Mk1 Focus 1.6 won't start - engine light on

[Daston]

Hey guys,

This a bit of a vague issue as I am dealing with the mother in law who knows nothing about cars and I am a few miles away so can't look at it first hand until tomorrow.

The car in question is a Mk1 1.6 focus which we purchased for her a few months back (private sale), it has recently been having a fault that causes the speedo to stop working for a short space of time and then it goes back to normal. It looks to be a Speed sensor issue that's fairly common.

Tonight she went to the shops and the engine warning light came on, she carried on driving (because why wouldn't you ) and didn't notice any loss in power or any odd noises,. When she tried to restart it turns over but won't fire.

I know its a long shot but any ideas? Would a busted speed sensor stop the engine from running?

I guess the only way to find out is to get someone over with diagnostic test.

[996Keef]

Check for a spark because these are very common to have the coilpack fail, and if used whioe misfiring susequently blowing the coilpack driver in the ECU, bit of a pain..

[Daston]

996Keef said:

Check for a spark because these are very common to have the coilpack fail, and if used whioe misfiring susequently blowing the coilpack driver in the ECU, bit of a pain..

Cool after my ignition issues with the RX7 I have become quite good for checking sparky bits would a duff coil pack throw an engine light?

After talking to her she described it as "a bit jumpy" before she stopped.

[996Keef]

Yeah, misfire code will be stored. Check the codes, if that shows, check the spark, hopefully you'll sort it with a coilpack, as the ecu is a bit of a pig to get out, security shear bolts holing it in

[Daston]

Cheers will get over there tomorrow night and have a peep.

[Daston]

Looks like the fuel pump is at fault. We have a spark and the engine turns over but the pump isnt feeding the fuel rail and isnt priming. Apparently its a fuel tank out job as the access hole in the car is too small. Now as the focus set us back £500 im tempted to get the tin snips out and make an access panel that is big enough.

[996Keef]

Check the relay first!

If the pump is dead, I've seen access panels cut before, no big deal.

What codes are stored?

[Daston]

Will get a code reader and find out.

Good shout on the relay

[Dave.]

Has it ever had the fuel filter changed?

They're cheap and easy to do (if you can get under the car).

[Daston]

Not sure on the Fuel filter, it has a full service history with Ford and on 97k miles so I expect it has been done.

[Dave.]

Not sure what the schedule is.

You could always crack the connections of before and after the filter and check flow while cranking.

I doubt it'd clog up badly enough to not start the car though.

[imagineifyeswill]

I cant be certain but Im pretty sure early Focus would have an inertia switch for the fuel pump most likely in the passenger footwell.

[Dogwatch]

Seems strange to me that the engine warning light came on and the car continued, yet the fuel isn't getting through.

All a bit contradictory to me but the fuel tank is the obvious place to start.

[doggsbody]

Hi just joined n quite familiar with the focus mk1, the needle dropping off then back on is the speed sensor in the gearbox, you may have to drill down the side of it to release the tension the rubber ring creates, with it being 1.6 also check the emmisions pipe T shaped on the front top of the Engine, if it's soft or cracked it'll cause it not to start another very common problem.

[Daston]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. The car is due an MOT next week so mother inlaw has dropped it off to me to sort a few bits out (light rust underside etc).

Whilst I have it I thought I would try and sort this non start issue. I left the car standing for 3 days and went to start it:

It will crank and after around 10 seconds of cranking it will attempt to fire.
Battery is new and reading 12.3v
All coils have a spark (not checked condition of plugs)
ECU has no errors

Whilst getting annoyed at the thing I decided to do a hail mary and keep the engine turning over, with my foot on the throttle it eventually coughed into life and seems to be running fine. I can shut down and restart every time without any problem or extended cranking. I am going to give it a few days before trying again.

Could the injectors be weeping and flooding the engine whilst it is stood? Or could it be a Head Gasket issue? Although it doesn't appear to be burning oil or water.

[Garybee]

If it has chucked that much fuel down the bores you should be able to smell it in the oil.

If it struggles to start again check to see if it's a [lack of] fuel issue by spraying easy start (or brake cleaner) down the intake.

[Daston]

Good thinking, I will also pull the plugs to check

Will carb clearner do the same?

Going to leave the car standing until the weekend and then see what its like.

[Daston]

Right slight update but no idea what it means.

The car once again failed to start after being left 5 days. I used carb clearner down the trottle body and it started striaght away.

Now the confusing part, it will start instantly after i shut it down, i was expecting it to die after it burnt off the carb clearner and then fail to start again.

Am i right in thinking that the next test should be the fuel line? Is the rail getting fuel as it cranks? Could the new pump feck up the pressure? Could it be that its just not getting enough?

Although in my mind that should be the case every time it starts

[paintman]

I suspect you may have fuel draining back to the tank when it's left standing for a longish period.

Appreciate it's a diesel but I had the same with my Sprinter a couple of years ago. Left overnight - 12 hours plus - it took a lot of cranking but once started would be fine for the rest of the day even after stops of 4 or 5 hours but a repeat performance the following morning. Not helped by being nose up on a fairly steep sloping drive. Turned out to be a plastic valve affair on top of the fuel filter.

Carb cleaner or brake & clutch cleaner has the same effect as Easystart & the few seconds the engine runs is likely enough to get fuel where it needs to be.

[Garybee]

Didn't mean to leave you hanging. As it started quickly with the carb cleaner you know the problem is with the fuel system and everything else is fine. It's not odd at all that it starts straight up 2nd time, that's exactly what happens when the system fails to hold pressure in the fuel rail. The system on a mk1 focus runs a return rail back to the tank so there are 2 [likely] ways you can be losing pressure:-

1) The pressure regulator (sits at the return end of the fuel injector rail) is leaking pressure into the return line to the tank.
or
2) The 'Non Return Valve' (sits after the fuel pump) is leaking and allowing pressure to be lost back through the pump into the tank.

To confirm you're going to need a fuel pressure gauge. The Focus has a schraeder valve on the fuel rail which makes the test very easy.