Technical Cutting out crisis..............hhhhhhhelp!

[daisy-dcat]

Hi Fiat people, can someone please help before I slit my wrists........I have just bought a Sei after my Cinque blew a head gasket. On the way home, the new car just cut out at a roundabout and then cut out another couple of times. It runs for two or three mins and then just dies.Now it doesnt want to start at all. Ive had a go through the electrics and all seems ok. Now im thinking fuel? Can anyone suggest where to start. What is most likely? Thanks if you can help or have experienced the same.

 

[rallycinq]

You'll need to have a look and see what you have lost.

Fuel, spark or both.

Report back.

Cheers

SPD

 

[signwerx]

usual first think to try is replacing the crank sensor.

 

[daisy-dcat]

Well.........not sure if good news or bad news. Definitely got sparks, def got fuel. Now I crank it over, I get occasional flame from throttle body but still no start. When I put a plastic bag over throttle body and crank, I get no 'suck'. Could it be that its jumped a tooth on the timing belt? Is this a common prob on Sei's?:bang:

 

[daisy-dcat]

TDC sensor?

 

[fingers99]

Well.........not sure if good news or bad news. Definitely got sparks, def got fuel. Now I crank it over, I get occasional flame from throttle body but still no start. When I put a plastic bag over throttle body and crank, I get no 'suck'. Could it be that its jumped a tooth on the timing belt? Is this a common prob on Sei's?:bang:

Does sound as though the belt has jumped a tooth (or 10). Check the timing, look at the belt for obvious wear and, if the belt has jumped, replace belt and tensioner. I think there's a guide, and it's a surprisingly easy job on these engines.

It's no more common on Centos than other belt driven cam engines, but on these engines the valves don't get bent to buggery when the belt jumps.

TDC sensor = Top Dead Centre sensor (aka Crank sensor). If the signal from these becomes intermittent you'll get all kinds of wierd issues/misfires/non-starting, etc. Without the signal from the crank sensor the ECU will think the engine isn't running!

 

[rallycinq]

Make sure the crank sensor and wheel are clean.

Cheers

SPD

 

[daisy-dcat]

Thanks guys, appreciate your advice..........here we go again.

 

[daisy-dcat]

:bang: Latest update........Had AA out tonight after my mobile mechanic didnt turn up as promised. He confirms spark ok, fuel ok and thinks valves etc ok. He now suggests that if compression is ok, it could be electronics and highlights CRANK SENSOR, ECU or AIR VALVE as the cause of the non-starting. Which would you think was most likely suspect? I have my Cinque sporting to try swapping parts from......are these likely to be the same parts as those fitted to my Cei? He did notice that the screws holding air valve to throttle body looked as if they were new and clean and may have been 'tinkered with'.
Any help or experiences/advice would be appreciated as I am now sharpening up the razor blades ready for wrist slitting! Whilst I'm on, how hard is it to do a head gasket on my Cinque using standard tools and basic knowledge and a Haynes manual?......The last time I got my hands greasy was on a 1275GT mini in the seventies!:bang:

 

[rallycinq]

In reality what the AA man is saying can't happen.

The ECU controls the fuel and the spark, all signalled by the crank sensor.

You've got those, apparently.

Just remember that the engine works exactly the same as your 1275GT, so don't be afraid.

Take your meter and check your temp sensor readings. If the temp sensor thinks the engine is cooler or hotter than it really is which will change the fuelling.

Cheers

SPD

 

[fingers99]

Apropos the HG, the Haynes is very good on this. But don't do it for the hell of it! Do a compression check first.

If fuel and spark, I'd guess slipped timing. Did you check? ECU failures on Cinqs are very rare.

 

[daisy-dcat]

Thanks for your advice guys, Ive been told that it is very unusual for a dry recently-fitted and tight cam belt to jump a tooth so Im going to go for crank sensor first on the Sei and see where that takes me. If the weather stays dry at the w/e (no garage) I'll also have a start on the Cinq head gasket. watch this space...................:bang:

 

[boxxy but good]

yeah dont take what the aa man says as gospel they dont know s@#t from clay!
ive had the aa try and tell me faults before ie k11 micra throttle body playing up and he kept trying to tell me it was the ecu ect ect

 

[daisy-dcat]

Well thanks for all your help guys. All of you who said TDC/Crank sensor, win a coconut...........anyone with similar problem, always try this first, its easiest and seemingly most common prob.

 

[cento_tom]

it could be your alternator , it happened too my cinq , it just cut out at a set of traffic lights , and she wouldnt start soo i bump started it and it fire up it and cut out straigh away , and wouldnt start at all , but i hope his helps , cheers tom

 

[JLenno]

Well thanks for all your help guys. All of you who said TDC/Crank sensor, win a coconut...........anyone with similar problem, always try this first, its easiest and seemingly most common prob.

Prob a long shot, but it happened to mine. I took out the fuel pump one say to try and negotiate a problem. Turns out there was Brown coloured water in the fuel tank...so my engine didn't like running on Petrol/Water mixture as it kept cutting out every so often..but would still run for hours at a time.

Needless to say the tank was drained and the fuel pump was changed.

No problem since :devil: