Hi..

Ok....Just bought my first rs and infact ford a 1985 escort rs turbo series one.. with a slight problem...

The car turns over and is just about to start but then....doesnt...and this continues...just tries and tries

the guy i bought it off reckons its the fuel pump however just want a second opinion and since no mechanics are available as its the weekend a little advice please.

what i do know is that the battery is ok.. (have tried with jump leads)
the starter motor is ok because it turns over
the earth is secure...

some one did tell me to check weather i can hear a slight noise from under the car of the fuel pump... so put the ignition on and i thought i heard the noise but tried it again and nothing....????

anyways will hopefully be posting some pics of the car tomorrow before and after a good clean...

all help really appreciated.. many thanks

 

when u turn ignition on fuel pump should buzz, u will hear it. if not check first of all the purple/pinkey relay under the driver side dash, these are summit like Ł15 from ford new and are a cmmon thing to go, so try that. or if u wanna check with a voltmeter the power supply to the fuel pump do that, also run a live wire from battery to pump to check it primes, it will prime constantly this way, also check the earth to the pump. also if u prime it a few tiems to check if fuel is gettin to metering head, loosen the nuts ontop of the metering head with the red fuel lines attached, ifno pressure do same at fuel filter, if nothing sprays out under pressure then the pump deffo aint workin!!

hope that helps.

 

ok.. thanks for the advice..will check all them now.

another question is that the bloke who sold it to me said that the car has been chipped and had loads of mods done to the engine including low compression bottom end..now i thought that was a whole load of shite but is there a way of actually checking?? i can take specific pics of ecu or somin if it would help...


many thanks

 

chip u cant tell unles u open the ecu up or get it on a Rolling road, low comp bottom end u cant tell without a compression check or stripping the engine...
what intercooler has it got? smallish std one beside the rad? did he say what boost it ran and what power it made? also i forgot to say could it be an immobiliser that's not letting the fuel pump get power?

 

hi..

about the relay how can i tell if its ok or not shall i try disconnecting it and then starting it?? or will i be able to tell its knackered by looking at it?

when you try it like i said its 90 percent there...and sometimes its like you got it but ..from the exhaust there does be puffs of smoke coming out...blackish...greyish.... so does that mean the problem is not electrical?

 

fuel pump relay im not sure what happens when they break wether u can hear anything rattling inside em like a broken fuse wire or sumk?

does sound weird work out if the pumps working or not then report back lol

 

had the same probs on mine came down to a dodgy Chip in ECU

 

The fuel pump will only sound once - as once pressure is built up it will stop, until you get the fuel flowing again, so IMO i would think the fuel pump / relay is ok.

It could be loadsa things such as:
Cold start valve problems
Too low mixture
Dump valve (if you have one?) or air leak issues
No spark

Have you taken the plugs out ? Do they smell of petrol after trying to turn it over? Are you getting a spark when trying to fire a plug against the block?

 

i would check both relays the silver fule pump 1 under drivers side dash there is a wire which is prone to breaking off, and fuel ignition relay the black one to the left of the silver one the soldier points usually come apart and that won thelp either.

 

thanks for the adivice...i will check all these however my car is in need of a serious check up...the previous guy who had it never touched the car for some time and it needed the work doing to it...at the moment there are so many things loose and flying about around the engine bay...i dont know what to do!! the inlet pipes have fallen off the air filter has gone flying off the vaccum pipe has gone n pipes loose everywhere the charge carrier ant even screwed down....does anyone know some1 around w midlands who i can give it to and can sort it out....its really pissing me off! but i still love it...

or better still anyone from here around my ends willing to take the car and diagnose/fix the problems...?? ill obviously pay...

cheers

 

i could fix it mate for u, but dont have the time at the moment

sorry

 

Have u tried the dizzy mate?, usual problem, mine done wot u said and it was the dizzy.

Another thing, my mates series 1 wouldnt start the other day, and it was a small relay just under the inlet manifold (think it was a blue relay) dont think series 2s have this relay, havent seen it on mine anyway!.. The wires had corrored on the relay.

Worth a check

 

thanks mate will check.. i havent had much time with the car lately (christmas and work overload) but going to spend all weekend on the car...

thanks

 

Sounds very much like the fuel pump relay to me.

Hold on to the silver fuel pump relay and try starting it. You should feel and hear the relay clicking. If its not then the chances are its knackered!

