Car will not start

Hi Ken,

It seems that each DME unit is programmed to each specific car's VIN. I asked that at my local dealership and they said that I can't get a second hand unit and reprogram it. Yet, when looking into this specific issue I have found that one can get second hand units and pop them in in place of the original and they will work, although sometimes they may not. So I will have to look into this more. I am getting new unit prices from different countries though and have three different country's quotes so far with the USA being the cheapest. I am waiting for prices from Russia and Latvia so I will let you know!

Hi Ken, After over 18 months I got my car running today but with a 'slight' problem unrelated to the original issue.

To go over what I have done since I last posted here are the details:

1. Removed oil/gas mixture from engine sump by syringe(!) and filled 5 x 4L containers with this liquid. Engine uses 6.5L of engine oil!!
2. Changed engine mounts for new ones.
3. Ordered used DME/computer from California but eventually found out that it was for an automatic and had part different numbers on the the casing.
4. Added new oil (Amsoil - European blend), 1 bottle Prolong, 2 bottles of Auto-RX for sludge removal and engine cleanup.
5. Sourced another DME/computer unit from Lithuania. Popped it in today and the car started!! Whoopee!

Now to the 'slight' problem.

Fuel is spraying out from the junction between the injectors and the fuel rail (with the subsequent puddle of fuel on the floor again!). That means that I haven't seated the injectors in the fuel rail correctly, which I find a bit puzzling as I couldn't seat them in further. So will be looking at a YT video if I can find one. Do you have any ideas of how far the injectors need to be inside the fuel rail? There are 2-3 notches on the side of the injectors and they are all showing (clips should be around the fuel injectors with the side of the clips seating in these notches. At the moment the clips are around the metal stem at the top of the fuel injector). The rubber O-ring at the top is just barely visible within the fuel rail tube that comes down to meet the fuel injector. I believe they need to by much further in with the first notch on the fuel injector being right near the end of the fuel rail tube so that the clip can sit inside these notches and also be secured to the fuel rail via a slot in the back of the clip. Have I got this correct?

Anyway, I thought you would like to know what happened.

Update: I just watched a YT video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrXdlqgs8Io) on removing injectors and I saw right off the bat that my injectors were not pushed in far enough. I have 2 notches showing whereas in the video there is only one notch showing with the other one (closest to the fuel rail tube) being used by the clip to hold the injector in place. So I will get these injectors sorted out tomorrow (Saturday).

Hi Steve,
Okay. I will do this tomorrow. Thanks.

Hi Steve/Ken,

I did as you suggested with a dab of engine oil and the injectors went it very easily to their fullest depth. There are no leaks! So this problem is now fully solved.

There is one worrying issue though that has come up which was not there before the car got this problem - the needle in the temperature gauge goes all the way towards the red without actually going into it (it normally sits in the middle when fully warm). I noticed this after taking the car for a spin around the block (after warming it up for 15-20 minutes to get all the oil circulated throughout the engine).

When I got back, and after letting the car sit for 20 minutes with the engine turned off, I checked the coolant level and also tested its temperature. While the engine was still warm the coolant in the collector bottle on the left of the radiator (passenger side) was cold. Didn't feel as if it had been circulated. Yet when I was twisting the cap off I did notice the level change as the pressure was released. There is a socket/switch (temperature switch?) On that side of the radiator housing that is disconnected and has always been that way since I had it. The plug that goes into the socket is present but is just hanging there instead of being plugged in. I get the impression that it is like that because it does not work(?). How do I test that plug/socket to see if there is anything wrong with it?

Anyway, thanks for all the help on the original problem. It was most appreciated. If you want me to post this additional problem as a new problem for people to find I can easily do that.

Hi Steve/Ken,

The wire that comes off the fuel rail is attached to the engine block by a large bolt near where the fuel rail starts. It is a grounding wire for the fuel rail. I unbolted it and gave it a thorough clean with a green scotchbrite pad. I also cleaned the part of the engine block where the wire loop/washer sits against it when bolted to it. I also cleaned the bolt washer. Then I put everything back and tightened up the bolt properly.

Then I had a look down the front of the radiator and found that there were a lot of cobwebs, dust/fluff buildup. So I took some rigid wire and swept it across the front of the radiator knocking all this stuff off.

I then took the car out for a drive. After a while, and with the temp gauge needle in the normal range, I turned on the heat inside the car and found that it was blowing warm air. Much better than before. During the course of the drive the needle would move off to the right towards the red zone but would then come back to center. So it seems that this problem is sorted out. I did go ahead and buy a thermostat as well as the gasket and will buy an aluminum housing for the thermostat and get them both changed as the original plastic housing is on the engine which means the thermostat has probably never been changed. It will be a good preventative measure. Thanks again for all the help (this post has also been posted to the problem dealing specifically with this issue).