Damp Engine - Car wont start

[hopkinsgm]

...would it help to replace the cap and myabe the leads?...

Probably wouldn't hurt, but unless there's any obvious tracking inside the cap or any physical damage, it's unlikely to be the culprit. That said, it's a fairly cheap item to replace and I can't see it making matters worse. I think I'd be turning my attention to the coil though.

 

[Cupra Kid]

Yeap i'd look at the coil, have a plug out earth it and see if it arcs, at least you can take that off your list.

Water in any engine isnt good and i'm surprised that they started it without fully draining the engine and putting new oil in it. If you drove for 10 miles with water in there its going to be pretty f*cked.

 

[surreyfull]

things arent looking good then!!! dropped the keys off to a garage thismorning...

 

[surreyfull]

got the car back today, like u said hopkinsgm it needed a new coil.

 

[Cupra Kid]

Lucky escape there. nice one

 

[crezz]

yeah very lucy

 

[surreyfull]

i know im very very lucky, lifes a learning curve thou....

 

[Fl@pper]

reminds me - must dig out some big cardboard panels and make that undershield i thought about

 

[crezz]

undershield? whats wrong with the standard one that makes the engine sweat! lol

 

[hopkinsgm]

Glad to hear it was nothing too serious. All the talk of hydraulic locking the engine earlier in the thread sounded a little unlikely - the engine tends to break in quite a big way in those kind of situations - snapped conrods, holes in the side of the cylinder block, that kinda thing. Not exactly subtle. Nor exactly easy to miss. I doubt you'd have got another 10 miles or so like that without noticing!

Dare I ask how much they charged you to replace the coil?

 

[edc]

Glad to hear it was nothing too serious. All the talk of hydraulic locking the engine earlier in the thread sounded a little unlikely - the engine tends to break in quite a big way in those kind of situations - snapped conrods, holes in the side of the cylinder block, that kinda thing. Not exactly subtle. Nor exactly easy to miss. I doubt you'd have got another 10 miles or so like that without noticing!

Dare I ask how much they charged you to replace the coil?

I suspect some sneaky charges would allow 1 hour labour for that!

Coil from AVS for pittance then 15 mins from walking out the front door to finishing off and washing your hands!

 

[andyj]

15mins would include a cuppa-T as well

 

[edc]

My time includes 1 min for clearing out leaves, conkers, and other assorted debris from the scuttle and dropping the screws into an awkward place in the bay

 

[surreyfull]

Dare I ask how much they charged you to replace the coil?

it was £150 including labour, parts and having the car towed from my house to the garage

shame i dont have the proper tools and stuff at my house in portsmouth, coz like u advised, the coil was going to be the next thing i changed!

 

[edc]

Proper tools?

You only need a screw driver for the coil ...

 

[surreyfull]

yes but originally i was trying to get the dizzy out.

and you could tell that the coil was broken just by looking at it?

 

[edc]

You can't tell by looking, but the tests above would show spark problem.

 

[Cupra Kid]

You can't tell by looking, but the tests above would show spark problem.

Unless its intermittent, but being as yours wouldn't start it suggests it was gone.

As you say though you learn as you go along.................. especially with MK2's!!!!