Car won't start

[Scouser]

Friend of mine has a 1997 C2 Coupe manual. Just got back from his vacation 2 weeks. Took the car out for a spin and came to visit me. He's here now.

Went out to the car, would not start.

Battery seems OK and lots of charge considering it's stood for 2 weeks.

Head lamps, and all electrics work fine.

Can unlock/lock the car with the key fob.

Put the key in the ignition and all the dash lights come up. Everything looks normal.

Meter checked all the fuses. All checked out OK.

Tried jump leads. No workey.

I accidentally set the alarm off by pulling a wrong fuse so the alarm works fine.

When I turn the key I can here the click from the engine bay (mine does that too).

His wife brought down his spare key. Nope.

Disconnected his battery, had coffee, reconnected it. Tried again. Nope.

Reseated all the fuses and relays! Nope.

Car just refuses to even turn over.

Just in case your wondering, in the UK we don't have the foot on the Clutch

switch. So it aint that.

All out of ideas.

Anyone?

Edited August 26, 2004 by Scouser

[Azura_C4]

Is this a 996 or a 993?

A while back on my 996 all the elecrtics worked fine but just a click when I turned the key. Turned out to be a blown varioram solenoid in one of the banks. Expensive to fix: £750, but I was told it is very rare.

On mine, the engine cut out while driving.

[Scouser]

Sheesh! hope it's not that, but glad it's not my bill. It's a 996, very early model. He had been out in the car most of the day and just popped in to see me. Went back to his car to go home and it won't start. Very strange. By all accounts it looks and acts fine. Just won't turn the engine.

[Azura_C4]

I hope for his sake its not that, hopefully it isn't as its very rare. There is a way of checking - the engine management fuse will be blown. If you put in a new fuse it will seem fine - but when you turn the key the fuse blows again.

Worth checking that battery terminals - a loose connection can power the elecrtics but stop the starter from turning - a long shot but it worked once on a Subaru Imprezza.

[Scouser]

Tried that. Even tried jump leads.

Oh well for the time being I have two 996's parked in my drive.

One is dead and the other is very sick. Why do I love these cars!

[Azura_C4]

Is his fuse blown?

[Scouser]

No. I pulled every fuse in the box one at a time and meter checked them befire reseating them. I also pulled and reseated every relay.

He's tried his spare key too so it can't be a key programming thing.

If it was I would assume the fob wouldn't open the doors anyway but it does. I dismantled the column this afternoon and also did same on my car. I measured all the voltages and things with my meter and compared to my car. Looks good to me. Seems to me the ignition is working but the engine doesn't start. That is everything lights and you even get that lul in the electrical system as the car would normally start. You know, like when your radio blips out for a moment when you try to start the car. It does that too. I can also here the click and the same sort of high pitched sound when you turn the key to have the electrics on but don't actually start the car. I took the battery out and put it on mine. Works first time (altghough it's messed up a few things in my car :() Just don't know. I guess he will have to have my local OPC drag it in.

[Loren]

Is the immobilizer warning light on (key position 1 or 2) ?