turns over but will not fire up. i tried jumping the battery seems to turn over better but just doest have enough it seems to fire up engine completely. what could this be?

Could be any number of things.

No-one ever jumps the cars properly. Try slave battery positive to your car positive, slave battery negative to something solid and metalic on the engine.

If the car then turns over and starts, points to a bad main earth (one from battery negative to inner wing, one from top of gearbox to inner wing). Confirm (without jump from other car) by using a single jump lead from battery negative to something solid and metalic on engine box.

If that doesn't do it, check for spark when cranked and wet smelling of petrol spark plug. If neither, it'll almost certainly be the TDC sensor.

Otherwise, get back.

This could either be fuel or ignition related. To check, you need to find out whether you have a spark at the plugs. If you have a spark, it is likely to be fuel, which is likely to be either the fuel pump or the fuel pump relay.

If there is no spark, you have an ignition issue. A likely culprit is the camshaft sensor. If you have a multimeter, you can test the sensor without removing it, by testing the resistance at the plug where it connects to the ignition circuit at the front of the engine. You should get a resistance reading somewhere between 400 and 500 ohms. If the sensor is ok, check all ignition relays, then check the coil packs. However, it is unlikely that both coil packs will have failed (unless you have a 1.6 with single coil pack).

Good luck.

When I referred to the camshaft sensor, I mean the TDC sensor as identified above. They are one and the same thing - also referred to as the crankshaft sensor. It is located by the flywheel at the bottom of the engine.

how would i be able to tell if the fuel pump is working can you hear it? also i have a 1.1 L engine does it have a fuel relay switch or just a pressure switch on the pump itself

It has a master relay -- usually white, right at the front of the engine compartment, the size of two ordinary relays (which, in effect, is just what it is). You can generally just hear it on initial start up (but as soon as the fuel line is pressurised it will stop until the pressure drops).

But much more likely to be the TDC sensor.

It would help immensely if you told us what you've done, what you've tried, etc.

eurotrash12 said:

how would i be able to tell if the fuel pump is working can you hear it? also i have a 1.1 L engine does it have a fuel relay switch or just a pressure switch on the pump itself

Click to expand...

Yes, you should be able to hear if your year is trained. When you turn the ignition on before you fire you can here the pump being primed.

heres what i've done so far, replaced the ignition wires, replaced the battery, filled the car up with fuel (thought maybe my gauge was off and it was accually empty)... trying to get ahold of a multimeter to test the TDC sensor. i noticed the car shakes when i try to start it now like it wants to start almost.

Testing the TDC with a multimeter is pretty much a waste of time. Check for spark and fuel past the injectors as I said. All you need to do is crank the car, pull a plug, smell it, check for spark.

You need to check for spark and fuel to proceed, anyway.

No EML?