Mondeo maladies!

[trackerjack]

Got in the old Zetec powered Mondeo and the starter will spin like a goodun but it seems the engine is not turning over, however if a gear is selected the car will wind along on the starter??? proving that the drive is correct to the flywheel.
Is this a failure of the flywheel to crank or what?

Your thoughts gentlemen (oh and the usual wit!)

[freddytin]

Are you sure the engine is not turning ?

Maybe its only the cams that are stationary , due to a snapped cambelt ?

[Tunku]

A Spaniard?

[Fish981]

Your cambelt is not turning the cams.

[EDLT]

Fish981 said:

Your cambelt is not turning the cams.

This, your cambelt has probably snapped and bent a few valves. The starter spins very easily when there is no compression.

[*Al*]

Sounds serious, as said maybe snapped cam belt.

[rovermorris999]

Tunku said:

A Spaniard?

Probably a manuel gearbox too.

[trackerjack]

Thanks gents. Yes indeed those Spanish get everywhere!
Broken belt seems most likely and as I only paid £200 for the brute 4 years ago and have not spent a bean (or money) on it it owes me nothing.
It has gone through 4 MOT's and only needed a number plate light.
So I jumped in my Quantum 2+2 Turbo and that too felt a bit noisy and flat, looking down at the boost gauge showed low boost and it felt as slow as the MX5 that I will now use until I replace the Mondeo and fix the Quantum, am I never going to get on with my special that I am building?

[kwk]

I had a similar experience a few years ago with a 2 litre zetec Mondeo. The starter seemed to be spinning very fast and the engine would not start. It sounded exactly like the belt had snapped. I called out the RAC and belt was fine. He was then quite brutal with it, giving it full throttle, pumping the accelerator etc. and it eventually started and gave no problems again.
A few hours earlier, I had started the car and moved it a couple of feet before turning off. The RAC guy said that they (the zetecs that is) didn't like this and they often gave these symptoms. He said if you start it, leave it run for more than about 30 seconds before turning off.

[shouldbworking]

I take it you've turned out over with the oil cap off and looked to see if the cams are actually turning?

[LuS1fer]

shouldbworking said:

I take it you've turned out over with the oil cap off and looked to see if the cams are actually turning?

Wouldn't the absence of a cam belt be ven more obvious.

[trackerjack]

kwk said:

I had a similar experience a few years ago with a 2 litre zetec Mondeo. The starter seemed to be spinning very fast and the engine would not start. It sounded exactly like the belt had snapped. I called out the RAC and belt was fine. He was then quite brutal with it, giving it full throttle, pumping the accelerator etc. and it eventually started and gave no problems again.
A few hours earlier, I had started the car and moved it a couple of feet before turning off. The RAC guy said that they (the zetecs that is) didn't like this and they often gave these symptoms. He said if you start it, leave it run for more than about 30 seconds before turning off.

SPOT on KWK! When I got home the easiest course of action was to take oil filler off to check cam rotation with the missus trying to start it. They were indeed turning.
Car had been left for a week while I was in Scotland (I am in Hampshire)it did start briefly this morning and suddenly stopped.
So as the RAC man did I churned it over and it finally spluttered into life!
Will it run for another 4 years? it has been the best banger ever!
Just the blown turbo on the Quantum to sort now.

[ROOODBOY]

It was probably the hydraulic lifters filling up with oil then.

When the oil had drained from them the engine would have little compression, so turning over quickly.

Once the lifters pump up with oil, compression gets restored, valves start opening, away it goes!