested the oil dipstick for any indication of petrol contamination in the sump right????
Earlier you said petrol was at the regulator and rail...are you sure?

Think you need to remove regulator flow pipe again and check you have flow in it. (Don't forget the jar and cloths to catch the petrol when you turn ignition) Firstly depressurise on the rail pressure valve mentioned above.
You have not connected the flow and return hoses the wrong way around when putting it back together have you?

If all that is good, then its back to a leak in the pipe underbody, a blocked fuel filter or duff pump.
Or...empty tank and naff fuel guage of course?

Tim

[paul ds]

checked all of this and no i have not got pipes wrong way round,fuel at the fuel rail,just not getting to the cylinders.engine just keeps turning will not fire.