1998 freelander 1.8 not starting. what can it be?

.....if you did that video you have worked well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qn8ljQKZxA

you really need a code reader, you get rid of long time wasted....

tonytherunner said:

.....if you did that video you have worked well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qn8ljQKZxA

you really need a code reader, you get rid of long time wasted....

Click to expand...

Cheers for that, can't go wrong after watching that really. Will be setting the cam timing right and seeing where i stand. I'll be getting someone to come round in the not too distant future with a code reader for the early Mems. Will do that once everythings back where it should be

haven't managed to get back outside yet due to the bad weather so i've sat inside scouring the net looking at freelanders.

So, i've ended up with a third freelander, bought for scrap money plus £200 for delivery, main issue is this one has HGF! Only other 2 issues are rear window motor doesnt wont and the sort top is in a poor way. Got a working rear window motor on the parts freelander and a hardtop on the one i'm fixing.





Added to the current collection

well, went back out today as the weather was nice enough. Managed to find that the fuel pump not priming was down to a blown fuse in the engine bay fuse box. I've got the cambelt timed correctly now but that hasn't made any difference. Key to pos 2. Fuel pump primes, turn the key, engine turns, then coughs, then just keeps cranking. Fuel line from pump puts out a constant flow of fuel, spark from plugs but no fuel from injectors after the initial cough on first time.

Think i'll leave that one now till i can get someone with a codereader round to look at it.

jda070504 said:

well, went back out today as the weather was nice enough. Managed to find that the fuel pump not priming was down to a blown fuse in the engine bay fuse box. I've got the cambelt timed correctly now but that hasn't made any difference. Key to pos 2. Fuel pump primes, turn the key, engine turns, then coughs, then just keeps cranking. Fuel line from pump puts out a constant flow of fuel, spark from plugs but no fuel from injectors after the initial cough on first time.

Think i'll leave that one now till i can get someone with a codereader round to look at it.

Click to expand...

Ah. It coughs does it?

Whip a plug out and see if its wet. You may have a temp sensor or whatever floods the engine with fuel on cold days up the creek. I flooded my brand new xk8 like that. Called the man in. He floored the throttle and that apparently did something that cleared it and after 20 seconds it burst into life.

Also sniff exhaust pipe for unburnt fuel.

Sensor read should expose a bad cld start system.

lenny1234 said:

Ah. It coughs does it?

Whip a plug out and see if its wet. You may have a temp sensor or whatever floods the engine with fuel on cold days up the creek. I flooded my brand new xk8 like that. Called the man in. He floored the throttle and that apparently did something that cleared it and after 20 seconds it burst into life.

Also sniff exhaust pipe for unburnt fuel.

Sensor read should expose a bad cld start system.

Click to expand...

If a CTS or ATS failed, the ECU substitutes a value for a warm engine to eliminate possible flooding and subsequent cat damage.

This is an odd and persistent fault.
From memory there is a fuse to supply NBV the injectors, this is worth checking for integrity.

It does caugh. What i think is happening is when the key is turned to position 2 the fuel pump primes and puts fuel into the injector rail, then when the key is turned to position 3 the injectors release the build up of fuel into the chambers which partially ignites as the plug sparks. But no fuel is released from the injectors after the initial rail build up is released.

I've tested the above with the manifold off and everything still plumbed in so i can physically see whats happening.

After cranking the engine for 30 seconds the plugs are bone dry, and have been every time i've checked them after cranking. What confuses me is when it got delivered it started by being jumped due to a flat battery although it did struggle.
The day after i started it on its own after charging the battery, it did struggle and idled rough for a good 10 minutes or so (i'm guessing till warm). Never started since.

Something i should have checked before now by filling it up but..... Could low fuel cause the engine not to fire up after changing the fuel pump? Obviously the fuel pump is working perfectly and fuel is sent to the rail without issues, just wondered if being just above the red would cause any issues? I didn't think it would but thought i'd ask this now.

This Hippo has a week to show me whats up with it or it'll end up as someone elses project to sort.

Could it be something as simple as a broken wire which was only half broken when you got it. One of those intermittent faults which is now perminant.

Alibro said:

Could it be something as simple as a broken wire which was only half broken when you got it. One of those intermittent faults which is now perminant.

Click to expand...

Thats the thing that's been in the back of my mind since I bought it. I could have knocked a wire whilst sorting the door electrics out but it can only be on the engine loom surely? I have an A/C engine loom on my parts freelander and this is a none A/C engine but in principle the only difference should be the fan wiring. I'm stripping the coolant hoses and rad off the parts car for the freelander I've just bought which has hgf and the inlet manifold is already off so the loom will be easy to pull out and stick onto the problem child.

