engine not starting....

NeX

NeX

You're after my robot bee
Club Member
hi all,

ok this is what happened:

i was driving home from work yesterday and i was stuck behind a very slow car doing 30 in a 60... so i decided to take a shortcut that i knew.

the shortcut is a country lane with no road markings, the turning is straight under a railway bridge. problem is it is on a blind corner so you have to be quick about turning off or someone will go into the back of you.

anyway the road i wanted to go down looked fine, i could just about make out the road in the dark and the shadow of the bridge... but as i drove down it i found that the shadow was actually 3 and a half feet of flood water! the water was over the bonnet, i lost the headlights for a second but i quickly jammed it into first and just got out. on the other side there was a small flood sign in the road but there had been nothing on my side... i think i will complain about that...

the car drove th rest of the way fine, except the brakes were a bit weak and the belts were squeaking...

but this morning i go to start it and it didn't fire...

i took the plugs out, ran it and then put them back in, still nothing.
i jumped it from my other car but still nothing.
,even put in a little bit of extra fuel and nothing.

the plugs look fine, they are wet with fuel. i am pretty sure the engine isn't hydrolocked cos it turns over but doesn't fire.

i opened the air box and there was a little bit of water in there but it could just be condensation. i ran it without the filter just in case it was clogged or sucking in water.... nothing.

i gave up and took the other car cos i had work, but the only thing i can think of to try now is maybe one of the relays got water in it and has corroded.

any other suggestions?

thanks
 
i would check for a spark (guessing there wont be one). then trace the wires from the battery to the plugs (im guessing you have plenty of wiring diragrams:D) and work out what fuse/coil/relay etc has gone.
thats what i would do anyway,

hope you get it sorted mate,
Noddie
 
Did you check the spark plugs are sparking? Any fuses blown? Is there unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust?
 
Noddie said:
i would check for a spark (guessing there wont be one). then trace the wires from the battery to the plugs (im guessing you have plenty of wiring diragrams:D) and work out what fuse/coil/relay etc has gone.
thats what i would do anyway,

hope you get it sorted mate,
Noddie
Click to expand...

good point, i didn't check the sparks, i just assumed......... ok it was 7:30 in the morning and i was COLD! my brain doesn't work in low temps lol

i will give that a check when i get home, maybe something shorted with the water and blew a fuse.

thanks mate

richj said:
Did you check the spark plugs are sparking? Any fuses blown? Is there unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust?
Click to expand...

didn't have time to check the fuses so i will do that tonight.....in the dark ¬_¬

there wasn't any unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust but i am pretty sure it backfired once and there was a smell of fuel
 
curtis said:
If it backfired then there must have bin a spark
Click to expand...

thats what i thought, but could it possibly be something in the exhaust? i suppose it would have had to have been running for the exhaust to be hot.

only backfired the once and there was no firing what so ever..

Noddie said:
true, make sure you check all the plugs, could be that only one or two are/were working??

let us know what you find tonight.
Click to expand...

i pulled out all the plugs and they all looked new except for one was a bit blacker, there was no firing of any kind so i assume that none of them were sparking

will do ;)

superls said:
check dizzy and coil

did water come into the car, ie got into the ecu?
Click to expand...

will do, i think thats where the problem is,

nope no water got into the car i was in and out just in time. a friend managed to write off their saab in the same puddle and the water was up to the seats, they had to sit on the roof waiting for rescue...
 
Noddie said:
have got spare dizzy and coils if you need mate... am breaking a k11 so if you need bits then just ask
Click to expand...

ooh thanks mate i will have a play tonight and report back to you

right, just got home, first thing i did was pull one of the spark plugs out (the nearest one to the driver's side) i plugged it into the HT lead and then rested it on the cam cover. i opened the window so i could start the car and still see spark

as i turned the key i could clearly see a spark... then another spark.... then the engine started ¬_¬

so i put the plug back in and all is fine....

never happened to me before, no idea what it was but i hope it doesn't happen again....


could the cold have any effect? if the car was covered in water late at night and then it froze overnight could it screw something up? and then though out the day it warmed up and dripped off?
 
Noddie said:
glad to hear you got it sorted mate. could have been that something that was shorting had a chance to dry out??
Click to expand...

thanks mate, i think you are right too, i think tomorrow i will go out in the daylight and have a quick look over the wiring see if any is corrodid
 
NeX said:
could the cold have any effect? if the car was covered in water late at night and then it froze overnight could it screw something up? and then though out the day it warmed up and dripped off?
Click to expand...

yeh cause the car i now have had a leaky sunroof and water got in and around the electrics and when this happened there was nothing you can do to start it until it dries out, id say thats whats happened to you
 
ok so i drive it to work today... it was all fine except twice it blipped in 5th gear. so i am in top gear flat out and it feels like the engine cut out for one revolution and then came back to life again. and about 3 times pulling away the revs just dropped like i was trying to pull away in 5th or something. also noticed that even tho it was warm it was idling at about 1100rpm and taking about 10 seconds before it dropped down to about 890ish

think its still water in the system somewhere... or my car hates me....

on an unrelated topic, i noticed someone had removed the window seal on my red car to try and get at the lock mech on my car! if i catch them people will die!!!
 
