Starting problems part deux

[Steve Webb]

Had a funny sort of day today. Booked the car in for its CT yesterday (French MOT) the weather was a little hot (35 in the shade) but the car behaved itself faultlessly, apart from hot oil and low oil pressure.
On the way there I got fedup with the rattle from the exhaust, cos its mounted just a little bit too close to the propshaft support and decided i'd fix it today. So into the garage this morning, get the ramps into position, out to the car turn the key, it fires up, then dies. Try it again and get the same thing. I've had these symptoms before when I had a bad contact on the fuel pump relay, so wasn't that worried.

10 minutes of fiddling with relays and fuses later and it still hasn't started. So i decide to do the un-blokey thing and dig out the workshop manual. I multimeter and much scratching of head later, still no joy. At this point i've found out that the mice from last year seem to have returned to their home under the bonnet, and have come to the conclusion that either one of the little buggers have chewed through the switched live running to the injection relay, or the plug between the ignition switch and injection relay has become dislodged.

So its off with the strutt brace, off with the plate holding the map sensor, ignition modules and brake resevoir, and try to trace the wire. Interior trim is off by now, the wipers are off, wiper panel is off, everything that can come off is off. But I still can't find any chewed wire, or the plug. Back to the interior now, start checking the wire from the ignition barrel.
Hmmm something interesting, the wire i'm tracing has been spliced into by the alarm/immobiliser. Ok lets check both sides of the splice.
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Yes you've guessed it, the lost signal is due to the bloody immobiliser. Must have been due to the high temps in the car yesterday. Quick bodge to bridge the splice, an whay hey!! the car starts.

But whats this, remove the bodge and the car still starts?????

Looks like my immobiliser is on its way out. Still at least the car starts now, it all went back together with no problems, and I've still got to sort the exhaust ratle out.

Ho hum... at least it wasn't raining.

Steve

[Juan AR155Q4]

Looks like you´ll have to buy a cat and some ice to solve your problems.