Does it have actual plug leads? You could use a timing strobe to check for a spark if you have one or could borrow one.

 

EDIT: Hmm, seems like it just has coils directly to the plugs? You could still possibly use a strobe though.

Edited 18 August, 20196 yr by TMB

Engine spinning over faster than expected suggests reduced compression, probably caused by bore wash. 

Take all the spark plugs out, put the battery on charge until full (on or off car, no problem either way). Then reassemble and try again. 

 

2 hours ago, Wino said:

Engine spinning over faster than expected suggests reduced compression, probably caused by bore wash. 

Take all the spark plugs out, put the battery on charge until full (on or off car, no problem either way). Then reassemble and try again. 

 

 

Or, while the battery is out for recharging, now that bore wash has been mentioned, as well as leaving the plugs out to dry and the fuel to "vanish", just prior to putting the spark plugs back in, using an oil can, squirt a couple of "good" squirts of correct engine oil into each cylinder as that should reseal the rings if they have been washed of all oil.

 

That sort of issue is more a Vee engine issue as the cylinders/pistons are at an angle so can easily get their sealing oil washed out - this is not fantasy it happened to my 2000 VW Passat 4Motion 2.8 30V V6 - and it happened when I replaced the fuel filter, it took a second AA guy to work out that that was the probably issue, and squirting oil into every cylinder after venting them and drying plugs worked first time! That sort of possibility was new to me.

19 hours ago, 1200cc said:

That's a good point with pressure regulation there. I do have slightly wet spark plugs but the engine doesn't smell of petrol so I assume it would suggest injectors maybe work and it's perhaps not flooded (but that's a wild guess)

 

Yes, I installed the old one back indeed and made sure I bleed the line correctly with a lot of fuel. This didn't help which would suggest I actually broke something!

 

Unless the battery doesn't hold enough energy to produce the right spark? If the sound of starting motor sound fairly fast, can you assume the spark is about right? I will look into testing that too.

im curious if you have resolved the problem?

At the moment I am charging the battery and drying the engine without the spark plugs. I am expecting to receive new plugs tomorrow as well as these were due now. Trying to increase the odds. I'm hoping to try tomorrow, fingers crossed.

 

How much oil do you guys recommend per cylinder? 20ml or so?

Edited 19 August, 20196 yr by 1200cc

19 minutes ago, 1200cc said:

At the moment I am charging the battery and drying the engine without the spark plugs. I am expecting to receive new plugs tomorrow as well as these were due now. Trying to increase the odds. I'm hoping to try tomorrow, fingers crossed.

 

How much oil do you guys recommend per cylinder? 20ml or so?

 

Less than 5ml per cylinder.

Ok, thanks!

 

21 hours ago, TMB said:

Does it have actual plug leads? You could use a timing strobe to check for a spark if you have one or could borrow one.

 

EDIT: Hmm, seems like it just has coils directly to the plugs? You could still possibly use a strobe though.

 

Sorry I missed this one, I do not own a strobe but I could get one in case the battery and oil fixes don't work, but that wouldn't be great ofc. Yes, the coils go directly into the plugs in this one.

When you crank over, is the rev counter moving?

Yes rev counter goes up slightly.

On 18/08/2019 at 23:30, TMB said:

Does it have actual plug leads? You could use a timing strobe to check for a spark if you have one or could borrow one.

 

EDIT: Hmm, seems like it just has coils directly to the plugs? You could still possibly use a strobe though.

Spark check- just remove one spark plug, connect HT lead and sit plug where body of plug is earthed - turn engine over and look for spark. . But be aware that the smaller plugs have ( since time before Skoda) been known to foul up with any slight bit of excess fuel ( Old Vauxhalls had small plugs and it wasn't uncommon to have to find one fouled.

5 hours ago, VWD said:

Spark check- just remove one spark plug, connect HT lead and sit plug where body of plug is earthed - turn engine over and look for spark. . But be aware that the smaller plugs have ( since time before Skoda) been known to foul up with any slight bit of excess fuel ( Old Vauxhalls had small plugs and it wasn't uncommon to have to find one fouled.

 

There are no HT leads though. Coils go straight onto the plugs. Still might be possible to do that with the coils. Not sure.

Edited 20 August, 20196 yr by TMB

And that car has passed the "does the rev counter move when cranking" check.

