[nvarras7]

Hi, I just bought this. The car runs fine, and for the most part is like new. 1 in every 4 or 5 starts the car wont start no matter how long you turn the key. If i let go and try again it starts immediatly. This is more annoying than a problem,but is anything wrong?

Thanks
Nick

 

[taurus]

First thing to ask is - is the engine management light flashing when it won't fire?

Also worth knowing when it was last serviced (although I suspect there's a cause for the random none starting it's still worth knowing.)

Have you any comeback on warranty?

Just to gather information - next time it won't fire floor the throttle and crank it for 2 or 3 seconds, then jump out and sniff the exhaust pipe, it should smell of unburnt petrol. (Don't crank too long or you can damage the cat.) It's possible it's the crankshaft sensor which are a regular issue - but cheap to replace.

 

[nvarras7]

No light is flashing. No smell of gas. Thanks for the quick reply. Last service was a while ago, has 90,000 km. Maybe Spark plugs?

 

[taurus]

A thorough service might help. If it doesn't consider the possibility of a faulty crankshaft sensor. They don't last for ever on those engines. About £15 for a good quality aftermarket one from Autovaux.