I've got a similar problem with mine at the mo. Brought a new fuel pump, new relay (both ended up bein fine even though I was told otherwise ) finally found the problem though. Was a broken wire from the ignition coil to pin 15 on the fuel pump relay that will be fun repairing

So, if you need a fuel pump or relay then let me know

 

right had the pump and relay checked and both are fine now but still the same problem...

the mechanic said he checked for a spark and looked at the coil and there was a spark there but when he pulled one of the ht leads out and put a spark plug in it..it wasnt sparking....

any suggestions..?

 

fooked distributor? fooked ignition amplifier? i think i said b4 check ignition amplifier because if thats fooked u wont get fuel cos fuel pump wont work!

 

Defo worth checking this next IMO

 

had the distrubutor changed (full)..no luck at all still no spark through the leads...(i am checking it by pulling the lead out putting another spark plug in it and looking for a spark)...

really pissing me off now...mechanic hasnt got a clue aswell...its not the fuelling i believe its more electrical...

anyone got any more ideas??

p.s thanks everyone for the advice...really appreciate it especially vroomptshh and exeter j...btw wat r ur propa names??

cheers

 

oh im so sorry im logged in as llw!! doh...well its fernando_khan here...

 

sounds silly but have u got all the leads in the firing order on the dizzy cap to the plugs,

Pulled mine off oneday and didnt start!!.
Another thing, trace the small wires form the coil all the way through, for breaks in it, on my s2 it runs along the cross member, and my intercooler had slightly worn threw it, causing the spark to go, had me guessing all day wot it could be.

Worth a check mate, other than that... i int sure!

 

Might sound silly but if your gettin a spark at the coil but not at the plugs have you changed the dizzy cap and rotor arm also are the leads o.k

 

Just to check - Are you putting it near (within about 10mm) of a ground i.e. the engine block? It should spark to ground then.

 

the dizzy cap and rotor arm were changed along with the full distributor...the leads are ok i think (is there a way i can check?? without getting another set?? the ones on there are 8mm ht ones)

umm... when i check the spark plug i put it very close to the metal.. less than 10mm so im sure theres no spark..

i had someone check it over today..who has just built their 2.1 zvh and knows a lot about them... they reckon its an electrical fault and all the wiring in genral is a sham! so im thinking of getting the whole loom changed and that may solve the problem..

thanks

 

what part of midlands you from???

 

????????????????????????

 

tony his my brother

was just messing with him sayin i can fix it for him

we live in birmingham,

 

ahh,

what part of brum you from??

 

hi tony, im from sparkhill and llw is from small heath...how bout u?

 

could the new dizzy be faulty?

 

hi, no the dizzy is fine i think..i got it from a place who break rs turbos and they did have plenty of them and assured me it was working...but apart from that i have no other way of saying if it definitley works...

just a quik question.. how can you tell if the ecu is knackered???

many thanks

 

RIGHT...
There are about a billion things this could be... to be perfectly honest you really need someone to look at it who knows what there doing... it no good changing things willy nilly!

Here are some basic things you NEED to do first tell me the results and i will hep you as best i can from there.

1. Does the fuel pump prime? (ie buzz the first time you turn the key)
2. remove one of the 12mm banjo nuts from the top of the meetering head that lead to one of the injectors.. does fuel come out under pressure?
3. Does the ignition system spark. remove each lead individually.. put a spark pug on the end of it and get someone to watch as you turn the key each individual lead/plug need to spark properly.

ASSUMING the car does this but still wont start then your in for some fun!

 

it sounds like you have checked or changed all the major things it could be so theres not much left to check really.

2 things you could try.......

take off the air filter and whilst someone is cranking the starter, gently push down on the metering head flap (not alot otherwise you'll flood it !) If it starts then the problem could well be an air leak somewhere.

secondly, if that dosent work, look at the multiplug which plugs onto the dizzy, check all the connections etc and give it a little wiggle see if that makes any difference.

cheers, Duncan

 

hi the car is with a mechanic who is looking the car over..he does know about these cars but basically you can never have too much information so anything you guys advise (btw thanks..) i check out or i tell him to check it...

anyways

the fuel pump primes.. i fitted another one anyway for no good reason...

umm the fuel does go through to the injectors...

there is NO sparks at the leads.. new dizzy fitted all the connections checked...

next is the ecu which the mechanic should be checking as we speak...