intermittent problem with car starting

wijcc

wijcc

wijcc

Soldato
Joined
10 Aug 2003
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Location
London
I am having a problem with my car where will not starting every so often/has problems starting. I thought it might be the battery so i removed it and charged it up with a battery charger. After charging it up overnight over 12 hour+. I tried starting the car, it would not start until trying to 3 or 4 times. I then drove the car for about 15-20 mins and parked the car. I then tried to start the car again.. it would not start properly, the engine would start and end shut/cut off. After trying about 5 or 6 times the car started fine and runned fine. I drove the car fine again without any problems starting and stopping the car several times. I brought a multimeter today and tested the battery and alternator this evening and the readings were fine.
Battery reading approv 12.6V and with engine on 14.9V. So both the battery and alternator seems to be fine. On starting the car batterys drops 10.5V for a bit.
I tried leaving the car headlights on the car for 5 mins before taking a voltage reading and it was 12.6V.
The car is 2001 1.6 ford focus and the battery is about 2.5 years old
What other things I can check to see what could be causing my car starting issue?
Thanks in advance
 
petrol/diesel ?
when was fuel filter last changed, maybe cannot supply enough fuel in startup/cold scenario.. or fuel pump failing.
air leak in in (cracked?) rubber input belows, maybe clean the air mass measuring system (with a spray)
 
it is a petrol. yes the car/engine does not start. This problem happpend about a month ago then I car it fine for a month. Then I had the problem again on sat, i then charged the battery as i was thinking it might be the battery.
I can hear the fuel pump engage yes, when i try to start the car. I have stopped and started the car over 6 times this evening without any problems. It has been a while since the fuel litter was last changed.
 
You need to explain more about it not starting. Does the starter motor turn the engine ok and then not firing or does it turn over slowly?

Using a multi meter is not helpful to determine the state of the battery.
 
when I have problems the engine tries to start, sounds like the start motor is fine.

How can I best test my battery?
 
I had the exact same issue on an old Fiat Punto and turned out it was the crankshaft position sensor.

Local auto electrician was able to read the codes and diagnosed it after months of head scratching.
 
Tbh I think you've ruled out the battery. It possibly could still be electrical, problems relating to worn spark plugs/ht leads/ coil pack usually result in rough running as well as poor starting but id say it's still worth whipping out the plugs for examination and for the sake of £20 replacing the coil pack and leads.

I put 145k miles on a mk 1.5 focus and got through 3 coil packs.
 
From the description it doesn't sound like the battery. I would visually inspect all easily viewable cables and pipes for damage first. Check and maybe change the plugs, air filter, etc. Fuel filter is another possibility but probably not the most likely.

It could be a sensor preventing the right fuel/air mix. If it is then there is probably an error code recorded. So it would be worth getting any error codes read. You can get cheap scanners on the usual sites or pay a local garage to read them for you. That's probably where I would start
 
I agree that it doesn't sound like the battery. If the starter motor sounds "vigorous" when it turns over, that's the batteries job done. I think it sounds like a fuel problem, possibly failing fuel pump, but that would really depend on the rest of the car. What mileage is it on and what's the service history like? I'm assuming there are no engine management/emissions lights on on the dash?

If it's due a service anyway, it might be worth just doing a full service (fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs, oil and oil filter). If you can do things yourself, that's about £100 worth of parts and is worth doing anyway for general good running.

If that doesn't help the problem, it might help to get the codes read and then look for things like MAF sensors (not sure if these have a MAF?). O2 sensors should be fine as these would illuminate your emissions warning light if not IIRC.
 
There are no error lights/notifications on the car. I will try doing a service on the car and see if that makes a difference.
If the car experiences problems starting again, I will try using the multimeter to see if the battery is the culprit.
Thanks
 
Sounds like a plan.

However, as I said, if the starter motor is turning over with vigour, it's not going to be the battery.

If it isn't a fuelling issue, then possibly camshaft position sensor or coolant temperature sensor?
 
By the way, if it happens again, what do i need to check if it the fuelling, camshaft position sensor or coolant temperature sensor that is causing the problem?

Thanks again
 
If it is a fuelling issue, apart from the servicing (changing the filters) what else can I check/do?
 
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