Update on car, not starting now

[ILLaViTaR]

Ok I just refilled the cooling system correctly.

Now after all that the car aint starting.

These were the problems in order.

1. Car ran rough, low idle.

2. Car ran rough, low idle and when I cranked the ignition it sounded weak.

3. Car not starting making a ticking noise.

Member Aussiblue suggested when I changed the themostat water got into the TFI module. But since it's not starting at all could the TFI be dead?

I'm going to buy the thermal paste now

[james22]

ticking noise, generally means flat battery, and it would also explain your weak cranking. Test your battery, or plug a jumpsarter to it and see how you go

[xrtonv]

yer flat batery or the starter is stuffed some how. had the same problem in my old XD the startedmotor had broken some teeth and thus make a ticking noice.. not sure if this help but
dimi

[ILLaViTaR]

Yeah straight after I posted I thought of the battery and yeah it's dead.

I'm charging it now.

I left the boot open overnight accidently, the weak cranking was before I done that though.

[xrtonv]

it could be the battery gone and some plates not giving any charge for the weak crank???

[ILLaViTaR]

Ok charged battery and it cranks better but it still idles low.

I've cleaned out the TFI module with WD40 and applied some thermal paste.

It's idling low and the exhaust is white and stinks of petrol I think (engine is cold to afraid to leave it on for more than a minute).

I know white smoke could mean head gasket but would that also explain the low idle and it alomst stalling?

[jjj]

Take the coolant reservoir cap off and check for air bubbles in it or steam coming from the overflow resvoir hose while the engine is running. That is a sign of a failured head gasket or cracked head. More likely the 2nd.

[ILLaViTaR]

How long do I have to run it for???

It's running horrible and I don't want to damage it.

I ran it for 4 minutes and no steam at all.

Symptoms are it's idling low and sometimes goes extremely low and stutters a lot.

Also there's a smell from the engine bay and mainly the exhaust, it smells heavy of something but not petrol.

[jjj]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

How long do I have to run it for???

It's running horrible and I don't want to damage it.

I ran it for 4 minutes and no steam at all.

Symptoms are it's idling low and sometimes goes extremely low and stutters a lot.

Also there's a smell from the engine bay and mainly the exhaust, it smells heavy of something but not petrol.

was there any air bubbles in the coolant when you looked inside the reservoir tank while the engine was running?

The smell might be burning coolant, take the exhaust heat shield of the exhaust headers( about 4 bolts) and have a look below the head for white stains running down the block. That's a sign of leaking coolant from the head gasket and is a common place that they start to leak from first.

[ILLaViTaR]

Nope see nothing there thank god.

IMPORTANT UPDATE.

I just done a cylinder compression test and the numbers look fine.

Last time I ran it (3 weeks ago before I touched anything) I got 198-203psi.

But engine was at normal operating temperature.

I only ran in for 4 minutes this time because I was worried about damaging it.

This time round I got 196-198psi but I'm guessing that's because the oil wasn't hot right?

Also a cracked head or head gasket would see PSI ratings way below that yeah???

[yahoo189]

Coil Pack? I got a new one and it fixed me. I had the same problem. I bust a radiator hose, car overheated, then would'nt start, when I tried it made a ticking noise, like crazy smartlock spasm, then a few days later I needed to get a new battery. Also found out the the valve on the 5th cylinder had warped. bugger.

[70caprigt3k]

Have you disconnected the battery at any stage recently?

[Christiaan]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Nope see nothing there thank god.

IMPORTANT UPDATE.

I just done a cylinder compression test and the numbers look fine.

Last time I ran it (3 weeks ago before I touched anything) I got 198-203psi.

But engine was at normal operating temperature.

I only ran in for 4 minutes this time because I was worried about damaging it.

This time round I got 196-198psi but I'm guessing that's because the oil wasn't hot right?

Also a cracked head or head gasket would see PSI ratings way below that yeah???

Umm, you don't run the car while doing a compression test? You remove the leads, remove a spark plug at a time, put the compression tester in the hole, and crank the car over for a second to get a reading on the gauge.. ?

Or am i completely wrong?

[Psycho Chicken]

Yeah don't run it while you're doing a comp test. Unplug the coil when you do it and make sure you crank it for the same time on each cylinder.

Did you end up cleaning the ISC?

[snypereb]

This should probably be in the tech area!!

[ILLaViTaR]

Hmmm.

Engine sounds fine now, exhaust sounds a bit bassy but unsure if it was always like that.

I havn't cleaned the ISC yet, I heard you need a special cleaning fluid?

How often should I clean it?

It was last cleaned 20 000k's ago

[jjj]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Hmmm.

Engine sounds fine now, exhaust sounds a bit bassy but unsure if it was always like that.

