Hit it with a hammer

[Germs]

No spark, no whining petrol pump but engine turns over. Fiddled with various relays and fuses but all seem to be in order. My wife says to hit anything and everything with a hammer, before she does - could it be the Meta alarm has gone awol on me? Apart from the lack of starting everything flashes and locks as usual when I press the alarm button on the fob (tried turning off/disarming the alarm using the "mini USB" thingy but it made no difference). Everything worked when I turned the engine off and didn't 2 mins later when I tried to start it. If I've missed the bl**ding obvious please tell me before wife, club hammer and car have a serious conversation!

[spend]

Lock it & unlock it to disarm the alarm, you may just be toooo slow.

Dave

PS: Wife sounds like my kind of woman, is she under 25....

[dickbastardly]

Hi Germs
I had a similar problem and it was a relay. I changed them over and all ok. it did happen again about three weeks later but i just took relay out cleaned and replaced all ok again.
hope this helps
Andy
PS dont let her hit it with a hammer!!

[Germs]

Thanks for the replies, have pulled relays out, wiped anything that looked dirty, swapped them around and it makes no difference (this wouldn't account for lack of sparks would it?). I've pressed the fob quickly, slowly and variations of the two. As to the current Mrs Germs, I have to be careful as she has been known to read these posts; let me just say she is a shade over 25 but beautifully mature!

[GreenV8S]

Does the tacho show the engine cranking over? If not, you may have an ignition LT failure.

[andy-w]

there is a 20 amp fuse on a lose lead along with the relays for the fuel pump and ecu...actually there are two of them...check those. I had one blow on me (oo-er) and the engine still cranked over but no whirr of the fuel pump and it wouldnt start....worth a try...!

[colinrob]

It could be the imobiliser there are two on the alarm one for the starter motor and one for the fuel pump, I bypassed the one for the starter because of hot start problems I am sure you would be able to bypass the fuel pump part of it

[lwt]

Try wiring 12v direct to the fuel pump (from battery or the big alternator terminal). If the pump runs, then it may be the inertia switch under the n/s dash or a poor connection (multiplug connector behind the n/s door, or it may just be the relays. Swapping the relays may not do any good, as the circuit needs BOTH relays to work.


Ian.

[Flintstone]

Similar problem on my last Chim required an ECU rebuild. Hope one of the cures offered here solve it for you.

[Germs]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, tried them all, car will start if I bypass the fuel pump relay but I swapped it with another and the problem is still there. Just to complicate matters, occasionally the starter motor does absolutely zilch when I turn the ignition (absolutely nothing at all) and all of the dashboard light disappear for 5 secs or so (both brand new problems)! The battery is good and is fully charged.

The current Mrs Germs was out last night and so feels a "little fluey" however she will soon be flexing her right arm.

I've given up, car goes to a garage first thing tomorrow. Again, thanks for suggestions.

[Barkychoc]

Could the 'new' problems be because you now have a dodgy relay in a different circuit now you've swapped them around ?

Chris

[Germs]

Sadly not that simple, I put them back in original order, thanks anyway.

[Peter66]

Did you check the earth? Could be a bad connection at the battery or to the chassis. Check also the earth/power connection at the fuel pump. Best way to check the earth is by disconnecting the battery earth and measure between this point and the other earth connections.

Good luck, Peter

[Germs]

I think my question will let you know I am no kind of engineer - measure what and how and what will this tell me? As the current Mrs Germs is fond of saying "he really is as stupid as he appears to be". Irrespective - thanks for the advice.