NeX said:
ok so i drive it to work today... it was all fine except twice it blipped in 5th gear. so i am in top gear flat out and it feels like the engine cut out for one revolution and then came back to life again. and about 3 times pulling away the revs just dropped like i was trying to pull away in 5th or something. also noticed that even tho it was warm it was idling at about 1100rpm and taking about 10 seconds before it dropped down to about 890ish

think its still water in the system somewhere... or my car hates me....

on an unrelated topic, i noticed someone had removed the window seal on my red car to try and get at the lock mech on my car! if i catch them people will die!!!
Click to expand...

Throttle body / MAS maybe?
 
NeX said:
on an unrelated topic, i noticed someone had removed the window seal on my red car to try and get at the lock mech on my car! if i catch them people will die!!!
Click to expand...

Thats you sleep walking trying to work on your car so much ;)

Nah but seriously i hate the feeling knowing someone has been around your car, when i had my valve caps nicked i felt violated
 
Stani1029 said:
yeh cause the car i now have had a leaky sunroof and water got in and around the electrics and when this happened there was nothing you can do to start it until it dries out, id say thats whats happened to you
Click to expand...


ok ive jinxed myself, went to start my car to go to my uncles to fit my new wheels and suddenly the car wont start!!! why do micras do this, its sparking and fuelling so ive gave up for tonight :p
 
curtis said:
Thats you sleep walking trying to work on your car so much ;)

Nah but seriously i hate the feeling knowing someone has been around your car, when i had my valve caps nicked i felt violated
Click to expand...

lol yea probably, i have soo many nissan keys i just used a crowbar lol

but i know what you mean and i know that feeling exactly, i had my valve caps nicked and they are worth nothing i have tones of them but it was such a sickening feeling, i asked around and tracked down the kid who did it and had words with his mother... tho i feel bad now cos his mum is one of these drunk mums on benifits and i bet she beats the kid now... stopped my valve caps getting knicked tho lol

Stani1029 said:
ok ive jinxed myself, went to start my car to go to my uncles to fit my new wheels and suddenly the car wont start!!! why do micras do this, its sparking and fuelling so ive gave up for tonight :p
Click to expand...

omg harsh one mate, actually i have had like 8 micras in my life. this is the first ever engine problem i have ever had with one and it sorted itself out :D

you have a spark, you have fuel... there is no reason why that shouldn't work...

try what i did, take out two plugs and then try and start it, it makes a horrible noise but it might get it going.

also check the air flow, i did a test on my engine and put my hand over the intake and it took very little to kill it.

but if you have a spark and fuel and i assume compression, and they are going off at the right times then there is NO reason what so ever why it shouldn't start, it may run really really badly, but it should still fire
 
NeX said:
on an unrelated topic, i noticed someone had removed the window seal on my red car to try and get at the lock mech on my car! if i catch them people will die!!!
Click to expand...

What the hell?! If you find 'em, lemme know, I'll give 'em a kicking too! ;)
Maybe set up a tent right by your Micras, and if you hear anyone having a go, jump out at them in Joker gear ;)
 
try spark plugs, I was getting a spark and still wouldn't start. I had same symptoms car was working 10 minutes before and nothing after. I changed them just because i had some and it's been fine since.
 
try spark plugs, I was getting a spark and still wouldn't start. I had same symptoms car was working 10 minutes before and nothing after. I changed them just because i had some and it's been fine since.
 
MicraFish said:
What the hell?! If you find 'em, lemme know, I'll give 'em a kicking too! ;)
Maybe set up a tent right by your Micras, and if you hear anyone having a go, jump out at them in Joker gear ;)
Click to expand...

hehe what an awesome idea :D

if i find them i am handcuffing them to the two bar and then i am gonna see what newcastle looks like lol

Stani1029 said:
yeh ill try that nex, it was working sweet as a nut the night before, thats why im confused cheers anyway :D
Click to expand...

its this crappy UK weather, even the most hard core cars are starting to suffer!

jabran200 said:
try spark plugs, I was getting a spark and still wouldn't start. I had same symptoms car was working 10 minutes before and nothing after. I changed them just because i had some and it's been fine since.
Click to expand...

what were the plugs like when you took them out? were they a black colour or just a light rusty colour?
 
moddedmicra said:
Which car have u broken then NeX? :p You should know its always flooded down there lol
Click to expand...

lol yea i should know........... but i didn't lol

it was the grey one but that is running all fine now :D

wanna go photographing?
 

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