Drives fine then cuts out and wont restart??

12th December 2012, 22:52

Hi all, I recently bought a Saxo 1.1 forte X reg. It had been stood a while so I put lots of fresh fuel in and it started and drove fine for a few days. The other day after driving 1 mile from my house it just cut out and wouldn't start again. The engine would turn over but sounded like it wasn't getting any fuel, also the heaters wouldn't work when they worked fine when the car was running? I got towed home and advised it could be the multi function relay so I changed it. Still wouldn't start. I found a few things on the internet pointing to the immobiliser so I removed the immobiliser and the car started and run fine for 3 days.
I thought that the problem was solved but tonight it came back and bit me on the ar-se. The car had been starting and running perfect, I drove about 5 miles after work and the car just cut out again and wouldn't start. Once again the heaters wouldn't work and the engine would keep turning over but not firing up. I left it for a hour...still wouldn't start. I disconnected the battery and ECU for a hour,...Still wouldn't start..

Could anyone tell me if this is a common problem and does anyone know what I need to do to put it right. I like messing with mechanical stuff but I think this is an electrical fault and I don't have much experience with electrics : (

I don't know if its worth mentioning but Ive been filling the car up with a nice new Jerry can and it seems to take ages to empty the can unless I move the pipe in and out of the filler hole, Could there be a breather pipe from the tank that's blocked and maybe when the car is running its taking fuel from the tank and no air can get into the tank to replace the displaced fuel, maybe overworking the fuel pump or something???

A wild shot I know but 1 Ive never known a car to have such an intermittent problem and 2 Ive never know a Jerry can take so long to empty.

I would like to get the car fixed as its too good to scrap and got lots of life left in it if it would just stop cutting out.

Thanks for looking, Any answers will be much appreciated.

13th December 2012, 14:16

Possibly not even related given you had other stuff but I recently bought a 1.1i R reg and other day got about a minute from my house then broke down in the middle of the main road! Didn't test heaters or nothing, but I kept trying it and eventually got it running and now it's fine.

I hadn't driven it for 4/5 days and have a suspicion it might have been moisture in the ignition system somehow. I googled saxo not starting when cold and saw all sorts of various things about sensors and whatnot, but only one or two about moisture. I don't know a lot about cars though tbh, so this probably ain't helpful. Just my two cents.

13th December 2012, 19:06

Thanks BobbertM. I hope your problem is solved. Im not going to let this one beat me and I will post the solution when I find it to help anyone in the future as I cant seem to find an answer anywhere on the net.

13th December 2012, 19:35

Have you checked that you are getting fuel through to the injector rail and the fuel filter isnt blocked? And can you hear the pump prime when you turn on the ignition

20th December 2012, 18:20

Ive fit a new fuel filter and still have the same problem, It seems that the fuel pump isn't getting any power? Ive replaced the multi function relay, checked rest of relays and fuses. The problem seems to come and go. Could it be ECU related?

20th December 2012, 19:29

The interior heater doesn't run until the engine is running.

Try checking the voltage to the fuel pump when it starts playing up/not starting with a multimeter to rule out a power supply issue.

Check the fuel cut off switch in the engine bay (red button) isn't playing up by unplugging it and bypassing it with a piece of wire.

See if anything comes up on diagnostics etc etc.