HELP! 1.4 Astra wont start - only car!

[whitesupratt]

Hi chaps,

My Supra is SORN at the mo and my car for work and back etc is an L reg Astra 1.4 LSI, 5 Door.

It has been running fine, but suddenly two weeks ago, after driving into town on my lunch break, it refused to start after completing my shopping. It just turns over and turns over, as if it has run out of fuel.

The fuel light was on and it did run fine, this is what iv tried:
-Put fuel in it
-checked for a spark (thats fine)
-fuel pump is working
-battery fully charged
-fluid levels all fine

It just refuses to start, so suddenly. I left it with a garage to just diagnose, they reckon it is ECU because the injectors arnt firing and charged my £129 just for diagnosing!, BUT another two mechanics say Crank position sensor. When i checked the plugs they were wet with fuel, so i dont believe its ECU, just like that.

Any ideas? ECU or Crank sensor sound realistic? Appreciate any help as I need it for work!

Thanks,
Matt

[RobSheffield]

Crank sensor sounds a little more realistic, thing is neither ECU nor crank sensor would suddenly fail.

have you jump startedi t, or any other car with it recently?

[supra01]

could be a number of things, but get the timing belt checked 1st

ADs:cool:

[whitesupratt]

Hi Rob/supra01 I havn't jumped anything or bumped it etc. The headgasket went a while ago, but that was fixed no probs, and its not a compression problem, so Not to do with that. Very random, however it was idling very lumpy shortly before it broke down with this problem. I thought nothing of it though!

[RobSheffield]

id say a possibility on the CPS then. iirc they are a known problem. doubtful to be the timing belt, it wouldnt even turn over if it snapped or slipped, without a cacaphony :D

cant you arrange for one of the small independant Vauxhall garages to tke a look? have a word with the service manager, ask him to check the CPS (and the ECU just in case)

[whitesupratt]

yeh, i will. I thought this garage would sort me out as a family friend pointed me there as he knows the owner, but £129 just to tell me its shagged!

[whitesupratt]

I just towed it back from the garage that say its the ECU, and for a laugh I thought I would try starting it. Amazingly, it fired up and ran fine! then i turned it off, and now it wont start again! This is so strange, now im totaly confused!

[absxxxx]

its all the hall marks of a crank position sensor. have you tryed reading the flash codes.?

[whitesupratt]

Apparently they did a diagnostic test on the ECU, got code 81 which is the earth output signal from the ECU that tells the injectors to pulse. i managed to source an ECU for £40 tho!

[absxxxx]

hope you sort it out. code 81 refers to fault INJECTOR HIGH VOLTAGE
common causes are wiring short to positive/injector fault or ecu.

[whitesupratt]

Well, Thanks for the help guys! Fitted the ECU todat, and it's running again! Wahoo!