Ford Escort Flight 16V cranks but won't start

[mosis]

Hi, my Escort has been working perfectly since I replaced the oxygen sensor several months ago. I drove about twenty miles on Saturday but none on Sunday. This morning (Monday) I was leaving for work, tried to start the engine, it fired for two or three turns of the engine and then died. I tried to start it again twice, but it just turned over without firing. At that point I gave up and got my bike out, as I didn't have time to do any diagnostics.

 

This evening I had more time and tested that there was a spark coming from the spark plug leads, by shoving a small screwdriver up one and resting the handle on the engine, so that the screwdriver blade was only 5mm away from the engine, and turned it over - it produced sparks, so the spark plugs are probably working.

 

I got a friend to turn it over while I looked at the camshaft from the oil hole in the top of the engine - thankfully it was turning, so the cambelt is okay.

 

When I turn the ignition to position 2 (I think) I can hear the fuel pump hum for half a second or so, every time, so I presume the fuel pump itself is working.

 

I am now wondering what to test next. I have read that it could be the crankshaft sensor, as if this fails the ECU won't receive a signal that the crankshaft is turning, and won't inject petrol, is this correct? Is there a way to test the crankshaft sensor without removing it? (As I have to jack up the car and remove the starter motor to remove the crankshaft sensor). Can I just trace the crankshaft sensor cable up to the top of the engine and pierce it with my multimeter prongs, turn over the engine and see what the multi displays?

 

Is there anything else I should check? Is it safe to remove a spark plug and look inside the cylinder with a torch, while turning over the engine, to see if fuel is being injected? Or is there any other way to check that fuel is reaching the cylinders?

 

My car is a:

FORD ESCORT FLIGHT 16V, 1999 onwards, 1597cc, 5 door hatchback, Manual, Petrol
Group 7

 

according to my car insurance company. (Is this a MK6 or a MK6?)

Many, many thanks in advance if anybody can help, I am very grateful to all the people who spend their own time answering strangers' questions on forums like these, it's very kind of you.

[scottybo]

If you cant smell fuel out of the exhaust. Then its either not getting any. Or the cats blocked.

 

try the basics first. Check the fuel filter isnt blocked. Make sure the cat isnt blocked

[mosis]

Thanks ScottyBo, I will give it a check tomorrow night, I didn't think of smelling the exhaust. Should I check the air filter too? Should I remove a spark plug to see if the engine has flooded?

[demented]

 

Firstly, if in the UK, your car is a mk6.

 

If getting a spark, crank sensor is operating ok.

 

The crank sensor detects engine rotation and sends a signal to the provide fuel as well as a spark.

 

Never actually noticed this myself, but read elsewhere on the Internet, that if your car has a rev counter, the rev counter will fluctuate when attempting to start, this also confirms the crank sensor is operating ok.

 

Don't remove spark plug HT leads all at the same time, always remove one at a time, so not to mix up the firing order.

 

To check for fuel delivery at the cylinders, the easiest method, is to rotate the engine via the ignition key and stop, then remove a spark plug as soon as possible and look for the presence of wet fuel at end of spark plug and the smell of petrol.

 

It may also be possible to unbolt the fuel rail complete with injectors and raise it just enough to see whether injectors are delivering fuel while the engine is being rotated/started.

 

Don't be inserting anything into the cylinders via spark plug aperture, if it happens to drop in, you'll be knackered.

 

Rather than stick screwdriver in the end of HT lead (spark plug lead) remove a spark plug from the engine and plug the HT lead onto the removed plug and earth it to the engine, like you have already done with the screwdriver but with the spark plug or just use a spare spark plug rather than remove one.

 

This is much more reliable than sticking a screwdriver in the end of a HT lead.

 

The Crank Sensor wires are shielded, to prevent interference from the engine, so it's not ideal to be prodding or piercing the wires with multimeter probes.

 

As your car was running ok just a few days ago, if you do have a spark and fuel delivery at the cylinders, the issue could be caused by a blocked or stuck Idle Speed Control Valve.

 

I don't know if this is actually possible, but as the name suggest, this unit controls the idle of the engine, but if it's stuck, it may prevent a sufficient amount of air entering the manifold; therefore flooding the engine with too much petrol and preventing your car from starting.

 

However, although this is guesswork, to eliminate such cause, at the back of the inlet manifold, there is a flexible rubber pipe which feeds air into the manifold via the Idle Speed Control Valve; remove this pipe from the manifold and attempt to control the intake of air by using your finger to partially cover the inlet manifold nipple whilst someone attempts to start the car.

