General Marea not starting.

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General Marea not starting.

dav7nine

Marea SX 1.6 16V
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Messages
15
Points
5
Location
Fife
Hi there... I've just joined the FIAT forum and have to say it looks kinda cool - well done guys!

I must be honest though... I have an alterior motive... I'm having trouble with my 1997 'P' reg Marea Weekend 1.6 SX... it's been running fine since March. Got it serviced in the summer but the night before last it wouldn't start. It's the first cold spell we've had in Fife, Scotland... but it's been fine for ages! All the lights were bright and there seemed to be plenty of life in the battery. My wife had been driving it and the petrol light was on... and it was parked on it bit of a hill (facing upwards) so I wondered if it had ran out of petrol. went and put a fiver in... still wouldn't start. Also tried jump leads on it - still wouldn't start turning over, but no ignition. My brother;s mate who knows a bit about cars came round and checked the spark plugs... they're sparking. My plugs work in my brothers Brava.

So..... did it run out and it's clogged?...
Have I flooded it with all my fannying about?...
Surely nothing wrong with battery/altenator?...
Is there a fuel problem?....

and finally just to confuse you some more.... I only have a 'red' key - "dun-dun-duuuuuuuuuun!" - hahaha. I've read about these... and wonder if constantly using the red key has mucked up the ECU or something?

Any help from my fellow FIAT owners would be greatly appreciated.

:)

Dave
 
I have read that using the red key can mess up the ecu as it is meant top be only for programming, i suggest you get 2 keys cut (you can only programme keys in pairs) to the shape of your red key, and code them to 2 of your brothers keys from his brava at timpsons (the key will cost about £25 each) do a search on here and it will tekll you how to program the keys. Now about the not starting, do you hear the fuel pump priming when you first turn the key?
Welcome to here by the way :wave:
 
Hey bandido41 - thanks for the reply....

Thanks for the advice... I will get the keys done.

Re the fuel pump... if that's the wee electrical noise you hear when you turn the key to i - then yeah, I think it's working.

:)
 
yes that is the noise, so in that case if you are hearing the noise fuel should be getting to the injectors, try putting in about 10 litres to see if it makes a difference, if not it could be that the fuel pipes have picked up some dirt and are maybe partially blocked.
 
have you checked if your sparkplugs are sparking on your car? there is no point trying them in your bro's car, you need to determine fi your coil pack is firing the plugs on your car. if it isnt then the crankshaft position sensor is the most likely cause.

another option is the immob. if the key code light is remaining illuminated then it means the immob is not switching off, BUT when using a red key the key code light should stay on ever 2nd switching on of the ignition so using a red key can fool you inot thinking you have an immob fault. if you switch ignition on for 20 secs, then off for 20 secs, then on for 20 secs, then off for 20 secs, and the key code light stays on every time, then you have an immob problem. if the light goes off the first time, stays on the second time, goes off the third time, then stays on the 4th time, then you have no problem. if anything else happens let me know.

the red key should only be used for programming blue keys. it should not be used or driving. using the red key can make the ecu thinkk you are trying to start the key programming procedure, which can lead to the blue key codes getting wiped from the codebox. if you dont have the blue keys then this isnt really a problem, but you should get some blue keys made and then use the red key to teach your car the new blue keys. as bandido41 says it is importnat that your blue keys have different codes to the red key and to each other. you can use 2 of your bro's keys to copy the codes, and your red key to cut the key, timpsons can do all this for you.
 
Hahaha - thanks Jug... you appear to be a bit of a legend on this forum :)

I must admit we did try both plugs on my car and they seemed alright.

I've actually printed a thread ('occasional starter' 25-06-2007) where you help somebody else with starting problems and mention the 'idle speed control actuator'. What he was describing sounded similar regarding the revs. If I remember correctly mines doesn't go up high and then come down. When I got it the lambda sensor was goosed and I had to get a new one... and that sensor light (that seems to be on on every older fiat) is on all the time.

Is this ISCA easy to locate and clean d'you think?....

Your help is much appreciated.....
 
Hi guys... bit of an update...took battery out and when I put it on charger it was about half-way. Charged it up all today covering both the 'dead battery theory' and also the 'discionnecting the negative terminal of the battery may/may not "reset" the ECU in some way theory'

Went to start it and for a secons it sounded like it might catch... but then just the same as it was... fuel pump priming, turning over... but no ignition.

What would be the best way to start it if it was flooded. Failing that I'm nearly done and it'll be getting towed to the garage :-(

Cheers

Dave
 
Hi guys... I've been avidly reading other threads.....

Could it be the fuse for the immobiliser? - where is this under the hood, so I can check it's alright? - I have no idea......

Cheers

Dave
 
It will be hard to tell if its the code or not due to the fact that you are using the red key the arial is a black ring that goes around the ignition barrel, try wiggling the aerial as sometimes it can be loose as for the fuse i am unsure where the immobiliser fuse is.
 
Thanks bandido41...

I'm getting to the end of my tether now......

:)
 
Have you tried pressing the reset button under the passenger seat. I knocked it once while vacuuming the car and then it wouldn't start for love nor money. Starter motor would turn the engine over but the engine would not fire.


Does the light for the engine ignition stay on on the dashboard? If this is the case, I would go for the crank sensor. From my knowledge this light comes on when there is a problem with one of the sensors, but most of the sensors if they fail the car can still work in a 'get you home mode'. if the crank sensor fails, the car can't work out whether when to fire the spark plugs, thus nothing. You can remove it and test the impeadance of it, should be around 790 ohm. From my experience, replace only with original part (mine was a bosch).

Hope this helps.
7bos
 
Hi 7BOS - thanks for the reply...

Well I did wonder about this reset button... how much does it press? The button on mine only clicks a fraction of a millimetre - that's what it feels like anyway. Doesn't feel like it''s doing anything...

I think it's something like a fuse or the immobiliser. The key light comes on and then goes off everytime, but like I said I've only got the red key... Still have it though, so if you have any more ideas guys.... still wondering where the fues for the immobiliser is under the bonnet, I think jug mentioned it....

Cheers
 
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