Help my car wont start

blondie1985

My car is a 1998 1.3 ford fiesta. I know its old and I should just scrap it but I cant afford a new one. It wont start. I changed the battery, spark plus, coil pack but still nothing. There is no electricity coming to spark plugs to create a spark. I checked all the fuses they are ok. I would appreciate any help guys, been without a car for 2 weeks now and with a young baby dat is very hard.

Mycroft H

What about your crankshaft sensor? If that's goosed you wont get a firing signal to the coil pack.

Are you getting any error codes?

Technoprisoner

faulty crank or cam sensor

blondie1985

No don't have any lights or anything. How do I check if the sensor is working? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I am a girl and so far I did all this by myslef and I know nothing about cars.

Bigus

blondie1985 wrote: »

No don't have any lights or anything. How do I check if the sensor is working? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I am a girl and so far I did all this by myslef and I know nothing about cars.

What lights do you not have ?

Is it turning over on the key when you crank it ?

Where you based ?

Mycroft H

blondie1985 wrote: »

No don't have any lights or anything. How do I check if the sensor is working? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I am a girl and so far I did all this by myslef and I know nothing about cars.

You could try get your mechanic to plug in a fault code reader and see if there is a problem with the crankshaft sensor. There just a piece of cable with a pretty basic sensor in them, you can't really tell if they are gone wrong by looking at them, really only with a fault code reader. Or you could buy a new one (around 30 euro for a new one) and replace it and hope it fixes the problem.


Does it turn over when you try start it? Is there an engine management light on?

blondie1985

It turns over but it won't start. I was coming out of d parking drove 50 m and it stopped. I took it to a mechanic yesterday and he said I have to take it to ford but they are ridiculously expensive. There is no warning lights or anything. I am in Dub 15.

Mycroft H

What did the mechanic say? I'd go find somewhere else before ford, he doesn't seem that good if he's missed the crankshaft sensor.....

blondie1985

BX 19 wrote: »

What did the mechanic say? I'd go find somewhere else before ford, he doesn't seem that good if he's missed the crankshaft sensor.....

He just said I need diagnostics done and to go to Ford. I ll try d sensor buy a new one and c.Thanks so much for your help.

Mycroft H

You don't need dealer level diagnostics for a 98 Ka. Any decent independent will be able to do it as they are an simple engine that has been round for years.

There is a decent independent mechanic in clonee, Ken Fildes , worth a shout before spending silly money at ford.

jimmyw

blondie1985 wrote: »

My car is a 1998 1.3 ford fiesta. I know its old and I should just scrap it but I cant afford a new one. I

It would have to be a major engine/ gearbox fault for that to be the case.Even then I am sure you could pick up a decent one for these cars.Anyhow,Just because the car wont start, doesn't mean it needs scapping. It could well be just a simple problem
.

blondie1985 wrote: »

No don't have any lights or anything. How do I check if the sensor is working? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I am a girl and so far I did all this by myslef and I know nothing about cars.

Fair play to ya!

blondie1985 wrote: »

It turns over but it won't start. I was coming out of d parking drove 50 m and it stopped. I took it to a mechanic yesterday and he said I have to take it to ford but they are ridiculously expensive. There is no warning lights or anything. I am in Dub 15.

If your mechanic was any good, he/she should have their own diagnostics equipment and not be telling you to go to the dealer.You dont need to do that, most indys should be able have one.I agree with the other posters and guess it could be the crank sensor, but you would think that if the sensor was so far out of range that it stopped the engine from working, then it should set the EML light.Do you actually have this light anyway? 96 Ford Escorts didnt have any EML light for instance. Pic below.

http://www.hampshireautos.co.uk/images/engine-management-light.jpg

burke027

The only other thing that people haven't said is its immobilised which could be the case. Or failing that down in the space where the pedals are you should have a red switch in behind the panel. This is called a innercia ( wrong spelling) switch mayb that is tripped check that also. That would cut fuel and spark also.

Wheelnut

blondie1985 wrote: »

... I was coming out of d parking drove 50 m and it stopped. I took it to a mechanic yesterday and...

How did you take it to a mechanic if it was stopped?

@BX 19: It's a Fiesta, not a Ka. That's important because the Ka only had the old Kent OHV engine (whatever it's called now) but the Fiesta had a range of engines.

Regardless of the above, my vote also goes to the crank sensor.

areyawell

Bring it to a independent garage or get them to call out to you. Probably something simple. Thank god some of my friends are mechanics, bring it to a garage 400 quote, get them to do it for half an hour work for 40 quid.

Garages make ridiculous money on repairs

Mycroft H

Wheelnut wrote: »

How did you take it to a mechanic if it was stopped?

@BX 19: It's a Fiesta, not a Ka. That's important because the Ka only had the old Kent OHV engine (whatever it's called now) but the Fiesta had a range of engines.

Regardless of the above, my vote also goes to the crank sensor.

Ahh so it is. The 1.3 is the same unit as far as I know (the same old Kent design). (unless it's the 1.25)

jimmyw

burke027 wrote: »

The only other thing that people haven't said is its immobilised which could be the case. Or failing that down in the space where the pedals are you should have a red switch in behind the panel. This is called a innercia ( wrong spelling) switch mayb that is tripped check that also. That would cut fuel and spark also.

I thought the inertia switch only cuts the fuel, for example in an accident in case of a potential fire risk?

blondie1985

I had that one free rescue with my insurance. Friends helped me push it out onto the road called them and they took me to a mechanic. Now I have to take it to diagnostics and that will be hard. The coil pack and spark plugs I looked up on the internet and changed those. It is a 1.3 fiesta.

antodeco

Well done on fixing all those things yourself. Howerver, seeing as you're a girl, have you checked there's petrol in it?

:pac:

Mar4ix

blondie1985 wrote: »

It turns over but it won't start. I was coming out of d parking drove 50 m and it stopped. I took it to a mechanic yesterday and he said I have to take it to ford but they are ridiculously expensive. There is no warning lights or anything. I am in Dub 15.

I have some basic diagnostics for ford, i am living in D 15 also, wont charge much for that, if any faults diagnosed,....... if not , then no charge at all, worth a try.

blondie1985

antodeco wrote: »

Well done on fixing all those things yourself. Howerver, seeing as you're a girl, have you checked there's petrol in it?

:pac:

That was the first thing I checked, I tought that gauge that tells the petrol level was faulty and it was showing the wrong amount. Put a petrol can of fuel in it and here I am. Wish it was that.

antodeco

blondie1985 wrote: »

That was the first thing I checked, I tought that gauge that tells the petrol level was faulty and it was showing the wrong amount. Put a petrol can of fuel in it and here I am. Wish it was that.

Was only messing

When you turn the engine can you hear the fuel pump kicking in at all?

Kenny Logins

antodeco wrote: »

Was only messing

When you turn the engine can you hear the fuel pump kicking in at all?

I would hope that mechanic checked for fuel and spark first...

blondie1985

antodeco wrote: »

Was only messing

When you turn the engine can you hear the fuel pump kicking in at all?

Yeah fuel pump is ok mechanic said is ok and can heart it kicking in. I am getting the sensor tomorrow and if dats d problem I am taking us all down to pub:)

Mar4ix

any luck with car, have you got it sorted ?