Help! Nova gte engine wont start.

[torquey]

I've checked its got spark. Earths are fine. All is happening is will crank over fine wont attempt to fire up. Iam getting fuel to the rail. Plugs are dry. Just fitted this to a 1.2 carb shell. Running gte tank. One thing I've noticed is pump sounding like it's struggling when I turn on ignition to crank. Any help would be great.

[total_vauxhall]

If the rail is at pressure the pump will die down mate . Press the valve n make sure its at full pressure there . If you have fuel and a spark it should fire in some kind of way even if the timing is miles out

[torquey]

Where is the valve on the rail couldn't see it. ?Cheers for the help

[torquey]

Just checked the ecu loom plug and it has 17 pins but the ecu has 25 is this correct. ?

[total_vauxhall]

I have a couple of looms I think mate if you get totaly stuck for plugs or somthing like that .

[torquey]

Thanks pal. Need to know if they are all 17pin on the ecu plug. If anyone can help.

[torquey]

Any ideas?

[millworm]

Are the fuel lines defo on the right way? Also had a similar issue on an xe where it was doing the same, unplug all the injectors and crank for a few seconds, plug them in again and it ran. Don't know why but it works for some reason

[torquey]

Yep defo on the right way round. Will try unplugging injectors and see. Iam at my witts end with it now. Got a new fuel pump relay coming so will try that too. Cheers

[millworm]

If it's like an xe the relay will control injectors too. Assume you have power to them and earths I know you said that you did already. Mine had power to them but didn't fire, did what I said above and it worked. Makes zero dance as to why but I wasn't complaint lol

[torquey]

Yep sure it does. It's frustrating to say the least as it cranks fine just wont fire up.

[total_vauxhall]

Spray easy start in it mate . If it fires you know you deffo have a fuel problem .

[torquey]

Sure I have a can in the garage somewhere will give it ago.

[NovalutionGSi]

Had a similar issue with mine, could get it going on easy start but wouldn't run on the pump. Turned out to be 2 injectors had failed coupled with a pin hole in the fuel pipe at the pump drawing air in.

If I can find them, I'll check my ECUs for number of pins, loom is somewhere got to find It!

[torquey]

Thanks pal would give me a idea if the loom is right then. Just hope it's a easy fix.

[torquey]

The lines are all new from the pump to the rail. Got another relay on its way to try as well.

[slimtater]

What wiring loom have you used?

[duick]

Make sure you have the right loom to the right ECU and air flow meter. Early E16SE engines had a Bosch ECU and later ones a Siemens one. The ones with the Siemens one have the octan selector plug!
The engine loom is different, also wiring in the plug for connecting it to the car loom.

[torquey]

Yep it's right everything plugs in fine no left over sensors ecu plugs in fine too.

[slimtater]

Yep it's right everything plugs in fine no left over sensors ecu plugs in fine too.

So the main car loom is from the 1.6 donor as well?

[torquey]

No it's a 1.2 carb nova with the e16se engine and loom

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[duick]

Is it a Bosch or Siemens system? the Siemens one has also a crank sensor, maybe that one is faulty?

[slimtater]

Certain looms (1.0 and some 1.2) have a resistance wire in them which would need removing or bypassing. I got a perfect 1.0 loom for my Sport resto (as the original had been butchered) and we needed to remove this cable - referred to as R1 in Haynes wiring diagrams.

[Andy]

Is it a Bosch or Siemens system? the Siemens one has also a crank sensor, maybe that one is faulty?
No Siemens loom I've ever had has had a crank sensor,the later silver ecu coilpack looks might do but Siemens doesn't.

[torquey]

Defo no crank sensor on this engine or loom. Yeh heard about the wire you have to remove on 1.2 engines don't think this is the case of mine.

[mowgli]

Where did you get the +ve from for the ecu?

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[torquey]

All I've wired up as information ive read up on is :
Thick red/blue - pump
Green - clocks
Black- thin 1.2 coil wire
Thick red/ecu - positive battery.

[mowgli]

That should be ok. You could have the timing way out. The module under the coil can play up. The cts is worth checking too.