 

I'd still go for the prescribed dose of engine oil into each cylinder through the spark plug hole, fit the charged battery, a quick spin over with plugs still out ie a complete revolution of the crankshaft or so, plugs/new plugs in - and off you go (hopefully).

All of this is academic since the ECU cuts the injectors if it detects that some cylinders are not firing. I'm wondering if the chain has jumped coincident with the filter change.

Ah, I didn't consider it might be a chain driven engine, clue/fact was in the thread title though!

 

So if what has been suggested does not result with a running engine, timing must be the next check!

Thanks. I wasn't able to start the engine with a charged battery, new spark plugs and a small amount of oil in each cylinder. After a few attempts there was some unburned fuel inside the cylinders and on the spark plugs.

 

All the spark plugs work - at least they do when kept outside.

 

I'm preparing to check on the timing. Wonder if it would be possible that injectors were blocked by something that was in the new filter, like a piece of filtering paper (or whatever material is it)

might be worth dong a compression test if you can borrow/buy one local.

 

Where abouts in Leeds are you?

 

 

Edited 21 August, 20196 yr by SuperbTWM

Dry the cylinders again maybe with less oil, spin it with the plugs out to throw out any excess, put the spark plugs under the grill on your cooker for 20 minutes till they are smoking hot, wearing leather gloves fit them quickly so they dont cool too much, refit the leads and hopefully it will restart.

 

You have mentioned wet plugs twice so I think they may be fouled, alternatively fit new plugs.

 

Also check and adjust if needed the plug gaps before heating them.

 

If it still doesnt work then its a tow start job.

I'm in Lower Wortley, LS12. No idea about parts stores around here but maybe I should get one of these compression testers.

 

Thanks for the cooker tip, I'll give this a go.

The car still didn't start with preheated spark plugs. Also these were almost new as I installed them right before last couple posts I wrote. No sight of start, it didn't move an inch more than the starter motor did. The first time I was trying, I heard a knock from the engine, not sure whether it was one odd combustion or a confirmation of the timing chain theory.

 

I think it's time to buy one of the compression testers and have a look on the timing but I'll need to find out how messy/long job it would be and whether I do it myself at all. (but sounds a bit like a write-off if I don't... 😞 ) Googling to find more info as the Hayes manual was a bit unclear and I would dream about more photos. Always wanted to learn about replacing timing elements, maybe that's perfect umm... Time. I do want to dive into more advanced stuff but at the moment I don't have a driveway.

Edited 23 August, 20196 yr by 1200cc

Timing check isn't too hard on the 12-valve engines; I'll link you to the thread where I checked ours early in our ownership, tomorrow.

On 23/08/2019 at 20:07, 1200cc said:

The car still didn't start with preheated spark plugs. Also these were almost new as I installed them right before last couple posts I wrote. No sight of start, it didn't move an inch more than the starter motor did. The first time I was trying, I heard a knock from the engine, not sure whether it was one odd combustion or a confirmation of the timing chain theory.

 

I think it's time to buy one of the compression testers and have a look on the timing but I'll need to find out how messy/long job it would be and whether I do it myself at all. (but sounds a bit like a write-off if I don't... 😞 ) Googling to find more info as the Hayes manual was a bit unclear and I would dream about more photos. Always wanted to learn about replacing timing elements, maybe that's perfect umm... Time. I do want to dive into more advanced stuff but at the moment I don't have a driveway.

has the problem been sorted now?

Unfortunately not. I might use the help of a local indie but will try to get them to tell me as much as possible so I'll try to share with you.  Thx. 

i find it strange that by just changing the fuel filter the engine stopped working.

58 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

i find it strange that by just changing the fuel filter the engine stopped working.

 

Generally when someone changes the fuel filter on a petrol engine it's because they were already having problems and some moron down the pub said "have you tried changing the fuel filter" because it often helps diesels start better.

Yeah, but in this case the start was always spot on. I like my cars well-serviced and the fuel filter was just the last thing on the checklist. Maybe something broke because there was a hidden issue and the car didn't know the feeling of having the starter motor running for longer than half of a second. Also there is an interesting post about leaving it in the 1st gear if the engine top is chain-driven(the way the tension affects the chain) which I wasn't aware of. I never park any of my cars in neutral.

Edited 26 August, 20196 yr by 1200cc