Help, please! Engine just stopped ... and won't start again.

YouTube · Post by **Sailor** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:18 pm

As the title, my 5G's engine stopped with no warning and then wouldn't restart.

For a while, the car hadn't been doing enough miles between starts, so I suspected low battery charge, even though there was enough to turn over the engine. A fiddle about and a some more attempts left the battery completely flat. I trickle-charged it over a few days.

Now, connecting the battery sets the hazard lights off, but the car still won't start. There are no codes coming up via the paper clip test.

I suspect the immobiliser. I haven't a clue what to do next. Any ideas?

Post by **NafemanNathan** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:45 pm

Mains relay bud?

Would it occasionally start, but then after a run not start again until it cooled down fully?

YouTube · Post by **Sailor** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:56 pm

It just stopped when parking and showed no sign of firing again.
The battery seemed to charge OK, but there's been no success since.
It's the flashing of the hazard lights that confuses me ...

Post by **NafemanNathan** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:07 am

That is an odd one with the hazards and unfortunately I have no experience with immobilisers.

Although the battery appears to take a charge have you tried jump starting it when it won't start?

Otherwise I'd still possibly suspect the mains relay. It's a common fault where due to constant heat gain and loss a couple of the solder points are prone to cracking. When they are warm (ie. when the car has been running) they loose connectivity, so you then need them to cool down fully to regain connectivity. If you can see which solder points they are you can simply resolder them.

Bio · Post by **Bio** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:21 am

Don't suppose you have a multimeter to check the battery voltage?

I'd imagine that it's also possible that you could have a dead alternator that isn't charging the battery? Happened to the missus once. Car just stopped while we were out and about with no warning. Wouldn't re-start etc.

Just another thing to check

spudep91 · Post by **spudep91** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:08 am

Get the jump leads on her. batterys say they are charged then soon as u go to start it its goes to 0 again then back to 12.

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:34 am

immobiliser sounds like a good shout to me with the hazard light thing going on. if you say it cut out but had enough power in the battery to turn the engine back over then its not battery. it doesn't take a lot of power to run an engine once its started so it wouldn't have cut out in the first place if there was power in the battery. also check the fuel pump and the dizzy throws a hissy fit on these things too but hazard lights screams alarm/immobilizer.

h10ndr · Post by **h10ndr** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:49 am

Lock and unlock the car with the remote key fob, or with the key. Then try again....

(based on the theory that its an alarm/immobiliser issue - and this is a common problem if you do a google search "car wont start hazards flashing" across many different manufacturers )

Also, try your spare key (NOT RED) - it could be the programming on the key which is stopping it from starting (DO NOT USE THE RED KEY - this will reset the other keys and will need reprogramming)

Post by **paul bristol uk** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:55 pm

I tend to agree with Tramroadmotors on this. low battery can also start a car alarm immobiliser off but I don't think that is your problem as your engine turns. If the immobiliser has failed or not disarmed on both my cars the engine does not turn. So I would suspect Dizzy or main relay.Can you hear the pump priming when you turrn the key?

Post by **Merlin** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:01 pm

In addition to everythign else, can you hear the fuel pump priming? Are all the dash light coming on in pistion I?