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[torquey]

Checked the timing it's right even if it was out it would attempt to fire up but run like crap surely.! Yeh what's best way to check the module? The cts is a brand new Bosch item so should be good. !

[mowgli]

I just swapped mine.

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[torquey]

Will try another relay and go from there. Is it worth removing the fpr and checking ?

[mowgli]

From bitter experience, check everything.

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[torquey]

Will do cheers for the help.

[total_vauxhall]

You tryed easy start yet mate trust me it will make things alot easyer to figure out whats going on .

[torquey]

It's on my list to do pal when I get a moment lol.

[torquey]

Update fit new relay still the same. Found a tin of easy start it tried a little to fire not much. I've took rail off to see if it's blocked and cleaned out fpr to see if any difference just checking everything. Will refit tomorrow and go from there.

[total_vauxhall]

It should run smooth on easy start alone mate get a friend to squirt it in blasts as you turn it over . I had a gte that did this once before but I cant remember what the fault was now . Had spark and fuel but would only start after a spray of the good stuff

[torquey]

I did that pal had a friend crank as I sprayed it in as said only slightly attempted to start.

[duick]

Did you measure the fuel pressure? is it ok?
Near the fuel pump, there's a fuel return valve, that keeps the pressure on the line. Can also cause trouble

[torquey]

Iam not running the standard gte fuel pump .

[duick]

So which one? and have you checked the pressure on the fuel rail?

[torquey]

Cleaned out rail put it back on. Still wont start. Went under car to check pipes and pump and noticed the pipe coming out the pump was bulging with fuel pressure! Undone the pipe and it came squirting out under anormas pressure? Could the pump be knackered?

[mowgli]

Take the return pipe off at the tank end & aim it into a container then power up the pump. This is to check its flowing.
Also you mentioned you had fitted a different pump. What make & model is it?

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[torquey]

Will give it ago. It's off my red top nova i broke year back. There isn't a make on it. Looks similar to the sytec one on ebay.

[torquey]

Tried pump off the car on a battery it's pulling the fuel but not under a lot of pressure. How much pressure should it run?

[mowgli]

About 3 bar

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[torquey]

What's best to test it then with there being no valve on rail?

[torquey]

Think I found the problem fpr is knackered went to crank engine over and it's spat the vac pipe off and fuel squirting out all over the place. Manage to get another genuine one brand new so it's on its way.

[mowgli]

Did you see any fuel coming out of the return to tank pipe? It could still be plumbed backwards

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[torquey]

Yes a little came out the return .

[mowgli]

It should be pissing out

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[torquey]

It wasn't probably cos of the fpr was peeing it out.

[total_vauxhall]

If its pushing fuel out of the fpr . I would realy check you have the pipes the right way around mate

[torquey]

I have checked pal. The one under the fpr is the return the other is the inlet. I found that out on here lol.

[torquey]

Anyone confirm that's right ^^^^?

[torquey]

Update she is a runner I put a new fuel reg on and started up. The engine sounds sweet but running a little rough. It's idiling a little rough hunting about. Also Iam a bit concerned about the oil when I dipped the oil it's creamy could this be due to condensation?

[torquey]

Looks like head gasket has failed. Dropped oil and it's like a container of salad cream. So pissed off with this Bastard engine. I torqued it all down correctly it's only ran for 10 mins max and this has happened.

[Andy]

Did it have coolant in?
head gasket on right?

[torquey]

Yes no mayo in coolant pipes just a sump full of mayo. Head gasket was on right. What else could be the cause? Back to square 1 again now. Strip down commence....

[mowgli]

Is the coolant disappearing? If not, then just get some miles on it before stripping it

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[torquey]

I've topped it a little up. Defo gone as the oil that came out the sump was just cream.

[mowgli]

Ok. Have you cleaned the breather filter out ?

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[torquey]

I did do when I stripped the engine when I got it.

[torquey]

I've whipped the head off this morning looks like its failed around piston 4. Head gasket looks ok though. Think head maybe warped or something. Will send head off to machine shop and see.