starting

[tommy14]

hi guys,can anyone point me in the right direction? My 02 ford galaxy suddenly lost power  and stopped,the engine will turn over and turn over but won't fire up.I've been driving it all the time and suddenly this happens,can anyone point me in the direction of where to start looking please.

[KingyMAK]

Cranking without starting is usually broken down into 3 things:

1: Fuel/Air
2: Ignition
3: Compression

Fuel pump working?
Fuel filter not blocked?
Air in fuel line dropping line pressure?
Glowplugs?
Valves?
Cams?
And most importantly, belts?

[johnnyroper]

Firstly get it scanned for codes. A knackered cam sensor will stop it starting.

Don't keep trying to start it though until you have checked cambelt is intact and engine is times up properly.

Check the above 2 things first then report back.

[tommy14]

hi,we have tried everything at this stage,fuel pump is working,injector pump is working the only thing we have left now is to take it to someone with a diagnostic machine and see what it says.

[johnnyroper]

If fuel pump and tandem pump are working then so long as timing belt is ok you are looking at an issue with fuel injection. Dodgy cam sensor or immobiliser fault maybe? Have you got a spare key to try so you can rule out key issues?

[tommy14]

thanks for you reply and help,but no i've only 1 key and i'm going to take it to a fella with a diagnostic machine today. It's just terrible the way all things on cars now are sensors and finiky shit,its doing away with being able to fix things yourself and having to fork out big money to garages for simple fixes if things were not so complicated with diagnostics.

[Chrispb]

Whats the LED doing on the drivers door when you try to start, is it flashing or on constant

[tommy14]

didn't check that actually,i'll have a look before the fella comes in the morning.why what does it mean when its flashing or constant?

[insanitybeard]

If the LED flashes it usually means a fault with the system or it's not recognised the key.  In normal operation when starting the LED should illuminate solidly for a few seconds when you switch the ignition on and then extinguish which means that the immobiliser recognises the key and the engine should then start without issue. If you turn the ignition on and the LED flashes instead then something is not right.

[Chrispb]

I was thinking more on the lines of the relay 109 issue, with that you get the flashing LED when turning the starter.
Issues with the key chip/immobiliser usually result in engine starting then stopping almost immediately.

Relay 109 powers engine ECU and if faulty will not show a fault code

[insanitybeard]

Fair point Chris, I didn't know that a defective relay 109 could cause the LED to flash on starting though perhaps if I'd read your article more thoroughly I might have!

If anybody needs a relay 109 I've got one (good used condition- later grey cased type) for not silly money......

[Kristaps Baltais]

what if my led in not lighting up at all?

[insanitybeard]

Then perhaps your driver's door wiring loom is broken within the rubber gaiter? 

[Kristaps Baltais]

Then perhaps your driver's door wiring loom is broken within the rubber gaiter? 

thats quite shocking to consider 

[tommy14]

thanks everyone for their reply's,but I've solved the problem,i discovered that the fuel temperature sensor is the cause of all my trouble, how i discovered it was through elimination,I took the cam sensor,the crank sensor and the fuel temp sensor from a galaxy the same year which i knew was working 100% and tried them 1 at a time in my galaxy and the FUEL TEMP SENSOR was the faulty one.