V50 Engine 1.6D D4164t Crank but no start after long drive

HarpieMacaron · Dec 30th, 2021, 21:52

Hello, I've found myself in a bit of a situation.

Yesterday I drove 9 hours across the country in the rain for a new job. The car ran impeccably the whole way (mostly motorway).
This morning, completely out of the blue, it refused to start. It simply cranks with not even a sign of firing. No error messages on dash.

I have been doing basic troubleshooting. Thankfully I have a laptop and Vida Dice with me, but there were no unusual codes.

The battery is fairly new and in good shape and the engine cranks fine. We tried jumping it to give it an extra boost, but no change.
I loosened the fuel line to an injector, and plenty of fuel squirted out when we turned the engine over. So fuel is getting to the injectors.

So my thinking is, that it must be an electrical issue. Maybe the ECU is not controlling the injectors.
Or perhaps, if one injector fails, will all 4 of them stop working?
Surely if diesel and air is getting to the cylinder it should at least show a small sign of life?

I'm really stumped and cannot understand why it would just suddenly not work so randomly. I'm kind of stranded at the other end of the country and really don't want to get the car towed until I've tried everything.

If anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

HarpieMacaron · Dec 31st, 2021, 10:25

Here is an update for anyone interested. And just in case someone has the same issue.

Three days later... I got into the car, turned the key, and it started on the first turn as if nothing ever happened. I took it for a long drive to recharge the battery and everything is normal.

My conclusion is that the cause must be electronic. I assume, due to the heavy rain I had during the long drive, some water must have got into the ECU box and interfered with the electronics. This would make sense because the ECU is located low down in front of the front left wheel arch. And, I have had it apart before and presume I have not sealed it correctly. Over the past three days, with the car standing still, the box must have drained and the electrics have drained out. Thankfully, at the moment, there seems to be no damage.

There you go. I've just got to hope it doesn't rain from now on!

Dec 30th, 2021, 21:52	#1
HarpieMacaron New Member Last Online: Dec 31st, 2021 10:25 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Toulouse	V50 Engine 1.6D D4164t Crank but no start after long drive Hello, I've found myself in a bit of a situation. Yesterday I drove 9 hours across the country in the rain for a new job. The car ran impeccably the whole way (mostly motorway). This morning, completely out of the blue, it refused to start. It simply cranks with not even a sign of firing. No error messages on dash. I have been doing basic troubleshooting. Thankfully I have a laptop and Vida Dice with me, but there were no unusual codes. The battery is fairly new and in good shape and the engine cranks fine. We tried jumping it to give it an extra boost, but no change. I loosened the fuel line to an injector, and plenty of fuel squirted out when we turned the engine over. So fuel is getting to the injectors. So my thinking is, that it must be an electrical issue. Maybe the ECU is not controlling the injectors. Or perhaps, if one injector fails, will all 4 of them stop working? Surely if diesel and air is getting to the cylinder it should at least show a small sign of life? I'm really stumped and cannot understand why it would just suddenly not work so randomly. I'm kind of stranded at the other end of the country and really don't want to get the car towed until I've tried everything. If anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Dec 31st, 2021, 10:25	#2
HarpieMacaron New Member Last Online: Dec 31st, 2021 10:25 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Toulouse	Update Here is an update for anyone interested. And just in case someone has the same issue. Three days later... I got into the car, turned the key, and it started on the first turn as if nothing ever happened. I took it for a long drive to recharge the battery and everything is normal. My conclusion is that the cause must be electronic. I assume, due to the heavy rain I had during the long drive, some water must have got into the ECU box and interfered with the electronics. This would make sense because the ECU is located low down in front of the front left wheel arch. And, I have had it apart before and presume I have not sealed it correctly. Over the past three days, with the car standing still, the box must have drained and the electrics have drained out. Thankfully, at the moment, there seems to be no damage. There you go. I've just got to hope it doesn't rain from now on!

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