Car won't start!!

[syman1986]

Hi all

I have owned my Megane for just over 6 weeks an already im having problems with it!!!

The problem is that the car is not starting. I had a mechanic have a look at it an he replaced a sensor, Not sure what sensor it was! The car started fine an ran ok for the rest of the day then that evening wouldn't start. The car is turning over but its not firing. Sometimes it will start though which has my brain in a right mess as I can't understand why a car will start sometimes an then not start an then other times you can sit there an try for an 5 times then on the 6th attempt it will start. I have just had a look on a site about the power steering not disengaging an this may cause the problem as the problem seems to describe my car in quite vivid detail. As when its locked it doesn't start but I was messing about with it an again its started.

If anyone else has had this problem or knows what it is it would be a great help as im not enjoying not driving my car around in the nice weather we are having!

Thanks syman1986

[davelowe]

The age, engine and model would be a starting point if you want replies. If the battery is 6 years old or older, it is likely the suspect.

[syman1986]

The car is 2003 engine size is 1.6VVT an the model is dynamique.

[syman1986]

And the battery is brand new.

[davelowe]

When you say brand new, was it fitted the same day as the fault started?

Check the battery terminals are tight and free from corrosion.

[Ray]

or fuses on the battery terminal...?

[syman1986]

The battery was brand new when I bought it. So its been fine for the first 5 weeks ish of me owning it an the problems have started. An all the fuses are fine there isn't any blown. I was checking the fuses the day that the problem started as I was trying to figure out why the cigarette lighter socket wasn't workin so I took them all out individually to have a look an see. Could this have anything to do with it? My cousin thinks maybe something to do with the immobiliser.

[oldbury863]

The symptoms you describe are exactly the ones we had on our 1.6vvt some time ago. The fault is with the tdc sensor. A lot of people have replaced theirs, but ours simply required a clean. Being magnetic, it had attracted "swarf" on the end of it which de-sensitised it. Removing the swarf cured the fault permanently. If the sensor doesnt pick up the crank position when the engine first turns over, it doesnt know when to fire so just turns & turns. . . . . . . The sensor is located at the top of the bell housing where the gearbox attaches to the engine. Held on with 2 bolts. Hope this helps.

[kwif007]

I think my car suffers the same, syman was this the tdc sensor in the end?