intermittent starting fault driving me insane!

[James]

Hi, i have a 2001(Y) 1.6 HLX Bravo

Over the last month or so it's developed some kind if intermittent fault where it turns over but won't start.

By 'intermittent' i mean at 2pm yesterday it started first time (even after not being used for a couple of weeks), i drove it for an hour with no problems - full power, smooth running etc, went to a petrol station, started it again there with no problems. BUT.... later on at 6:30pm i went out to the car, and guess what! it wouldn't start! Turning over fine but it just wouldn't go.

I've had similar problems twice before, both times it's started later that day or the following morning, and i hadn't even opened the bonnet... One time i just kept turning it over and after a minute or so it fired. I took it to my garage for a week a while back, but it started fine everytime they tried it so they didn't know where to begin to fix it! D'oh!

I've checked all the obvious things, HT leads, loose wires etc. I guess i'm just wondering if anyone has had a simliar problem and resolved it or if someone can point me in the right direction to start fault finding... I'm thinking it's gotta be some kind of sensor fault or injector problem or something. Fuel? No abnormal lights on the dash though. To be fair it's due a service, but considering it runs perfectly when it does start (and i mean perfectly!) i don't think that's a factor.

anyway, let me know what you lot think!

Cheers,

James

 

[Sven]

Next time when it does that, look if the key code light goes off, and get a diagnostic check - hard to say this way.

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[James]

yeah, sorry, i should have said - the keycode light comes on and goes off again as i turn the key - as it's supposed to i assume?

I did consider the possibility of the keycode not being recognised my the immobiliser, one time a few weeks ago i tried my spare blue key and the red key but it still didn't start. But then it started first time the next day with the orignal blue key!

James

 

[Tom]

Could be a can/crank sensor issue, best bet would be to get a diag and see if there are any codes stored in the ECU.

 

[James]

hmmm, where's the cam/crank sensor? cambelt side of the engine somewhere? and what does it do? check engine timing? is it worth checking the connector or removing and cleaning or anything?

James