My car does not start

C

ChrBlack

Hi there,

I have a problem with my 1.0 Micra (1998, S-reg) bought about 3 months ago. I've tried to go to work on Friday morning but the car does not start. When I turn the key to second position I hear the fuel pump working, lights and gauges are normal and the LED stops blinking on the front panel (immobiliser?). By turning the key to ignite the starter motor works fine but the engine does not start.
Today I've checked the fuses in the main fuse box and in the fusible link box as well. Then I grap my multimeter and tested the 2 wire plug on the distributor. I measured around 0.6 volts on this in 2nd and ignite position. Is this normal? I guess it should be 12V. I also measured an injector lead during start and it had only 0 - 0.1 volt on it. I know it get impulses only but I would expect a bit more.

What should be the problem? Computer? Relay? There was heavy rain one day before and during the night and there was no problem coming home (but the poor car park in front of the house).
I never had starting problems but couple of times I felt that not all cylinders working but it turned fine after driving about a minute.
 
No, I have not checked for spark, because I do not have test strobe and otherwise I do not wanna play with high voltage leads. Due the weather conditions I suspected the distributor and checked the supply of the ignition coil and I've found only 0.6 Volt on it. This should not be enough to inducate a spark.

I got an idea today... is it possible if one of the sensors got flooded by water and the computer does not start the engine beause sense the sensor malfuction? But the check engine light should operate in that case I think. So I am really confused.

I've studied the wiring diagram of the Haynes book but I feel it is a bit simplified (for example the rusty old capacitor (?) what i found on the distributor is nowhere on the schematics). I found a power transistor and a resistor in the ignition circuit (in the book), are these inside the distributor or located somewhere else?
 
Its not dangerous voltage or anything, might surprise you. If it shocks you through the leads then you need new ht leads, job done!
 
I am sorry but I wont perform a touch test :) I am respect the high voltage much more.
I see a bit pointless testing the HT leads because all of the cylinders are not working, not only one or two. The another reason is I not expect anything from the HT leads if there is no significant voltage goes to the primer circuit of the ignition coil. I need someone to confirm what voltage does a working car have on the 2 wire plug of the distributor. Oh, and anybody have a better document than the Haynes book? Sometimes I feel I must feed a camp fire with it. :)
 
agreed, its not fun. its always a surprise though!

just remembered a rhyme i was told in high school.

its volts that jolts, but current that kills...
 
ChrBlack said:
I am sorry but I wont perform a touch test :) I am respect the high voltage much more.
I see a bit pointless testing the HT leads because all of the cylinders are not working, not only one or two. The another reason is I not expect anything from the HT leads if there is no significant voltage goes to the primer circuit of the ignition coil. I need someone to confirm what voltage does a working car have on the 2 wire plug of the distributor. Oh, and anybody have a better document than the Haynes book? Sometimes I feel I must feed a camp fire with it. :)
Click to expand...
you only have to pull a pluglead off and fit a sparkplug into it to check for a spark ;)
and there was a pdf manual link posted last month
 
frank said:
you only have to pull a pluglead off and fit a sparkplug into it to check for a spark ;)
and there was a pdf manual link posted last month
Click to expand...

Thanks, you're right. I will do the test.
I've studied the diagrams linked by MicrAde it is figured out that the small silver barrel on the distributor is not a capacitor as I believed, rather than the resistor I was look for. :) Do you know the resistance value and the wattage of it? I am thinking about a matching replacement. Last time when I took a look under the hood (rainy weather), disconnected-reconnected the 2 wire plug on the distributor and found small air bubbles coming out from the resistor, next to it's leads. I think it's sealing gone bad and let some water to go inside.
 
Hi all,

It seems that the problem found. When I disconnect the MAF sensor from the computer I can start the car. It is a bit rough and have to play with the throttle pedal until the engine get warm and the car makes heavy smoke. But after it warms up I can re-connect the sensor and works as it did before the sensor went wrong.
 

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