I havn't cleaned the ISC yet, I heard you need a special cleaning fluid?

How often should I clean it?

It was last cleaned 20 000k's ago

Maybe you just got a tank of really shitty fuel? it does happen now and then and can make your engine run rough as guts. Maybe a new fuel filter for $20 might be on the cards.

It has happened to my car before, fueled up at a no name servo and within 100km the car idled like ****, had no power. But after the tank got down to 1/4 i fillled it up with vortex and within 20km the engine was back to itself. I then replaced the fuel filter as a precaution the following week.

The ISC only needs to be cleaned probably every 100000km if that, all when an idle problem arises., maybe more frequently if your running a oil based filter(unifilter, k&n etc). I just removed it and used mineral turpentine and cotton wall buds, also cleaned the throttle body with carbi clean spray.

Cheers....

[efgiar]

carby cleaner or kero does the trick to clean isc, but alot of the time its in the computer, 2 capacitors dont work properly and plays with the idle.

[ILLaViTaR]

Yeah actually I'm unsure about the ISC

The service receipts just say throttle body clean so it may be ISC time.

Also the only thing I havn't done that my old garage (kmart tyre and auto) is flush the fuel rail and injectors with cleaner, they charged $130 for this, how often is this necessary???

Also I put premium in it for the first time in a year so maybe that's it??? From safeway petrol.

I got a fuel filter but the other one was only changed 20 000k's ago, gregory's says
40 000k's so I dunno whether to change it or not

[Conrad]

Are we talking about an EF/EL?

White exhaust usually means its running rich, does it not?

I have the same low idle problem. Is it a problem? Lower idle = less fuel being used

In all seriousness i would like to know the cause and solution aswell.

[ILLaViTaR]

Nah, mines an ED

I thought black meant running rich.

[sexr6tasy]

Did you let the car run with the radiator cap off for about 10 minutes to drain out the excess air or just put the coolant in put the cap on and start it up?

[ILLaViTaR]

I havn't air bled it yet.

Havn't got a chance yet. I didn't drive it since I aint 18 yet and dad didn't have time to idle for 10min.

I'm gonna bleed the air tomorrow.

I leave the cap on loosely don't I?

Otherwise when the thermostat opens it'll all spit out or not cycle?

Would this make the exhaust sound odd?

[JC]

Best $40 you can spend on this car is to go to supercheap or repco, and buy one of the Haynes/Ellery/Gregorys manual. They all have troubleshooting sections, and you will get answers based on your findings immediately from the book, instead of guesses on this forum based on little to no real information.

Seriously, it is just too hard to diagnose accurately what may cause a funny noise, or a low idle, if you can't hear the car. Every now and then, someone will guess at the right cause, but which guess are you going to know is the right one?

[ILLaViTaR]

Yeah excactly.

The gregory's manual is very vague in places, I might purchase a more advanced manual.

[JC]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Yeah excactly.

The gregory's manual is very vague in places, I might purchase a more advanced manual.

They're all vague in places though, as they rely on you knowing something about cars and how to fix them. Some of the trouble shooting, I just look at and go "must be something else - that's too hard". Sometimes going to a mechanic is required.

[gambino]

u didnt spill coolant on ur alternator, when i got my ed the hose thats above the alternator that connects on the water pump came off and sprayed on my alternator and i also had power steering fluid leaking on the alternator, that stuffed my alternator and eventualy died on me. i also suffered from bad idle from having all that **** going on to my alt, also got power spikes and random times. also replaced the rotor cap, ignition coil and started motor. and i run a higher octane fuel i get a real nice idle now. just a few sugestions

[BLKPHN]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

I havn't air bled it yet.

Don't bother falcons are set up to stop any air lock in the water system. hence the little hose on you thermostat housing.

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

The gregory's manual is very vague in places, I might purchase a more advanced manual.

those manuals are not very good at trouble shooting your money is better spent on fixing the problem item itself,

Originally Posted by Conrad

White exhaust usually means its running rich, does it not?

Black exhaust means it is running rich, white steam usally means 1. its cold and the condensation in the exhaust it heating up. 2. the head gasket is gone, but as you have done compression test it is probly not that.

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Symptoms are it's idling low and sometimes goes extremely low and stutters a lot.

the low idling and sputtering is due to the battery dieing and the computer ECU being reset and the computer is learning from the 02 sensor what is happening it will run badly for 15min and it will eventually sort its self out.

Take it for a drive make sure you watch the temperature gauge if it starts to climb turn it off and let it cool down. i think that by taking it for a drive it will allow th computer to re set itself, all so wetting the engine bay some times causes the engine to Not start wjich is what may have happened plus a dead battery which made matter worse.

tristan