1.8t starting problems

[badrover]

If it fires on a A squirt of easy start, it will eliminate the ignition side. Worth a try?

[JA76]

Thanks for all the ideas guys, I though I'd found the problem as 1of the wires going into the connector had broke off
So I stripped both out and soldered them up but didn't make any difference, i be got some carb cleaner so will spray some down the throttle body and see if it fires
Will also have a look for ffs as Ronnie says, fingers crossed something will work

[minimutly]

I would concentrate on that temp sender issue, before looking at the coolant circuit.
If it's reading high, or default, there is a chance you've lost the supply to the sensor. This may be due to a broken wire, or, more likely a short due to a trapped wire. The temp sensor feed may be a common feed with one or two others, so don't think of it in isolation.
To repeat others advice, get a multimeter, rather than changing sensors etc.
Squirting some aerostart in the throttle body will also tell you if the cam timing/sensors are right, if it won't fire on aerostart you have timing or spark issues (as well).
I once rebuilt a k4 8v for someone, he fitted it but it wouldn't start. Had a look, it was as if the immobilized was cutting in. Much searching, and checking the wiring diagram later, found a cut wire just below the fuel pump/main relays!
How had this happened - beyond me, but sometimes people, while focussing on one task will cause a problem somewhere else, which seems unrelated but usually is.
Huw

[B12VEE]

To be fair I would look for spark and fuel first then chase down the coolant issue as if the high reading is down to an airlock you won't be able to full move coolant and air round without an engine that won't start.

Despite MG Rovers methods the best way to shift an airlock in a K series is to rev the engine slightly to get the water pump spinning.

[B12VEE]

Easy way to test for fuel is to remove the feed from the filter that connects to the fuel rail.

Have an assistant to switch the ignition on and off quick you don't want loads of fuel about or to waste a lot.

Spark is slightly more tricky with it having coil packs.

But as said a multi meter is a super tool in the right hands.

Also a lot of us are car savey and I've had my fair share of tricky Rovers over the years so a lot of things we are saying would take us mins to check but not some people who are not so clued up.

The good news is the K4 is a simple engine unlike the KV6

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by B12VEE

Easy way to test for fuel is to remove the feed from the filter that connects to the fuel rail.

It has to be delivered at the correct pressure. Your test will verify the pump, but not FFS. May as well check for FFS the usual way. And fit the FOC in any case.

TC

[JA76]

Right guys, checked some things today
Checked for ffs and they are tight together no separation at all and fuel line on top was under pressure too
Sprayed some carb cleaner down the throttle body and it started, idle was lumpy and kept falling off then temp gauge went into the red and the fan kicked in
Ran it for about half hour varying the throttle, fan went off and temp gauge came down to mid range and when I released the filler cap the coolant came out frothy then dropped away and idle settled
Diagnostic display was reading 104 so left cap off and ignition on with heater set to hi for an hour, then topped up coolant a little (poured in slowly) then fan came back on again for a few minutes and then alternated on off for a few more minutes and stayed off
Came back to it a few hours later and tried to start but wouldn't and temp gauge was halfway up again so put some more carb cleaner down and started again and rough idle so took it for a run there was no power and was slow to pull off (think it was due to the idleing)
Temp gauge rose to the red again and fan came on, power built up slowly when driving and became better the longer it ran but temp gauge stay in the red and fan stayed on all the way (covered about 8 mile ) came home and turn it off opened the fillercap and left to cool fan remained on for about 10 mins and diagnostic screen read 143 and that's how it remains now lol

[SD1too]

Jason, many thanks for your detailed report. Let's try to interpret the evidence.

Originally Posted by JA76

Checked for ffs and they are tight together no separation at all ..

Making low fuel pressure unlikely.

Sprayed some carb cleaner down the throttle body and it started, idle was lumpy and kept falling off ...

So you have a spark, and have replaced the engine's fuelling with your carb. cleaner, hence the poor running.

... then temp gauge went into the red and the fan kicked in ...

Clearly your engine was not overheating; it had just been started! So there's a problem in the coolant temperature sensor circuit.

Ran it for about half hour varying the throttle ...

No problem with fuel pressure.

... when I released the filler cap the coolant came out frothy then dropped away ...

By now the engine was probably at normal operating temperature, so when you removed the expansion tank cap the temperature and pressure rose and ejected coolant. That's to be expected.

Came back to it a few hours later and tried to start but wouldn't ..

By then the engine had cooled and didn't start because the sensor was still indicating that it was hot:

...and temp gauge was halfway up again ...

... so put some more carb cleaner down and started again and rough idle ...

Carb. cleaner provided an acceptable mixture so engine fired.

... so took it for a run there was no power and was slow to pull off (think it was due to the idleing)..

Due to incorrect fuelling I would suggest.

... diagnostic screen read 143 ..

So what's the diagnosis? This:

Originally Posted by SD1too

It all points to a poor connection in the coolant temperature sensor circuit. Do you have a multimeter?

Simon

[minimutly]

You need to look carefully at where the loom runs for the temp sensor.
On the lesser rovers it runs under the engine, past the oil pump, from behind the block.
You changed the cambelt, to do this, you jacked up the engine? Anywhere this loom runs close to where you worked, look very carefully at it, I suspect you've damaged it. Time to look carefully at what you did when you changed the belt etc.
Huw

[JA76]

Thanks guy's
Simon I don't have a multimeter but will pick one up tomorrow I take it it's to test for continuenity?

Huw the sensor loom on the 1.8 runs straight back into a multi loom and on to a large multi connector block which splits the loom, I've done no work around it other than access to coolant bleed screw?

Will try and trace through tomorrow after work when I get the multimeter if nothing but to take it out of the equation
Will also pick up some electrical contact cleaner too so I can get into the connectors

Also I have noticed another connector on cambelt side that's on the inner arch and its in with the abs sensor loom and sensor switch to the a/c pipe?
Can't seem to find anything to plug it into, its only a small 2 contact plug anyone know what it is please?