The Coupe won't start this morning. She was started for a very short time on Saturday, to be moved up the drive, and switched off again. That's the last time she was used. Is this vapour lock? If so what can I do to cure it?
God knows, at the moment I'm just praying it ain't the cambelt
The alternator belt is still going round, does that tell me the belts are fine?
Anyway, breakdown company will be here within an hour...
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Oh, I'm sure it makes no difference, but the car is a Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo. And I have checked the fuel cut-off switch.
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The most likely cause is electronics protecting the catalyst having run the engine for such a short time before shut down. This is quite common. If I need to move one of our cars when cold I always let the engine run for at least a couple of minutes before shut down.
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BTW I also learned the hard way with my first Vectra V6; it eventually started after about a minute of continuous cranking, and then ran perfectly. I have since read much of this in the press, including I recall by HJ himself.
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vapour lock? most unlikely. Could be anything, all the standard sparks / fuel / timing things need to be checked.
Alternator belt going round does not mean the cam belt is ok.
Being a Fiat, being cold, I would bet on it being an electrical problem.
--
RF - currently 1 Renault short of a family
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Probably fouled plugs;if I ever start the car,I at least run it round the block and as for those owners who get their car out of the garage,wash it and put it straight back in,they deserve all the problems they get.
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I've had this on previous cars and one oy my colleagues had it on his new Bora.
He called out the AA and they just said the engine had flooded because it had been driven a few yards and turned off.
The petrol will probably evaporate off the plugs if you leave it for an hour or two.
Alternatively, floor the accelator pedal and turn the engine over. Be ready to jump off the pedal as soon as it fires up though.
If that doesn't work remove the plugs and spin the engine over on the starter to remove any excess petrol in the cylinders. Then hold the tip of the plugs in a flame (a gas cooker is ideal) to burn off any petrol that might be fowling them. The car should then start.
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Whoever said "unburnt fuel", give yourself a star.
It was the Saturday thing, car was flooded. He took out the plugs and burnt the petrol off the ends, then removed one of the pipes and sprayed some aerosol ("this stuff is like nitrous oxide, will help it to catch") down it while I turned it over. It took ages, but eventually caught. He said that turbo engines do take an age, because the aerosol stuff takes longer to reach the plugs.
She's running lovely as ever now, and I hereby promise not to start her up to move about the drive again (or at least, if I do I'll take her for a razz [evil grin] )
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BB,
If only you'd stuck with the Alfa. You wouldn't have needed concern yourself with reliability issues then. ;-)
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