2.5 v6 won't start

[someboy0]

My mother was driving the car to work this morning and suddenly we got a call from her that the car broke down, I didn't get a chance to have a look at the car yet nor do I know the circumstances in great detail BUT, the car started properly in the morning and about a mile and a half or so from the house I suppose the engine stopped, (don't know yet if the car was moving or stationary at the time).

I have browsed a few threads and I noticed people talking about checking the fuel pump or hearing it (?) could anybody tell me how to check / hear it ?
Because it's quite possible I think that it just had it as the car has done over 150k miles, engine oil level good, no engine oil in the coolant, will check the fuses later on, plennums (I think that's how you spell that) are cleared every year once or twice and if they do get blocked the water level isn't ever high so I don't think the water got to the ECU as I think it's located somewhere in that area (from what I gathered anyway).

Any thoughts so far on what sort of things I might be able to check? Keeping in mind my mechanical skills are very limited.
Thanks in advance for any help! :bowdown:

[EDIT] Also I think the engine is turning over but just won't start. Battery totally flat now so can't check if the problem went away by some miracle.

[FLYER]

possible unscrewing fuel filter syndrome (if it falls into that catagory) .
If so the orange clip fitted will fix it ,
Depends on the year of manufacture .

A petrolhead should be able to help you further .

[someboy0]

Thanks Flyer!

After some further research on here I came across a few suspects one of which is the orange clip way of solving to do with the fuel filter splitting I think it was, than I saw a few threads of people describing this sort of problem and suggestions were made about crank and cam sensors provided it's any one of those things and that I won't be fixing the car myself and it will be going to the garage can anybody shine any sort of light at the cost of these things?

I'm not after a quote but a rough guide what to prepare for cost wise, £500? £800?

Thanks!

[chris75]

I see from your profile that your car is a 2000 model , so it won't be affected by the fuel filter problem /orange clip fix . That only applies to late 2001 onwards :}

[someboy0]

Yes it is the 2000 model, sorry forgot to mention that, thanks Chris! SO I suppose that leaves the crank / cam sensors as the main suspects than? I think they cost under £100 each so I suppose replacing either one shouldn't exceed £400? Or alternatively it could be the fuel pump? But I think somebody wrote somewhere on here that they are, and here I quote "bomb proof" so I suppose it leaves the sensors.

[wutang]

I changed both crank and cam sensors on my V6, the cam sensor is located on the front right hand end of the engine, I changed it myself it took 5mins. not sure the crank sensor was necessary, but engine undertray off reach up and it unbolts pop in new one.

If you are getting it done in a garage it is no more than half an hour labour, I would just get the cam sensor changed as I was Told the crank sensor is only used when starting.

Richard

I think the cam sensor with adapter loom (you need this.) was about £60 so if a garage want over £150 I would be amazed. I should have said driving along engine died as I pulled up at a junction, wouldn't re start, waited 15 mins and it started again.

[someboy0]

Ok, thanks Wutang for the info, even though it might be straight forward I'd be a little paranoid about doing it myself in case something went wrong or I didn't know where to put stuff back etc. so I really will be getting my trusted garage to do this, thanks very much for the estimate valuation though, I really appreciate all the help here thanks a lot !

[kevin]

how to here for cam
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5216

its eacy,if you would like to try this frist I think I have one in garage I coukld send, if you dont need it send it back.

[someboy0]

Thanks Kevin! I will have a word about this with my father and my uncle which both are quite techy people and we might try to replace it outrselves as it really seems fairly easy to access.

Kevin, do you have that "loom" that wutang mentioned? I have no idea what it is or how it looks like or if its actually part of the part so I'm just asking, also how much would you like for the part? PM me with details when possible please and also thanks very much for your input! :bowdown:

[scouseeric]

One quick check to make before anything else, the 15amp fuse in the engine bay top left as you look in. this popped on mine causing the car to cut out. Just a thought and hope thats all it is.

Eric

[Mike Noc]

I changed both crank and cam sensors on my V6, the cam sensor is located on the front right hand end of the engine, I changed it myself it took 5mins. not sure the crank sensor was necessary, but engine undertray off reach up and it unbolts pop in new one.

If you are getting it done in a garage it is no more than half an hour labour, I would just get the cam sensor changed as I was Told the crank sensor is only used when starting.

Don't know the KV6 engines but its normally the other way round in that its the cam sensor that is only used for starting and the crank sensor is required all the time.

Mike

[someboy0]

Thanks I'll check the fuse, also can anybody tell me where to listen and what to look for when trying to detect if the fuel pump is working? Somewhere near the rear seats ? From what I gather so far the car might start now that it had a full day of rest so if it does that means it can't be the fuel pump I think so I'll try to start it up later on, opefully it will spring to life by some miracle and a sensor replacement will be due.

Also from others now that a little bit of confusion was started, Crank sensor or Cam sensor more likely ? Any thoughts? Which one is required all the time and which one for starting up ? :shrug:

[FLYER]

cam sensor sends initial signal to the ecu then the crank sensor takes over , if the car cut out in drive It,s not the cam sensor .

[someboy0]

Crank sensor it will be in that case or the fuel pump.

[FLYER]

simple things first , ie is there fuel in tank and is it getting up to bay .

[someboy0]

I'm pretty sure there is fuel in it and by bay you mean the engine bay (I think anyway, (sorry I'm new to the shortened stuff) so how do I go about checking if the fuel is getting there? See if there are fumes coming out of the exhaust while the engine is trying to start up ?

[EDIT] Also I just remembered that the car stalled twice in the last month or so as well for no good reason, my mother put it down to bad quality fuel but now that it packed up totally it could've been an early sign of something getting close to the end of its usefull life.