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Martynasb123
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I recently purchased a 10 plate Ford Fiesta and have came across a slight issue - when I try start it, it starts up but nearly instantly cuts off and then won't even be close to starting. As I was trying multiple times to start it i heard a weird rattling noise from directly under the car. My initial thought is that the glow plugs need changed due to it being cold weather and my car struggling to start however that doesn't explain the weird rattling noise I am wondering if there's any expert advice and if someone has had a similar experience 

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5 hours ago, Martynasb123 said:

when I try start it, it starts up but nearly instantly cuts off and then won't even be close to starting.

Have you managed to get it started, or is this now a permanent fault. Also is it the 1.6TDCI engine?

Fuel starvation due to a clogged filter is one possibility. It could even be waxing up, if you have not filled the car recently. If stored at the garage for sale, it could have had summer diesel in it. The de-waxing additive is only put in to the filling station fuel in late October or early November.

With duff glowplugs, it should either not fire at all, or after several attempts it should cough and splutter into life as the cylinders warm up a bit.

I am not sure about the rattling noise. Some actuators, like EGR valves do this at times, mine does it a few seconds after every ignition off. Flywheel is a (less likely) possibility. You need to listen, or have someone listen, with the bonnet up really.

Keep charging the battery if attempting to start, and do not crank for more than a few seconds at a time. It could damage the battery or starter motor otherwise.

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It's a Ford Fiesta zetec 1.4, We managed to get it started while towing the car in second gear but once we got it back to our home and turned it off it wouldn't start again, I tried to start it last night and it did exactly the same thing as in School - started up for literally a second and then cut out and wouldn't start again. I've had the car for around a month and filled up very recently so it's got more than half a tank and the first things we done was get the filters changed when we purchased the car.

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52 minutes ago, Martynasb123 said:

filled up very recently so it's got more than half a tank and the first things we done was get the filters changed when we purchased the car.

That's the easy things ruled out. Though wax in the filter can not entirely be ruled out, if it got very cold after you changed the filter, but before you added new winterised fuel, wax could have formed. Once formed, it needs to be really quite warm for it to disperse again.

One other item I can think of is that some 1.4 TDCIs have a throttle valve on the intake. If this was jammed shut, it would have an effect like you describe. For a pic of the valve (if fitted) see:

I take it there are no lights on? I would still get a code reader and check for any codes (DTCs) present, They can give useful clues if any are found.

If the ECU was detecting a fault, like dead glowplugs or a major fuel pressure fault, and intentionally shutting down the engine, there would be a light on, and DTCs stored. So it sounds like the fault itself is allowing the engine to start (after being left), and then immediately stall. Air blockage (eg throttle valve shut) or fuel starvation are the main ones I can think of.

I take it the battery is ok, as it can do repeated start attempts. A bad battery or alternator is just possible, causing the system voltage to go haywire as the car fires up, and shutting it down. A check of the fuses, especially in the engine bay fuse box, might be a good idea.

 

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I've filled my car up several times however the issue started to occur as the weather got colder, every morning it would struggle to start but if the engine was warm it seemed to have no issues and then after school it never managed it again. Once we managed to get the car started I got a message on the radio saying "engine malfunction service required" or something along they lines but no lights were on the dash. Since it gets dark really early I don't have a lot of time to check under the hood as I come back from school around half 4 however I'll have look at my throttle valve tomorrow and get some pictures which could hopefully help us find the issue. Thank you for the help 

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1 hour ago, Martynasb123 said:

I got a message on the radio saying "engine malfunction service required"

It is definitely worth having a code reader handy. These days they are cheap, safe and easy to use. It should have been able to get some info on what the ECU thought was wrong. Even if you are going to have to go a garage for the actual repair, it helps to have some knowledge of what might be wrong.

I hate it when things go wrong in the dark & cold time of year. I have a noisy wheel bearing. It has been getting slowly worse for months, but it will have to go the the garage next week, no way can I do much fiddly work outside now!

The bit you say about struggling to start when cold, but ok when warm, does sound like glowplugs as a first suspect, but the bits about firing up, stalling and then refusing to start at all, does not sound at all right for glowplug problems. The only way it can be plugs is if the ECU is shutting down deliberately due to the fault, & then there should be a message each time. It is not something I have come across before. Also if it were the ECU shutting down, a tow start would not have worked.

Air leaking into the filter housing or fuel pipes is another possible. These cars usually have no tank pump, so the fuel lines & filter are under suction. There may be enough fuel in the diesel pump to start, but then it sucks in the air, and stalls, and will not re-start. Spinning the engine fast for some time (a tow start) can pull fuel through, but then air gets in again once stopped.

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A very basic code reader I use is the U480:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U480-Car-Fault-Code-Scanner-CAN-BUS-OBD2-EOBD-Engine-Diagnostic-Reader-Tool-UK/142549248024?epid=1475176574&hash=item213098e818:g:IhAAAOSwlptZ70w6

It only displays engine related error codes, and can clear them if you wish. The code meanings are listed in a book, or Google will always have them, or ask here!

A bit more up to date looks to be the V350:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Diagnostic-Scanner-Code-Reader-Tool-Proscan-V350-OBD-OBD2-Reset/322934654816?epid=1442400717&hash=item4b3067c760:g:A5QAAOSwRJ9XgUyU

I have not tried this, but it looks like it displays some descriptions of the codes.

There are loads more. The other alternative is an adapter that plugs into the car diagnostic socket, with an App for a phone, or software for a Windows computer. I use an ELM327 & Forscan, it is extremely powerful, but not so easy to use as the self-contained scanners. Only costs £16 for the adapter and Windows software, or under £30 for a wireless system & phone App.

 

 

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Update on my car : so we phoned a local mechanic and he said that's happened to a few people and that I'll need to get my filters changed, so what we decided to do was get my car started via a rolling start and I purchased a diesel cleaner liquid which pores into the tank and drove around a lot last night. It starts up fine now and the engine malfunction light has turned off. Thank you for your help 

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