Freelander starting problems

Hi guys hope someone can help me out
I have an 1800 k series freelander
Went out to it one morning and it started and died straight away
It wouldn't start again after that local garage now have it and a new cam sensor has been fitted. Car still will not start if you tow it down the road it will start but only run above 2500 revs.And would not tick over. They done a compression test and ther was none on all four cylinders. Now the car drove perfectly the night before so I found it hard to believe the compression was suddenly not there. The temp had dropped to minus 12 that night so they suggested that the oil may have got do cold and thick it struggled to open the hydraulic lifters. When the oil was drained it was thick and gloopy and new oil and filter fitted. Compression is now back as it should be on all four cylinders.
A new stepper motor has now been fitted somewhere near the throttle housing and now when started with a tow the engine will run above 2500 revs and now it will tick over but anything from tick over to 2500 rpm it don't want to know
When trying to start normally by key it tries to fire but just won't catch
It has a spark at the plugs
Has anyone come across this problem before or have any idea where to look next

Burn it

Helpful suggestion would be nice
Any helpful members got any decent suggestions

paulswll said:

Helpful suggestion would be nice
Any helpful members got any decent suggestions

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Yes, get a diesel... or you could try using the search feature ^^^^^up there

When I wanted one I couldn't find a diesel one anywhere had the car 11/2 years now trouble free and covered nearly 50,000 miles in it so there not all that bad .

Wild stab in the dark, look at the Idle Air Control Valve. And don't leave it so long between oil changes in future, keep it to no more than 10k or 12 months max.

Will get them to check that tommorrow last oil change was in the august before I went to Devon when it was fully serviced

Been looking in search but if i ask the question someone somewhere might say yeah that happened to me it was ....... no harm in asking

Bloody cold if the hydraulics froze up! (unless they had water in them)
They've changed your IAC valve - if that recalibrates ok to the ECU then it may help.
If you've now got compression and you still need to tow start then have you got an inlet manifold leak, low fuel pressure or weak spark?
It has a silicon gasket between the plastic manifold and head - affected by cold/freeze-up?
Are you losing any coolant?

Check simples first - is the fuel pump running before it tries to start, does it stop after a few seconds, are the air & fuel filters clear, is the throttle cable to the throttle body clear and resting on the stop. (IAC valve will try to compensate & mask this)

Is there a good spark at all four plugs, is the rotor arm/dizzy/coil packs in good nick?
Failing pump or blocked filter giving low fuel pressure could be a cause?
If it really got that froze up solid, could the cam belt have jumped a tooth?
Try to eliminate what is working and post back with a list of what you've done.

I don't think the hydraulics froze up I think the oil got so cold it would not flow properly
I checked the can in my garage that had some left in it and poured it into a container it was very slow moving.
When the car originally didn't start I had no engine management light come on but 3 faults were recorded
1 multiple misfire
2 camshaft sensor
3 fuel trim malfunction
I can't remember the codes at the mo
So the first thing done was to fit a new cam sensor still wouldn't start
This is when they decided to do compression test
No compression on all four cylinders temp had dropped to minus 12 that night
They towed the car and it started but would not run below 2500 or tick over
Changed oil and filter no more compression problems
Fitted new stepper motor which I believe you call iac valve car still won't start without a tow but will now tick over but won't rev up
They have cleaned the plugs put them back in tried to start then took the plugs back out they are very sooty
There are no fault codes anymore
I will get them to check the items you have listed and let you know the outcome
Thanks for your help

O and timing has also been checked and is spot on

with new stepper motor did they reset the throttle pedal?

I walked to the garage yesterday and tried the throttle reset myself it now nearly starts but just won't catch. I have read that the filter on the fuel pump can block or a seal split. As I use the car for work I'm going to go up there in the morning and take the pump out myself and have a look.

A new fuel pump was fitted on Friday and now the car don't even try to start at all the old pump put back in and she try's to fire but won't start. Conclusion new fuel pump don't work. Pulled pipe of pump and turned key pump ran to pressure and a dribble of petrol came out. The way I see it if the pipe was off the pump would run until the tank was dry as it has nothing to pressurise to. This is the new pump I'm talking about. So another pump has been ordered