 

Bear in mind, only worth trying this once you've confirmed fuel is reaching the cylinders and a spark is present at the plugs.

[mosis]

Hi Demented, thank you very much for your detailed reply. Here's what I have checked this morning:

I checked the 'auto fuel shut off' switch in the driver's footwell wasn't up, and it wasn't, so that is okay.

I removed no.1 spark plug and looked inside the cylinder with a Cree bike light (very bright) and it was dry. I turned over the engine and looked inside again - nothing. No moisture, no smell of petrol. Presumably this is safe, if I only turn it over once or twice, as there is no spark in that cylinder to ignite any petrol that was injected? So there is definitely no fuel at all going into the engine. The fuel pump definitely makes a noise every time I turn on the key to position '1' or whatever it is (before the position that fires the engine). I had my fuel filter replaced last year, as I bought a new one thinking my previous problems (lack of power when pulling away), so I presume it isn't that (but of course, a bit of dirt could get into it at any time, so it could be that.)

 

Thanks for the advice about using the spark plug on the engine block to test it, I didn't think of that. (Because of course, the spark plugs themselves might not have been firing, even though my screwdriver method produced a spark.) But the spark plugs were new last year as well, and I only do about 4,000 miles a year.

 

Also thanks very much for the info. about the crank sensor, as that was going to be my next port of call, and a fiddly job as well.

 

I think next I'll try to remove the fuel rail and put a large blanket under it to catch any petrol, turn it over, and see if any comes out?

[mosis]

Actually, I think I'll try unplugging the fuel pump fuse, then see if I can still hear what I think is the fuel pump noise when I turn the key. If I can still hear that sound, then it wasn’t the fuel pump making the sound, and the fuel pump might be faulty.

 

Then which do you think I should try:

1) Unplugging the fuel rail

2) Unplugging the fuel filter.

[demented]

 

There's no need to completely remove the fuel rail, just remove the bolts and with all still connected, lift entire rail up slightly to see whether injectors are firing and providing fuel, there's no need to worry about excessive fuel spillage either, there will be some but not an amount to be concerned about.

 

It's best to use green paper hand towels, type used at garage forecourt or blue garage roll to place under the injectors/fuel rail; this not only soaks up fuel spillage but will also identify which injectors are firing by staining the towel.

 

Why green/blue paper towel, well much easier to see the presence of fuel on a coloured towel than white kitchen roll.

 

However, although relatively easy to do, lifting the fuel rail is a last resort, it's not normally necessary to do this to confirm fuel delivery.

 

First, ensure you actually have fuel in the tank via the fuel gauge.

 

If not detecting fuel at the spark plugs, firstly check the fuel relay, identify which one it is inside the fuse box and either swap it with a relay know to be good or feel and listen as to whether the existing relay is operating in unison with the turning of the ignition key.

 

If the fuel relay is good, then remover the pipe which feeds the fuel rail with petrol, whilst removing, fuel should be present and possibly under pressure.

 

With fuel pipe removed, give the engine a quick turn via ignition key; whilst doing this, fuel should shoot from the pipe, if it doesn't, then the issue lies between the that pipe and the fuel tank.

 

So, either a faulty fuel pump or although unlikely, a block fuel filter.

 

Prior to all the above, you could spray Easy/Damp Start directly into the throttle body while someone attempts to start the engine, if the engine will start with Easy/Damp Start, but not without, again this points to a fuel delivery issue.

 

Yes, it is safe to turn the engine over with a spark plug is removed, however, shining a torch into the cylinder will do very little to help you.

 

As you mentioned within your previous post, in regard to the cambelt; if the cambelt had snapped, without peering into the oil fill aperture, it would be obvious if the cambelt had snapped due to noise created.

 

http://www.formulafordzetec.co.uk/linked/the%20fuel%20system.pdf

[mosis]

Thanks for your detailed reply, demented (you're obviously not demented!), I'll give all of that a go tonight (if it stops raining). I have a multimeter and I found a website that explains how to use it to check if the relay is good, so I will also do that.

[mosis]

Can I just ask, demented, if I remove a spark plug and shine my Cree light into the cylinder, and get somebody else to turn the engine over while I look into the cylinder, shouldn't I be able to clearly see if petrol is being injected or not? That would then tell me that I don't need to remove the fuel rail pipes, and instead immediately go to the fuel filter or fuel pump? Or is that wrong.

[demented]

Personally, I don't think you'll be able to see anything, the fuel is atomised and is such a fine mist, it'll be difficult to see through such a tiny hole.

