Forum:
OK. Sportrak EFI. We have fuel, spark, a serviceable distributor and EFI ECU, the cam belt is still there and there are no signs of mechanical failure. Now why should it just die and refuse to start. I cannot believe that the timing could jump without other serious implications ( valves / pistons )so what is going on. This does not make sense. Help please
Fuel going to the rail?
Fuel going to the rail?
Dave with a Sporty
Dave with a Sporty
Ongoing - the Sportrak saga
Thanks to everyone for their comments - just got back from a 4WD driving course ( sadly without the Sportrak - landrovers and sand do not work well together, wish I'd had the Sporty ). Thrashed it around with the guys on the course as well and they came up with many of the comments I've received. So far then:
Fuel rail - gallons of it and it is reaching the plugs
Spark - strong spark at plug - might be breaking down under compression but unlikely. REst of the system seems fine......
Timing - will check tomorrow that it hasn't jumped a couple of teeth on the cam belt.
Death - just died. Similar to fuel starvation or ignition failure. No clunks, bangs, smoke or other indications of mechanical distress.
Immobiliser. Hmmm. Seems to be working properly but will get it immobilised tomorrow on the off chance it is doing overtime.
Vacuum leaks. Will seal everything I can think of and check connections. Could be.
Seems intent on defying most of the known laws of thermodynamics much to my intense frustration. Will try the above but if anyone has any other ideas, please let me know
Thanks
Paul
not tarting
Hi Paul
hope not offended but any chance of fuel contamination such as deisel my father had something like you say and after much checking found he had put deisel in by mistake could not tell first of as the smell of petrol was still strong at the fuel lines just an of chance but good luck anyway Paul M
juice!
Yeah. . . check the juice. . . it might be old and stale. . .
it wont start
try spraying easy start in the air box has worked 4 me on my petrol cars might be enough to fire it up
Air.
Have you checked if the air filter is blocked? Try cranking without the filter.
Take a close look at that rotor and distributor cap, it might be sparking at the plug but fails when under demand. Does it spark at each plug or have you tried just one? Have the plugs been renewed/cleaned and set to one millimetre gap.
Cap and rotor.
Need more details about the 'death'. Did the revs just stop, engine die with a stutter, backfire, or gently loose power etc????
From your posting it sounds an electrical problem. Despite a spark at the plug (or is your spark at the contact points) the problem is likely to be the distributor rotor or distributor cap. If spark is only at the contacts the problem could be a broken HT lead.
Have you re-set the distributor contact gap. Has the distributor rotor or distributor cap a hairline crack or some damage. Check that the centre carbon contact inside the distributor head is 'long enough'. Check the 4 terminals inside the distributor head - they could be burned away.
If you have had the distributor off the car, have you set to TDC before refitting ... its easy to get it 180 degrees out.
Still won't start
The only requirements for your car to start are basically fuel, spark and compression. If fuel and spark are both present and the engine, having had good compression, just died for no apparent reason a vacuum leak is the probable cause. This would result in the engine sucking huge volumes of air through the leak. Check ALL vacuum hoses and power brake booster for intake leaks and let me know how you go.
David Mc
David Mc
Still Won't start
Could it be a dodgy immobiliser, obviously if you have one!!