Car won't start!!!

[benny3008]

I've posted on here a few times about changing the timing belt on my citroen zx, i have now completed that task and the bl00dy thing still wont start. It sounds as though there is compression in the cylinders but it wont fire, i had previously taken of the spark leads but no matter how many combinations i try them in it still wont have it. (Yes, Yes, Yes i know i should have marked them before i took them off, I forgot OK). As i was saying, it sounds like there is compression but not quite enough, i've tried putting petrol in it, thought that would be the obvious thing to do but still no luck, i've tried bumping the car with jum leads from my mums car thinkin that the battery may be dead and still nothin!!! It is driving me nuts. Anyone got any ideas what it could be.
Any suggestions welcome.
TIA

[cazzz1975]

have you put the timing belt on correctly?


if you are desperate..


rotate the engine until its on number 1, where the rotor arm points to when you take the cap off put the number 1 plug lead in that position, then fit the other leads anticlockwise 3,4,2
this is assuming your rotor arm rotates anticlockwise (which most do)

this should put the right plug lead to the right cylinder at the correct time

[benny3008]

Bugger, i thought it went clockwise that may just be the problem, thank you so much for that answer, you may have just solved my problem!!! :)

[cazzz1975]

if you want to check take the cap of, turn the engine with the key and have a look at which way it goes, it should be anticlockwise. np :)

[benny3008]

ok, ive tried both ways now, anti clockwise and clockwise and it still wont have it, it just keeps turning over, it sounds like its about to start every few seconds but doesent quite make it! im completely lost for ideas now. :(

[cazzz1975]

the timing on your belt might be wrong, check the alignment and do a compression test.

[jno]

same thing happened to me last month (not a Citroen) - turned out the problem was my key had lost its memory, so the car wasn't allowing itself to be started as it wasn't getting the correct 'password'. Expensive to sort out, so I hope it's not that.

[benny3008]

how do you do a compression test, i learnt this at college a few weeks ago but forgot. You'd think id be able to do this sort of thing considering im on a motor vehicle engineering course. Yeh right. No such luck.

[benny3008]

jno, unfortunately my car isnt central locking, i dont suppose it has anything like an ECU its mostly mechanical cus its an old car! old cars have their pros but far too many cons! hopefully one day it will be on the road.

[cazzz1975]

you would need a compression tester, they sell them at halfords, they are not expensive and they come with instructions. I hope you sort it, at worse if you have not lined up the timing belt properly you could have bent the valves and they will need replacing.

hopefully it isnt that bad

[jno]

that's fortunate, not unfortunate! It cost me £450 to fix and if the car had been newer it would have been twice that. Good luck!

[benny3008]

bl00dy hell, £450. Tis a bit steep! tanks for all your help cazzz, i shall bear that in mind. i'm a bit short of cash at the moment so will maybe borrow a compression tester from college. Hopefully that will help to solve the problem.

[rnchugg]

Benny where abouts in the country are you? Maybe if your close I would be happy to pop round and have a look at it for you. R

[benny3008]

Hereford, That would be great if u could but dont worry if its too far, i have someone coming to help me tommorow. Thank you very much for the thought.

[rnchugg]

Unfortunatly it is a bit far, im in Devon, Please let us all know how the car got on though. Thanks R

[123everton]

If it was running beforehand I'd look at redoing the timing belt, that's if you haven't already bent the the valves.
You could spray some easy start down it, but I'd check the belt first.

[suzie1]

sit in it and get your mates to push it down a hill and then try starting it..im serious you can brake if you think its getting dangerous, i did that with my car and it started....

[TWR]

On completion of the job, did you get ALL the timing marks lined up? was the mark on the bottom pulley lined up & did you check No1 was on top? on start up is the car back firing? if so, timing is out, on the rebuild has all the wires been replaced as on the removal? before you cause a lot of damage look for a similar car & check the leads draw down a diagram for you to check the diagram to your own.

[benny3008]

rnchugg, heres an update. me and a friend have spent all day replacin the timing belt, checking compressions and a whole other list of things and the soddin thing still wont fire, we are now thinking that the problem lies with distributor, we are wondering wether or not it is the original as it is not the same as the one in the picture in the haynes manual.