 

However, if fuel is present in such circumstances, you'll be able to smell it.

 

Don't be inserting anything into the cylinder via the spark plug hole, especially while the engine is being turned over.

 

Rather than test the relay independently, it's much easier to just listen for its operation in unison with the turning of the ignition key, it's really obvious.

 

Just operate the ignition switch without starting the engine (stage 2) and listen, the relay should click instantly and at the same time you should hear the fuel pump prime for a second or so and then the relay will click off, although the ignition switch remains in the stage 2 position.

 

If none of the above can be detected, especially hearing the click, then the fuel relay requires replacing.

 

It's possible to by pass the fuel relay by removing it and bridging the terminal within the fuse box, however this is much easier to accomplish using a Power Probe, which you probably don't have.

[demented]

During nearly 20 years of Ford Escort ownership, I've never experienced a blocked fuel filter, so I'm confident it's either the fuel relay, fuel pump or both.

 

Only start removing fuel pipes or fuel rails, ( which is not as daunting as it sounds ), once fuel relay, fuel pump and filter has been eliminated as the cause.

[mosis]

Hi Demented, I've done some more testing. I removed the fuel pump fuse, turned the ignition to stage 2, and there was no noise from the fuel pump. I put the fuse back, turned the ignition again to stage 2, and heard the fuel pump noise for half a second or so.

I then removed the R2 and R3 relays, one is for the fuel pump, one is for the engine management and fuel rail, and checked their resistance, one was about 130 ohms (across the small terminals), the other was about 140. I replaced the R2 one (engine management and fuel rail) and turned the ignition to stage 2, no noise. I put the R3 one back in (fuel pump) and turned the ignition, and heard the fuel pump noise. I then swapped both relays over, as they are exactly the same, and turned the ignition again, and heard the fuel pump noise. When I put my finger on the R3 relay, I could feel it turn off when the fuel pump noise stopped - but I didn't hear it turn 'on', so am I right in thinking it was 'on' all the time, and when you turn the ignition it is already in the 'on' position, and is turned off by the ECU or something like that?

So I think both relays are working, and the fuel pump is working. Or at least, the fuel pump makes the same noise it's always made when I turn to position 2 on the ignition.

Re removing the fuel pipes to the fuel rails - this would be easier for me than getting underneath the car to check out the fuel filter (which was replaced last year, so shouldn't be blocked?), so is it worth checking the fuel rails' pipes first, or should I definitely look at the fuel filter?

The problem is that my drive has a bit of a slope, so I will have to reverse onto the road using the starter motor (I live in a cul de sac so it's no problem leaving it on the road, but I'm just concerned about using the starter motor to get it up the slope, I can push it the rest of the way onto the road. Presumably if I use short bursts and give the motor time to cool down, it will be okay? I've charged up the battery today so it's got plenty of oomph in it.)

[mosis]

!!!ALL FIXED!!!

 

I went back out and thought I'd just turn the engine over for a bit and see what happens, seeing as I had a freshly charged battery. It didn't fire for about five or more seconds, then it seemed to be trying to fire on one cylinder, so I kept cranking it, and in a few more seconds it fired up! It was very rough to begin with, I revved it a little bit (only up to about 2,000 revs) for a few seconds, and after about ten or more seconds it seemed to be running fine!

I then immediately took it out for a short drive around the cul de sacs where I live (no traffic, and if it broke down it wouldn't be far from home) and it drove perfectly.

 

So now I'm wondering what could have caused it. Isn't it highly unlikely that the fuel injectors could all have been blocked at the same time? And you say you've never had a blocked fuel filter either. Oh well, I'm SO happy, I can drive to work tomorrow instead of cycling seven miles!

 

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP, Demented and Scottybo. I think I may buy a new battery, as the one I have was in the car when I bought it two years ago, and do commute to work every day, and the battery voltage was only 12.3v before I charged it, and then it was something like 13.5v after I'd charged it.

[demented]

 

Yeah, battery should be reading at least 13.8v whilst on standby at all times after a good run.

 

I wouldn't be too concern at the current reading of 13.5v especially after current starting issue.

 

Keep an eye on the battery condition before you rush out and buy a new one.

 

In regard to your starting issues, I've found that the HT leads can perish and I believe they can somehow absorb moisture, this can prevent the car from starting or cause the engine to run rough first thing in morning.

[SteveB]

Can I ask, did it rain by any chance shortly before the car stopped working? Water can get in under the battery box and run down into the ECU causing all sorts of wierd symptoms that go away by themselves after a few days.