Hi,


My s2 won't start, the engine tries some "explosions", after cranking 2-3min I can idle a 300rpm if i still turn on the starter ...
I tried to unplug the fuel hoses (of injectors) on the metering head, tried to start but there is no fueling :s
What test can I do ? what can I check ? or I have to swap the metering unit ?


Thanks !
Pierre

 

check that there is fuel entering the metering head from the filter and that the fuel pump is priming?

 

The car is running on the cold start injector in that case!

Your pump could be goosed and not be producing enough pressure to open the injectors.

Metering head may also be stuck!

 

2/3 mins of continuous cranking has almost certainly burnt out your
pink fuel pump relay.
If this is OK (you're lucky) then your cold start valve is faulty and is either
dribbling/pissing fuel which makes starting very difficult/impossible.

 

I'd agree. Either that or the flap in the metering head is stuck.

 

Thats the second time ive seen you post that now?

What are you on about? How does cranking an engine burn out a relay that is continuously on while the engine is running anyway

 

Because as you continuously crank, the engine is on/off/on/off etc, and so is the relay, causing it to flick back and forth and very possibly burn out, perhaps not as commonly/easily as ivorbiggun made out but possibly.

 

one word...........BOLLUCKS!

My cabriolet when it has issues used to take a good 5 minutes of solid cranking to start............

 

the flap in metering unit moves freely
the fuel pump is priming
There is no flow fuel in the injectors

I will check tomorrow the fuelling before metering unit

I can hear my pink fuel pump relay ... so I can say It's ok for it ... isn't it ?

 

If it primes thats a good sign, does the pump run when you are cranking the engine over aswell?

Is the pump loud?

 

Just observations from a busy workshop Brian that has lots of 18 year old nuggets with RST's

 

P.S.
NO BATTERY WILL SUSTAIN 5 MINS CONTINUOUS CRANKING

 

yep I can hear the pump running when I'm cranking the engine
but tell you how is the noise ... is difficult ... for me the fuel pump does the same noise since i bought the car ...

A friend tell me I should unplug the metering unit and check the "component" under the flaps (a metalic stem of 1/3 inch) moves freely up/down
but for me if the flap moves freely, there is no prob' with this parts... Am I wrong ?

 

Didn't understand that...........

 

Mate your full of it, why would i make that up?!!!!!!!!!

I can ASSURE YOU i would have to crank the car for minutes on end before it would start........

 

Ok so we know your relay is working (even though our expert says it should burn out).

What component is your friend talking about, possibly the piston in the metering head block that the flap pushes?

 

Must've had a water cooled 230 ac stater motor Andy

 

That's starter obviously

 

Seriously yeah, why don't you do one?! I know the issues ive had with my car, what i had to do to get it started, and its all fixed now and starts first click. Why would i even bother to lie. You clearly don't know what the fuck your on about, ive never seen you post anything constructive unless "group A dipsticks" actually exist

 

Yes, you're right, have I to check it ?

ivorbiggun > why ? I have no fuelling and you say it's the starter ? how can it be possible ?

 

No Pierre, you misunderstand I'm just playing with Andy.
It's not the starter

 

Jack-of-all-Trades, they are common to stick etc, but i doubt its your problem if you have no fuel.

Tell you one thing you could do, remove the fuel pump relay and bridge it so the pump runs continuously, and push the flap by hand and see if you can hear the injectors spray into the cylinders.

Also, have you checked to see if the flap moves when you are cranking the engine - if it doesnt you will have an air leak!

 

SafeChav
Ok, How can I bridge it ?
With a friend, whe unplug injector hoses, I cranked the engine and ... there is fuel but it won't spray... We didn't try to push the flap by hand when I was cranking the engine

Yes, the flap moves when I'm cranking the engine

ivorbiggun ok

 

By bridging from the Red wire, to the Black/Red. The pump will run continuously without the ignition on.

Then press the flap carefully, and if fuel is being injected you will hear a high picthed hissing noise from the injectors.

 

SafeChav I tested like you said, and i can hear simething "a high pitched hissing noise from the injectors"

What is mean ? Pink relay is dead ?
Can i try to crank the engine whith the bridge ?

thanks !

 

The high pitch noise is the fuel spraying from the injectors!

You could try removing an injector and pressing the flap BUT BE CAREFUL OF YOUR EYES the fuel will spray out under very high pressure.

Its fine to try and start the car with the fuel pump bridged, wouldn't recommend driving it like it for safety reasons!

 

I tried to start the car with the fuel pump bridged but same problem: it doesn't start ...
I tried same thing and pushing the flap about 1cm and same result ...

 

So what happens if you bridge the pump, remove an injector and push the flap?

 

I didn't remove an injector when I was pushing the flap, but I can hear an high pitching noise

I will test same thing but I will remove injectors

 

That would be a good move

 

I tested one injector (#4) with fuel pump relay bridged, There is fuel, but the engine won't start with fuel pump bridged...

If the fuel pump relay is in I don't hear noise from injectors when I'm cranking the engine

 

You wont hear the injectors over the engine.

Ok, have you checked the flap moves when you crank the engine over?

 

Yes the flap moves when I'm cranking the engine. It moves from top to bottom 1cm

It seems there is no problem with fuel, but with the fuel pump relay (not bridged) there is no fuel after the metering unit (I tried to crank the engine with injectors unpluged)... I don't understand ...

 

do you have a spark?

 

it seems there is a spark (the car tries to start, some explosions when i'm cranking), but I can't say if there is a good spark at the good time

nobody can help me tomorrox, how can I check alone ? (I know how with a friend, but alone I don't know)

And, My dizzy is new (few months) and a good setup before (it seems it didn't move)

thanks !

 

Hmmmmmm, this is an odd one!

You have fuel to the injectors, the air flap is moving so i would assume you don't have any air leaks.

We know the fuel pump works and it should run with a bridge wire.

If the dizzy's new thats all good.

What about timing? You had the cam belt off, or unplugged the HT leads at all?

 

The timing belt is good, I checked these first
The HT leads wasn't unplugged before...

Before this problem, I made set up the Co at idle (2%), the man who did the setup didn't disconnect the metering unit...
Can it be the origin of my problem ?

 

POSSIBLY, if im honest its been a good 2 years since i had all the dramas with my car and i cant remember now how you set the mixture, and i dont intend on using MFI ever again.

If its set too weka then yes you will have a starting problem on your hands!

See if you can get it started by pushing the flap gently a couple of mm while its being cranked over.

If it starts this is your problem

 

I tested to push the flap when I'm cranking the engine won't start

I checked all hoses, one between ECU (map) and inlet was unplugged (I think that it has be removed when I worked on the car), I reconnected it but same thing ... the engine won't start

 

Pierre if you're still stuggling there's a product called 'Bradex Easystart'
(yellow,white and black aerosol can) which I'm fairly sure I've seen on sale
at my local Auchan when in Limoges.
It's a highly volatile mix of ether etc which will start most engines as long
as there is some compression.
If you get hold of a tin, remove the crossover pipe and spray directly into the
throttle body whilst you operate the throttle linkage and your friend/assistant
turns the igniton key.
Keep spraying whilst the engine is turning over and it WILL start as long as you continue to spray (it will sound like a tin full of nails because it will firing purely on the Easystart but don't worry)
this procedure will SOMETIMES coax a stubbon engine into life.
Which will then have you wondering 'what was all that about'.
Good Luck.