You have an immobiliser issue...

If the imobiliser was activated, the engine wouldn't crank - it creates the earth on the starter solenoid - assuming that hasn't been bypassed..

I believe the 1.8 has a fuel shut off valve on the bulkhead that might need pushing it its tripped for any reason.

Obviously while the fuel pump/fuse was faulty, nothing was going to happen. Now its pumping fuel - I'm still thinking that it may be the temp sensor - especially as it will cough.

GrumpyGel said:

If the imobiliser was activated, the engine wouldn't crank - it creates the earth on the starter solenoid - assuming that hasn't been bypassed..

I believe the 1.8 has a fuel shut off valve on the bulkhead that might need pushing it its tripped for any reason.

Obviously while the fuel pump/fuse was faulty, nothing was going to happen. Now its pumping fuel - I'm still thinking that it may be the temp sensor - especially as it will cough.

Click to expand...

It's definitely not the black fuel cut off button on the bulkhead, pressed that on numerous occasions now. Have changed the CTS from the other freelander, with key to position 2. If you disconnect the plug, then reconnect it you hear a very short faint click/buzz each time so the CTS is being recognised each time. I've tried starting the engine with various plugs disconnected to see if one was giving a false reading but the ones I can find have been changed.... Even the bloody Speed sensor on the gearbox got changed just in case lol.

I've even heated the CTS and the sensor underneath it on a radiator, then fitted, plugged in and tried starting the engine up in the hope I'd get something different when cranking, but nothing.

GrumpyGel said:

If the imobiliser was activated, the engine wouldn't crank - it creates the earth on the starter solenoid - assuming that hasn't been bypassed..

I believe the 1.8 has a fuel shut off valve on the bulkhead that might need pushing it its tripped for any reason.

Obviously while the fuel pump/fuse was faulty, nothing was going to happen. Now its pumping fuel - I'm still thinking that it may be the temp sensor - especially as it will cough.

Click to expand...

On my MGF the engine won't crank with the immobiliser active but I could have sworn the Freelander did crank with it active.

Alibro said:

On my MGF the engine won't crank with the immobiliser active but I could have sworn the Freelander did crank with it active.

Click to expand...

The Starter Relay trigger is fed from the crank position on the ignition/key via fuse 5 in the passenger compartment fuse box. Its earthed through the CCU.

So it shouldn't crank if immobilised - unless the relay earth is changed to a 'regular' ground.

From Rave...
http://www.mydocz.com/Landie/KSeriesStartingCircuit.jpg

GrumpyGel said:

The Starter Relay trigger is fed from the crank position on the ignition/key via fuse 5 in the passenger compartment fuse box. Its earthed through the CCU.

So it shouldn't crank if immobilised - unless the relay earth is changed to a 'regular' ground.

From Rave...
http://www.mydocz.com/Landie/KSeriesStartingCircuit.jpg

Click to expand...

This^^^^
Additionally if the immobilizer is active and the key is turned to the start position, an audible two tone warning chime is produced.

Nodge68 said:

Additionally if the immobilizer is active and the key is turned to the start position, an audible two tone warning chime is produced.

Click to expand...

That's probably true on later models Nodge. On my earlier car ('99) its deathly silence you are greeted with - the radio cuts and you're expecting the noise of an engine crank - but nothing - just the light on the dash.

I had spare ECU's lying around when I was doing my turbo conversion. All ECU's allowed the engine to crank

jda070504 said:

No, if i hold the accelerator pedal to the floor on the first start up of a day, once the key is turned to crank the engine, it fires up to 2k or so and immediately cuts out and carries on trying to crank until the battery is dead. The only time i have made it start was the day after i got it, and it did the same as above, but just about stayed above 2k for 5-10 seconds which let the engine start to idle on its own. Tried many many times since, never done it again.

Click to expand...

you should not press the go pedal while starting up as it will flood the engine just get in and turn the key ,have you check all the timing and rotor arm and dizzy cap I know you said you have put new in but just check them again.

teddywood1 said:

you should not press the go pedal while starting up as it will flood the engine just get in and turn the key ,have you check all the timing and rotor arm and dizzy cap I know you said you have put new in but just check them again.

Click to expand...

I see your knowledge has failed to keep up with fuel injection and drive by wire.

On at leasts one car I have had, flooring the throttle is how you CLEAR the flooding.


In this case I am beginning to think it is flooded and that it may well be a temperature sensor at fault.

If the issues have been sorted the car will start on the button without any messing. I spent a good time churning at mine flooding it in the process but once I sorted the timing fault it started on the first turn of the key. These engines are very easy to start.