help. dead car

Trying to get the nova road ready. Started it this morning, left it to idle. Stopped after a few minutes. Went to restart it, nothing. Got fuel. Got voltage at the coil, but appear to have no spark. Changed a lead to an old one, no change.

I have done a manual test of the coil with a wire linked to the battery and I get a spark. It is as if it is getting no signal.

For those that might not know, it's a c20xe engine.

What's most confusing is that it started and ran with no signs of issue.

Any clues?

Not up on C20XE's but have they got a crank sensor? A faulty one can cause all sorts of issues.

Just took it out and checked. Looks as new as the day I fitted it.

After ab it more dicking about with the coil and a voltmeter and the cavalier manual, it would appear it's the coil. Will order one Monday.

Changed the coil from a working car, still no joy.

Shouldnt be the crank sensor as that should stop fuel as well as the spark, so if youre certain its got fuel then you can put that back down the list of possibilities.

Have you got power to the ecu, switched live hasnt lost its feed for any reason has it?

Possibility. How would i check?

What is odd and making diagnosis harder is the fact that it ran for a few minutes no problem and just stopped!

eml throwing up anything ?

lol unfortunately can't check as I am running vx220 clocks.

Might be worth a check when my xe played up it ran then cut out it was the coolant temp sensor, not sure if you just unplug it it should put it in a base setting

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

lol unfortunately can't check as I am running vx220 clocks.

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I wonder if its possible to rig the brown/blue eml wire up to a random small bulb, and earth the other side of the bulb to complete a seperate circuit ? ... it might flash when the yellow/brown is earthed ?!?

Might give that a go. Also thinking about changing the fuel pump relay.

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

lol unfortunately can't check as I am running vx220 clocks.

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Why can't the clock show that?

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Also thinking about changing the fuel pump relay.

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I was gonna say check it. But if you're getting fuel, i'd say it's ok. but worth a go.

After that i'm all out of ideas! :confused:

I'd wire the ECU light up. That will/might give you a clue.

Definitely, can just wire it up to a light for the sake of flashing them out (e.g. a rear numberplate light with 2 spade connectors!)

Have you got a black wire near the coil wired to a ignition live or temp run to the battery +? this lonely wire often gets forgotton about and you'll get no spark until its live

Thing is, it ran for a while then stopped. Thats what is very confusing about it all!!

Cars tend to run before they break down though Pete lol

VX clocks have an EML you can use lol

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Thing is, it ran for a while then stopped. Thats what is very confusing about it all!!

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a friend of mines c20xe did sometime like this. we got it running fine, on and off various times... and then switched it off one time, it wouldn't start back up ?? we were well confused.

it was the fuel pressure regulator in the end. I think the engine being stored for so long, the seals on the inside of the regulator gave up internally shortly after it was put to work again, and couldn't hold high enough pressure.

could be a whole number of things tho. try the eml and see what it tells you :thumb:

Might give that a once over. Valid potential i guess.

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Originally Posted by Will F

Cars tend to run before they break down though Pete lol

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At least mine isn't broke cos a bolt fell out..... lol

Well well well.......bought a second hand fuel pump relay off eBay. Not sure if coincidence or that was the problem, but started first time!!

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Well well well.......bought a second hand fuel pump relay off eBay. Not sure if coincidence or that was the problem, but started first time!!

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Put the old one back on and run a battery + to the fuel pump direct to check it.

Always keep a spare FPR in the glove box. For just this reason.

Scrap that. Ran then stopped. Dead again.

It's almost like it ran out of fuel.

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Scrap that. Ran then stopped. Dead again.

It's almost like it ran out of fuel.

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Have you checked for petrol leak? mine fuel hose around the spare wheel had a split and I only found it by removing it. have you tried checking for air at the fuel rail?

Checked the valve on the rail. Fuel there. Just removed both lines from the rail. The smaller union is bone dry. Larger union has fuel in the line.

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Checked the valve on the rail. Fuel there. Just removed both lines from the rail. The smaller union is bone dry. Larger union has fuel in the line.

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The battery side is the return, which one is dry? run a temp positive to the pump terminal and pressure the rail up, if it runs for a short time, its the pump or a leak

Return side is dry.

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Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

Return side is dry.

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If you run the pump manually with a wire from the battery and don't crank it over, the injectors won't pulse, in which case the return should get wet

Reg is shafted then

Yep thats wet. Rule fuel out then?

This is really odd.

So Saturday car started then stopped and wouldn't start again. Fitted a new fuel pump relay, turned it over and it fired. Sorted.....or so I thought. Started it this morning, same again, ran then stopped.

Help! Racking my brain a to what it could be.

If the return is dry. Then fuel isn't passing thru the rail to make in it in the engine.
If you wanna try a reg sure i have a few spare.

Removed the return union and manually operated the pump. Fuel comes through.

Flashed codes, 12 and 31which is standard codes.

this happened with my let once before, I bought 4 new fuel pump relays and none worked! they where all new and pattern parts,

Got my mate to pop round with a working Fuel pump relay and it sorted it, might not be same problem but sounds similar to mine,

Done relay, coil and cts. Flashed codes, nothing. Checked plugs and cap. Checked fuel.

It runs. Without stopping. So fingers crossed its fixed. By magic lol

Hall sensor. Can I replace just the sensor or does the whole thing need doing?

magic :thumb:

Is it loose flapping around ?
can get away with cable tieing it down if so

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/...5/DSC00405.jpg