Car won't start.

[stewpot]

Hi everyone.
I started the car the other evening to pick up the misses from work. It was running for only 2 mins when she turned up and without thinking I turned it off. Two days later it would not start. It was cranking ok but would not start. I thought I had flooded it so done a de-flood with no success. I done this a couple more time and still nothing. I called out green flag who also had no success.They plugged in the computer which showed no sensor problem. The next day i checked the plugs for a spark with three ok and one not. I have replaced the coil and tried starting it up and still no success. I charged the battery before hand and even connected another battery with jump leads. Now it want even crank over. Can anyone help please.

[stewpot]

My guess is that it's still flooded, and needs a tow start.

Checking the spark plugs turning on the starter, you can be fooled because initially only one plug per rotor is fired, to prevent kick-back, before the 2nd plug is allowed to join in. You might just have been looking at the suppressed plug at the time.

[Calcifur83]

I have had this issue a couple of times, or something similar. Starting a flooded engine can take a bit of time, patience and finesse I have discovered. Make sure to have a jump start available as you will very quickly drain the battery if it is really flooded. I see that you have said it doesn't even crack any more, what happens when you turn the key? A dead battery can still have enough juice to turn on all the dash lights etc, but as soon as you turn the key everything dies, then when you let go of the key it all turns on again.

[350matt]

sounds like the battery is dead to me
give it an ovenight charge and then see
also check all earth connections for tightness and corrosion
this will entail removing the airbox and its tray to get to the earth point on the chassis rail - if the bolt is rustty replace it and run a tap through the nut

[Delanor]

If you have a flat battery and are going to jump start from another battery then make sure that battery holds a good charge first, it is better to jump start from another car and engine running if possible, make sure the battery connections are clean and tight, are you sure the battery, plugs, plug leads and coils are good quality and in good condition, ignition coils even NGK plugs can be cheap counterfeits.

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Del.

[stewpot]

All the light come on when i turn on the ignition, then when i try to start it al i get is the starter clicking. I will charge the battery and see if i can get someone to give me a tow start. When i tried before i had jump lead connected to a running van. Tomorrow i will check the earth points.

[Nutty_Chappie]

+1 tow it! Get a mate and a rope involved she’ll go

[stewpot]

Hi, sorry for not getting back as i've been working away. When tow the car, do I try starting it on the key?

[Scartlead]

Yep, decent steady speed and slowly pop the clutch in 2nd/3rd with ignition on and you're good to go.

[stewpot]

Thanks Mark.

[stewpot]

OK, so good news, I got the car towed and it started. Bad news, it wouldn't stay running when I released the accelerater and was running rough. When I parked it up there was smoke coming from the engine bay somewhere around the exhaust manifold. Now I have no electrics except to the headlights and dash.

[350matt]

OK time to stop trying to start it and check the wiring loom and battery connections and the ground wire connections too