1.6 driver not starting!

[acko]

Hey guys,

This cars giving me no end of trouble! Up until now it has been fine starting but just went to start it and it aint going nowhere. The engine is turning over as it would usualy before it starts but then never catches! Then when i go to release the key from turning the ignition (if you get what i mean, wind it back anti-clockwise if this helps?) the engine makes a noise as if its about to start. I don't know what it could be. Does this sound like a sparking problem? starter motor? distributer? Very anoying anyway!

Any advice suggested greatly appreciated as I can't go anywhere!

Cheers

Acko

[free]

if its turning over ok then the starter motors fine,
if i was you, take dizzy cap off, n clean te rotta arm n the cap, and try that,
and see if youve got a spark, if u have,
make sure the petrols getin in ok,
then it should go mate

[rubjonny]

Sounds like the ignition switch might be knackered if it tries to catch as you turn the key back.  To test you could put the key in the ignition position then jump the starter with 12v, or bump start it.  If either of these work then replace your ignition switch

[acko]

Still not starting  I took one of the spark plug leads off to check for a spark. The first one i took off sparked fine, gave myself a mighty fine shock haha! amatuer technician indeed. If one of them sparks does this mean that the rest should also spark? I checked another one and couldn't see a spark. I got a new distributer cap and rotor arm from eurocarparts but they gave me the wrong ones which didn't fit!so correct one is on order supposedly.

A new ignition barrell does not seem that expensive but haynes says drilling is required to remove the old one? is this true? and if so how hard is this to do? Also this would involve getting a new key for the ignition, is there anyway of making a new barrel accepting the existing key? or make the door locks accept the new ignition key?

cheers for the help so far guys, need to get this cracked as its starting to really bug me!

[rubjonny]

Before you go the ignition switch route try bump starting it, or jumping the starter motor directly from the battery with the key in the 'running' position.

If your car was made after 88? there will be an adaptor ring on the steering column which you have to remove before you can get to the ignition switch housing, a right slag of a job.  You'll have to use various pullers/hammers/pliers etc to get it off.  The haynes is correct that you have to drill a small hole in the housing to get the old one off, but the hole location described is accurate so no worries on that front

[acko]

replaced the rotor arm yesterday and it fired up staight away!

Bizzarely the rotor arm is apparently the same as a porsche 924? The distributer cap that euro supplied did not fit onto the distributer body so i'll have to get that chaged too, there is a a noise which was there before the problem started and has been for a while which is a ticking noise. It increases with the revs of the engine and is coming from the distributer cap i think. The old cap and arm were black and pitted on the contact points. Is this ticking noise the sound of sparks arcing across a gap?

Glad it did'nt need a new ignition barrel tho because that would have been an arse to sort out! cheers for the help tho, i'm happy i'm on the road again

Acko

[free]

could b, or it caching slightly,
or mayb ya tappets