Having loaned my daughter my spare 85 while her Fuego is being worked on I wasn't prepared
for her first critisism of the car.
Dad, whenever someone gets into the front passenger seat, the car refuses to start,
when they get out, the car will start!! Could only think that the trouble may have
something to do with a faulty starter connection, earthing problem, or intermittent
connection of the spade terminal to the starter solenoid, or short in the wiring loom.
Within two days the strange fault developed into a full blown refusal to start, with or without
passenger, but would easily start with a push or roll start.
Mind you the current boyfriend was getting a bit peed off with pushing the car!!!
It would sometimes start in the early morning but never when hot.... Daughter finally
got the car back for inspection/fault finding.
Checked all the wiring to starter, wiggled everything, no start..... nipped up terminal slightly
and checked earth cable to chassis, it was a bit loose, but not the problem. Noticed that
the starter key didn't seem to be turning freely, so decided to give it a small squirt of graphite
powder which usually frees up key barrells. Instead, the powder firmly jammed the barrell
!!!! many swear words....no amount of pressure would turn the key.
Got a spare ignition barrell, then stripped off the steering column covers to disconnect the
ignition wires, connected up the spare barrel and low and behold the car started easily,
now why didn't I try that first...............bummer...as now I could not turn the key to allow
the barrel pin to be depressed, we could start the car but, the steering lock prevented
it being driven....GRRRRRRRRRR
Visions of drilling out the barrel or brute force used on the steering wheel to break the
locking mechanism (which is pretty sturdy!!) The afternoon sun was getting hotter .........
Solution came with a small blast of canned compressed air into the keyway and then
application of a pair of pliers on the key while working the key sideways, being careful
NOT to snap off the key......... After a while to my relief the key turned and the rest was
easy, remove the lock screw, depress the release, out came the barrel and lock, in went
the spare and while the steering column was exposed a couple of squirts of teflon spray
to cure a squeak that had developed in the column and everthing put back together
and daughter went on her way.....must do some work on my other Fuego someday.....
Regards Ken
<small>[ 18 December 2002, 01:44 AM: Message edited by: Kenfuego ]</small>
for her first critisism of the car.
Dad, whenever someone gets into the front passenger seat, the car refuses to start,
when they get out, the car will start!! Could only think that the trouble may have
something to do with a faulty starter connection, earthing problem, or intermittent
connection of the spade terminal to the starter solenoid, or short in the wiring loom.
Within two days the strange fault developed into a full blown refusal to start, with or without
passenger, but would easily start with a push or roll start.
Mind you the current boyfriend was getting a bit peed off with pushing the car!!!
It would sometimes start in the early morning but never when hot.... Daughter finally
got the car back for inspection/fault finding.
Checked all the wiring to starter, wiggled everything, no start..... nipped up terminal slightly
and checked earth cable to chassis, it was a bit loose, but not the problem. Noticed that
the starter key didn't seem to be turning freely, so decided to give it a small squirt of graphite
powder which usually frees up key barrells. Instead, the powder firmly jammed the barrell
!!!! many swear words....no amount of pressure would turn the key.
Got a spare ignition barrell, then stripped off the steering column covers to disconnect the
ignition wires, connected up the spare barrel and low and behold the car started easily,
now why didn't I try that first...............bummer...as now I could not turn the key to allow
the barrel pin to be depressed, we could start the car but, the steering lock prevented
it being driven....GRRRRRRRRRR
Visions of drilling out the barrel or brute force used on the steering wheel to break the
locking mechanism (which is pretty sturdy!!) The afternoon sun was getting hotter .........
Solution came with a small blast of canned compressed air into the keyway and then
application of a pair of pliers on the key while working the key sideways, being careful
NOT to snap off the key......... After a while to my relief the key turned and the rest was
easy, remove the lock screw, depress the release, out came the barrel and lock, in went
the spare and while the steering column was exposed a couple of squirts of teflon spray
to cure a squeak that had developed in the column and everthing put back together
and daughter went on her way.....must do some work on my other Fuego someday.....
Regards Ken
<small>[ 18 December 2002, 01:44 AM: Message edited by: Kenfuego ]</small>