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Massive Headache! - Not Starting

soopahflyail

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Location
Sheffield
Car
2005 Honda Accord
Hi Guys.

My car is in the garage at the moment, as the timing chain snapped on the M1 about 6 months ago.

I've had the timing chain replaced, along with the tensioners etc. 3 rockers replaced, as they had snapped. Valves are OK.
After buttoning it back together, it would start, then die. EGR Valve removed and cleaned, Traced the fault back to injectors, sent away and all 4 have been refurbished.
Back together, and it would sometimes start. It would run lovely, but sometimes it wouldn't start.
Then it stopped starting altogether. Diagnostics machine pointed to crankshaft position sensor.
Replaced, still not starting. ECU still reporting Crankshaft Position Sensor.

My mechanic is scratching his head as to what could be wrong now, as the fault with the sensor was confirmed by the auto electrician.

Anyone else got any ideas, or seen this before?
 
I've actually heard of a similar problem. It was eventually found that the toothed cog on the crankshaft that generates the signal that the sensor picks up had been damaged during an engine overhaul. But that car never started after the rebuild and yours has been working OK since the chain repairs.

So more likely you've got a duff replacement sensor or a damaged connector/cable run somewhere.

Does the same ECU error code come back immediately after being deleted?
 
Yeah, the code comes back straight away. I was in the garage when they cleared it.
The sensor is generating an RPM signal, as was the old one but the new one is showing faster than the old one.
 
Just spoke to the mechanic, and he says that side of things is OK.
They have measured pressure at the rail, and it's getting lower with every turn of the engine.

Basically we're looking at a new fuel pump :(
 
So diagnostics don't lie, and you should always look at what the DTC's are telling you. If it's pointing to the Crank sensor then the likely cause is either the sensor itself, the wiring to and from the sensor, the ECU or the sensor pickup as Jon has already pointed out.

There is a direct correlation between CPS and fuelling on modern cars as the ECU will cut fuelling if there is no signal being picked up from the sensor. When you crank the engine, if you remove the fuel supply pipe either from the filter or even better at the rail, can you see it firing fuel into the rail?
 
The low rail pressure is likely to be the problem... if it's below 200 bar then the ECU will not signal the injectors to open. This could be due to cranking too slowly, a knackered pump (unlikely), excessive injector leak back (but you had the injectors tested) or the fuel rail over-pressure regulator is leaking (my favourite fault... see the recent thread about this exact thing in the 'diesel faults' section).

What error code are you actually getting (Pxxxx)?
 
If the garage do decide it's the fuel pump, then do at least check it isn't the fuel control solenoid (that's where the electrical connector is on the pump). The complete pump from Honda is around £2500 with VAT, but that solenoid (which Honda don't list) only cost me £93 from a Bosch Service Centre when I needed one just over a year ago.

EDIT - Why not see if your car will start up using 'easi-start' (or similar)... if it does, and then runs OK, then the problem probably isn't the crank sensor. And you would then be able to drive around and take some fuel rail pressure readings under load, which may help to confirm a fuel pump problem.
 
Well, after reading that your timing chain snapped, it's very likely that your car may have an issue with the crank pulser plate or in between the plate and the sensor and your mechanic hasn´t noticed it, I've diagnosed that on more than one occasion... with this kind of issue sometimes the sensor will be able to read properly, sometimes it won't, it's worth checking it before going for a new high pressure pump ;)
 
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