[Engine] No start: turns over, no rev count

[fell_tom]

Hi all,

First time on this forum so hopefully I've posted in the right place. I'm not an experienced car mechanic but I am an engineer - whether that counts for or against me I'm not sure!

I have a 57 reg Berlingo First Multispace 1.6L Petrol. In September it threw an intermittent engine warning light with no problems, then one day wouldn't start - the engine turned over, but no ignition and no rev counter. By the time the AA arrived it had started, but the ECU had the error:

"System : Engine control 1 - 47Z / Motronic ME 7.4.5P0341 - Camshaft position sensor (bank 1). Error Message : Outside specified range"

I eventually discovered (as far as I know) that the 1.6L Petrol has no camshaft position sensor, but it does have a crankshaft pulse sensor on the front of the bell housing, pointing at the flywheel. There's a radiator bleed port just above it and for some reason the cap was slightly loose, so it was dripping on the sensor and corroding/shorting it. I closed it, cleaned the sensor and thought I'd fixed it. No warning light, started fine.

After three months working fine, it won't start again - the same problem. I've checked continuity between the two sensor wires and the big plug where they connect to the big hub (the ECU? The last connector I can find anyway, with a big grid of ports on it. I think they were K3 and L3). There's a connection there. I've bought a new crankshaft sensor - just the sensor without the housing, couldn't find the correct housing shape anywhere online except Lithuanian eBay. It's now fitted to the housing, which is fitted to the engine, and it's plugged back in to the crankshaft sensor plug.

Still turns over with no start, still no rev counter. Every five or so attempts, the rev counter momentarily drops slightly below zero but that's it. Otherwise no response.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

EDIT: After a quick browse through the forum, it looks like it might be worth pointing out that I changed the radio to an aftermarket one way back in February. That stopped the heads-up display and the controls on the steering wheel stalks working but everything else was fine until September.

[fell_tom]

Quick update. I left the battery unplugged for a couple of hours to try to reset the ECU.

On the first restart attempt, the rev counter jumped, dropped back to 0 and the back wiper came on but still no ignition. The heads-up shows ECO MODE.

I've got an increasing impression that the ECU has been scrambled by something...

[Tomcat3]

The Eco- Mode on the Centre display just means systems have been shut down to save the battery and it could be low. Its worth charging the battery before your next attempt to start it.

[fell_tom]

The Eco- Mode on the Centre display just means systems have been shut down to save the battery and it could be low. Its worth charging the battery before your next attempt to start it.

Much appreciated - I'll get the battery on charge over night. Thanks.

[Sol]

If your crank sensor is working, then the coil packs should be firing. It should be possible to pull the coil packs out and put the plugs in it and see if they spark while cranked, with the return electrodes touching the cam cover.

[fell_tom]

I cut my losses and called the AA. Eventually narrowed it down to the fuel pump getting no power. Took the inertial switch out of the circuit and still no power, fuse (if we were looking at the correct one, number 2 15A in the box behind the headlight) is fine.

Ran the fuel pump off a battery and got it to the garage, I'll update with a solution for future reference!