Startup Trouble For 2005 Mk2 1.6 Ti-Vct

[McBrainless]

Hi,

First post - having trouble with my Mk2 Focus:

Owning a mk2 2005 1.6 Ti-VCT Focus Estate, the engine has recently developed troubles while starting.

The engine starts to spin, but it just doesn't get going.

At first it happened 1-2 times a week, then during a day. And now I have to start it 3-4 times before the engine properly starts. Doesn't matter if the car has been parked in the garage for the whole day and night, or if I just parked it for 5min and am starting it up again. A few times it starts immediately again, but lately that's rarely the case.

Are there any suggestions, if there's something I could do in my own garage, check or swap something on the engine?

I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to car-tech unfortunately...

I will upload a video of the starting in a fewminutes, hopefully that helps.

EDIT: Small video I recorded regarding this problem:

http://youtu.be/eO7sUpFu22Q

Thanks in advance!

[artscot79]

the ti vct cams set themselves for easy starting if you switch the car off then outside within 30secs you should hear an electrical noise and a few clicks as it resets thats about all you can do it could be the cam sensors or the solenoids or the begining of the cam itself going faulty if you dont hear this noise if you do it may not be fully reseting the dealer is the next port of call

[Brigante]

This is worrying cause it may be the same starting problem I occasionally have. Mine is rarely though like a month apart each time. Does your whole car shake about like mad when it's trying to start?

[McBrainless]

@artscot79 - thanks for the feedback. I tried listening the cam repositioning sound and noticed that after 1min I didn't hear anything. So that might be the problem. I'll get it to the dealer, mention the "lack of sound" and the startup problem and have them check it out.

@Brigante - No more shaking than usual starting. At times when it starts the revs are below idle for a second and then they go up to 1100 rpm or thereabouts, as normal. No excessive shaking for the car nor the engine that I can tell.

[artscot79]

if you cant hear the noise its pretty obvious then the inlet and outlet valves arent repositioning them selves for easy starting you would hear it within 30 secs a couple of clicks with an electrical noise

[brian1106]

if you are saying that the engine turns over excessively before it fires up,then you may have trouble with the cam shaft or crank shaft position sensors. simply put older engines were all mechanically linked injection pump is timed and driven by the engine. newer engines are electronic and need to know where in the 4 stroke cycle it is. it uses sensors to check this position and if one sensor is giving trouble the engine needs to turn over more to find where in the cycle it is before it can start. if you have a problem with the sensors it should record and error code.