[Corsa B 1993-2000] Advice needed Corsa B 1995 1.416v not starting

[Grey]

Hello guys,

needing some help my wife has a 1.416v Corsa, she was at the gym this morning come out to go to work and Corsa would not start just turned over, so I'm assuming it's to do with ignition? I have tried using the search function but can't really find anything similar. It stunk of fuel while she tried to start it over and over. Left it there for the day come back and still won't start. Any common issues to look for? No symptoms of problems before hand.

Thanks
Grey

[Taurus]

If it smelt of fuel then it's unlikely to be an immobiliser issue or a problem with the sensors controlling the fuel activation, or the fuel pump/relay or the injector system.

I would therefore first check the battery - they can drop below full capacity and still crank over but refuse to fire. The ignition system needs a very healthy supply to work properly and when it's cold a weak battery can drop voltage on cranking. Many people think the battery is fine because it is turning over - but that's not always a safe assumption.

I'd check the battery and/or put it on overnight charge.

Also check the leads, plugs and connectors - give them a good spray with WD40. Sometimes damp getting into a connector can disable the ignition.

[Grey]

Hello and thanks for your reply!

I understand about battery but this can't be the case. As battery I near enough new bar a few months and also when cranking last night I put jump leads accross from my car to help battery. Nothing changed.

Also this has a coilpack I will check connectors etc later tonight. I have been reading Crank sensor is a common problem for it not to start?

[Taurus]

If the crank sensor had failed you wouldn't get the smell of fuel, since it's the crank sensor that tells the ECU the engine is turning over and activates the fuel pump relay.

I wouldn't rule the battery out if she's only done short runs round town. Even a new battery can lose charge quite quickly during the winter unless it gets a good runs regularly. Remember that an alternator doesn't recharge a flat battery (the old dynamo systems did that - alternators work differently). An alternator replaces the charge used to start the car - but it won't fully recharge the battery if it's below full charge to begin with. It's a common misconception.

eg - the usual scenario is someone comes back from holiday to the airport and finds the battery is flat, they get a jump start and head off home. They drive 200 miles home and expect the battery is now charged. Next morning the car won't start so they assume the battery is dead and buy a new one. What's happened is that the flat battery hasn't been fully recharged by the alternator, if they gave it an overnight trickle charge the battery would usually be fine, and the alternator would then keep it topped up.

When a car is used for a lot of short runs, especially during the winter, the battery gradually drops charge. You then get a car which will crank over but won't fire - the battery has enough charge to crank the engine, but the voltage is dropping on cranking and the ignition system just doesn't get the juice it needs for a big fat spark to ignite the rich fuel/air mix needed on a cold day.

Jump leads don't always make it fire either, unless you use good quality leads and let the donor car recharge the flat battery for 20-30 minutes it just doesn't deliver enough juice to do the trick.

Having said that, if the battery isn't the cause then check the ignition system for damp - most non-starters at the moment are being sorted with a bit of WD40 in the right place.

If it doesn't fire after a couple of cranks then sometimes a bootfull of throttle is needed to clear the cylinders. Repeated cranking with otherwise just flood it.

[Grey]

Went to start it again this morning turns over picks up speed to start you can hear it about to then slows down to Turning engine over and does a repeat cycle.

[Taurus]

Check the obvious first, then check the timing

[santa]

Similar issue with a '98 1.4 16v. Checked out leads, plugs, battery, sparks, fuel, pump, op-com etc.

Turns out the engine had flooded! Man from the AA turned up, cranked it over with throttle pedal depressed to clear it out - & it fired up & ran sweetly. Didn't think this was possible since the day of the carburettor. The man from the AA said it happens when the day is cold & the car has been started, moved a few meters, then turned off. Next time you come to start the car the pots are full of fuel & it gets a cold start rich mixture = too much.

Hard to beleive, but I saw him do it.