Bought a Ford Escort 1.6 LXi 1994 a couple of months ago. Its been running great and been a great money saver in these bleak times.
Last week went out in it to post some parcels, staterd up first time as always no fault. Pulled up parcel depot and jumped out to put the parcels in which took 5 minutes. Went back to the car tried to start it but it wouldn't fire up! Really couldn't understand it. I had it towed back to my home and called a mechanic out. He ran all the usual checks such as fuel pressure, crankshaft and spark plug test. He then informed me that the immobiliser was stopping the curent igniting the fuel injectors to fire it up.
He advised me to take it to a main dealer but they want £250 to put a new one in. I have read on the net that there's black wires that can be cut and joined together to bypass but was hoping there would be a few more options before I start cutting and pulling fuses and ignition barrels out. Any help would be grateful as we're on a tight budget as it is and £250 is a lot of money to spend on a second hand escort.
Thanks in advance.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/09/2008 at 19:54
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Mine does this from time to time. Usually fiddling with it, locking and unlocking the doors a few times, will achieve something. But the other night it refused to start in the West End, and rather to my shame I called the AA.
He came in 20 minutes and was pretty cool, a Czech or Pole (but I didn't ask which). He said the immobiliser only works on the starter in my 94 LX 16v. At the back of the relay tray (the other side of the fusebox) there is a fuse, which he pulled out. The car then started, but he said best to leave the fuse in. Since then it has behaved itself. He said there's a way of wiring it that would take a couple of hours of fiddling about. But he also said the engine will run even with the immobiliser light on, and the car can be push started. Never knew any of that.
I remarked to the bloke that as an AA man he must have to remember a lot of stuff about all the different cars. His reply made me think he might well be a Czech:
'They're all the same.'
Hope this is some use!
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