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Hi,

Went to start my car today and the starter motor fires up but the engine doesn't crank :~/

Diagnostics reveal nothing conclusive but its odd as the car was fine yesterday. At first i thought it was the battery but i charged it for hours this afternoon and still nothing..

There is also plenty of petrol in the tank and the fuel pump primes as it should.

Also, at one point, whilst trying to turn it over, the oil light came on, and then the water light too momentarily but all these things are actually ok :~/

Very odd....

I should try bumping it really and will update the thread once I've tried it

Just what's needed at Christmas ey?

Any ideas gratefully accepted.

54 plate 1.4 Twist

Don't bump start it - you can cause irreversible damage to the catalytic converter as it gets flooded with fuel

Also, don't worry about the oil pressure warning, that happens as the engine is only given so long to start (and get oil pressure up) before you get an oil pressure warning.

Are you saying that the starter motor turns okay but the engine is not getting rotated - ie as in cranking as that is what cranking means, or is everything doing what it should but the engine is not starting and running on its own?

RUM4MO wrote:Also, don't worry about the oil pressure warning, that happens as the engine is only given so long to start (and get oil pressure up) before you get an oil pressure warning.

Are you saying that the starter motor turns okay but the engine is not getting rotated - ie as in cranking as that is what cranking means, or is everything doing what it should but the engine is not starting and running on its own?

Yes thats what I'm saying, the starter motor turns but there is nothing from the engine what-so-ever

Just a thought to cheer you up, what is the car's mileage and when did it last get its cambelts etc replaced - if the answer is "high miles" and "don't know" then maybe take the top cambelt cover off and check that it is still intact.

"the starter motor turns but there is nothing from the engine what-so-ever"

Could be a stuck bendix....time to look at the starter motor..

John

john.p.clegg wrote:"the starter motor turns but there is nothing from the engine what-so-ever"

Could be a stuck bendix....time to look at the starter motor..

John

Yes, but I kind of gave in to clarifying that point, so assumed that the engine was getting cranked, as originally claimed.

RUM4MO wrote:Just a thought to cheer you up, what is the car's mileage and when did it last get its cambelts etc replaced - if the answer is "high miles" and "don't know" then maybe take the top cambelt cover off and check that it is still intact.

90,000 miles

cam belt done at 40,000 due soon ish but no it's not that..

Benfunktion wrote: 90,000 miles cam belt done at 40,000 due soon ish but no it's not that..

My wife's Polo 1.4 SE is 52 reg and 96,000 miles, it is half way through the service period of its third set of cam drive bits, hope you are right!

Hmmmmm

This cranking/no cranking conundrum is getting me...

"Hi,

Went to start my car today and the starter motor fires up but the engine doesn't crank :~/"

surely a snapped timing belt would prevent the engine cranking...unless the valves were pushed right up into the head??

John

Well that might be exactly why it is not turning - if indeed it is not turning!

I've had experiences where, when the belt/chain has broken, that the engine does turn over with the starter motor, but it does not do so as it did when it was "okay", ie fast turning followed by slow turning, ie to the ears of the informed "not right".