Car won't start

[ChrisM]

My diagnosis - it's fubar'd...

All horror of horrors, I had to drive my mum's Suzuki Swift today, as when I got to my car this morning it wouldn't start (not even an attempt... was just turning over...). I just put it down to the cold weather... came home early to have a play with it, still nothing. My dad reckons it could be some sort of electrical fault... anyone got any ideas?

:worried:

[E_T_V]

An engine needs 3 things to work

Fuel - is it getting any? Are the plugs wet with fuel or are they bone dry? If they are soaking wet with fuel then try unscrewing the damper on top of the carburettor and flooring the throttle whilst trying to start it. That is often enough to start a flooded engine.
Air - Is anything blocking the air intake (unusual for anything to go wring here)
Spark - Is the coil giving a spark? Pull the lead from the coil to the distributer off at the distributer end fold/pull back the rubber boot and place it near but not touching a solid unpainted metal bit of the car (engine block is the easiest). Get someone to turn the engine over and make sure there is a big fat blue spark jumping from the end of the lead to the block. The spark should be able to jump a gap of an inch or so (Don't hold the end of the lead as it hurts!).

If it is sparking here then plug the coil lead back in and remove the spark plugs. Again connect them to the HT leads and put the metal threaded end of the spark plug against the engine block and turn it over again (Don't worry about the odd noise when turning it over). Check that there are regular blue sparks at each end of the spark plugs.

[SimonR]

Hi Chris,

I had a similar thing with my 1.3 when I had it. Just kept turning over but wouldn't fire.

In the end the RAC man found that a connector had been knocked off the distributor at the back of the engine. On my car, whenever I changed into 2nd gear too violently, the gear linkage used to knock this connection out and it ground to a hault.

Hope you get it sorted!

SR.

[ChrisM]

Hmm just been out again ( :censored: freezing!!), checked all the connections etc, took the air box off and found something stuck in one of the fins of the air filter, put it all back together, still nothing... Checked the plugs, not flooded... Left it a couple of minutes, and it fired. Then died. Fired it up again, lots of spluttering and blue smoke, a loud squeal from somewhere and a small pop... and that is where I'm currently at... :(

[skipweasel]

Hmm just been out again ( :censored: freezing!!), checked all the connections etc, took the air box off and found something stuck in one of the fins of the air filter, put it all back together, still nothing... Checked the plugs, not flooded... Left it a couple of minutes, and it fired. Then died. Fired it up again, lots of spluttering and blue smoke, a loud squeal from somewhere and a small pop... and that is where I'm currently at... :(
Did the smoke come from under the bonnet and did it smell of rubber?
If so - you've forgotten to put anti-freeze in and the pump's not moving so the belt's slipping and melting.

[ChrisM]

Did the smoke come from under the bonnet and did it smell of rubber?
If so - you've forgotten to put anti-freeze in and the pump's not moving so the belt's slipping and melting.
Lol no, the smoke was out of the exhaust... but apparantly my water pump isn't well...

[D87 SMW]

Clean up the rotor arm and terminals inside the distributor cap. My dad's Astra cut out once as these needed cleaning up. Also check for hairline marks between the terminals.