Help please, engine died and won\'t start!

[Jim_rx7]

Righto, I finally replaced the oil cooler lines, filled up with oil and gave the car a coolant change.

Everything was going fine.

When I first started the car there was quite a bit of black smoke from the exhaust, but that cleared up. I thought possibly because there was a tad too much oil in the car? Or possibly because it hadn\'t been started for a week?

Drove down the road, the cooland buzzer came on so I immediatly stopped and put more coolant in (this was right after the cooland change). I then drove about 2miles. Stopped, topped up again.

I then drove another mile or so, but when I was coming home I was doing about 30mph on a up hill in 4th, but had no acceleration, just at the top of the hill the car cut out.

Apart from that, as far as I could tell, the car was working fine.

I tried to turn it over a few times, but nothing and the battery was totally dead.

I went and got a new battery today. It turns over (slowly mind), but again, it won\'t start.

My initial assumption is that it\'s flooded? No idea why it cut out in the first place though.

Any ideas??


I\'ve got new plugs to go in anyway, so I\'ll do that and hope for the best?? I\'m just hoping it all fires up when I replace the plugs!

[Jim_rx7]

If it was just a case of it being flooded, could I just chuck it down a hill and bump start it? Is it likely to work? I have a big hill here, but don\'t want to get to the bottom of it with a dead car. lol.

[banned advertiser]

Try towing it to start, then see how it runs.

[Jim_rx7]

no toe eye!

[strange_days_uk]

Starting after a flood


Crank the car over with your foot flat to the floor.  Soon enough it will start, very smokey while it clears.

[Jim_rx7]

So you don\'t need to take the plugs out etc, etc??

How long should I let it crank for with my foot to the floor?

I\'m gonna use some jump leads so it doesn\'t drain the battery.

[Jonathan_F]

Sounds like you have fouled the plugs. With all the short jouney runs the car would of been on warm up (running very rich). Try heating the plugs in the flame of the kitchen hob for 5 minutes whilst boosting the battery (they come charged, but not fully). Whilst the plugs are out run the engine with the EGR fuse out.

Good luck.

PS. Next time you change the coolant, remove the hose to the throttle body (back right corner) and force the coolant in with an upended large water bottle until it flows out. You will never hear the buzzer again.

[Jim_rx7]

Crank it over with the fuse out. Replace the plugs and try to start it? (I have new plugs sitting waiting to go in).

Does cranking it with the foot to the floor work? (without taking plugs out etc)

[Kash_]

First try cranking with your foot to the floor whilst starting it. If this fails, take the plugs out and have a look if they are fouled. If fouled you can heat them up in an oven or use a heat gun, then use a bit of sand paper or wet & dry to clean the top of the plugs and get all the carbon off. Whilst the plugs are out, take the EGI fuse out and crank the car with your foot down to get all the excess fuel out of the chambers. Put old or new plugs back in and the EGI fuse. Crank the car with your foot down and it should start.

[Jim_rx7]

It\'s raining outside!!

As soon as it calms down a little, I\'ll try starting it with my foot down and see what happens.

When the rain stops I\'ll remove the plugs etc. Hopefully all will be ok! It\'s been off the road the last few weeks, was looking forward to getting it sorted again!

[John_Hudson]

Rain bah, get to it Mr !!

[Jim_rx7]

Alright!!!!!

Gonna go put the overalls on! lol.

Will connect the golf up to make sure the batt is ok. Will try cranking it over with foot to floor. Then (depending on how heavy the rain is), I\'ll do the plugs!!...

geeze! ... lol

[John_Hudson]

good man, dont be afraid of a little water !

hope it all goes well squire

[Jim_rx7]

Righto!!!

I can\'t get the ruddy spark plugs out!!

I took the elbow off etc, pulled off the top spark plug that you get easy access to, and the bugger won\'t budge!!

Argh?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

I also can\'t get the jack under the car where it is just now! Where I previously had the car jacked up was a different bit of road.

I tried to push the car onto the pavement where there\'s a recess so I could then jack the car up so I could get them from underneath. But no... I\'m not the incredible hulk, I couldn\'t get the car up there on me todd. lol

So... anyone got any bright ideas how to get the plugs out???

[Jim_rx7]

If the car is flooded, can you get it going by push starting it?