New Battery, Now Won't Start, Help!

[MufflerMan]

Hey guys,

I put a new battery in today and I have seem to have lost power to the coils, no spark. I am getting fuel, I can smell it. Any idea's? It started fine before except for the battery voltage being down. Now it cranks fast, and every once in while it will get a spark, and then just goes back to cranking. It seems everytime I repair something on this car, somethng else breaks.

[iainskea]

I'm our of my normal pool here - but why the replacement battery? - it may give a clue to what's wrong.

Iain

[hasuSan]

Hey guys,

I put a new battery in today and I have seem to have lost power to the coils, no spark. I am getting fuel, I can smell it. Any idea's? It started fine before except for the battery voltage being down. Now it cranks fast, and every once in while it will get a spark, and then just goes back to cranking. It seems everytime I repair something on this car, somethng else breaks.

Check the easy thing first....fuses-fuel injection fuses- ecu fuse, if all ok, then start looking somewhere else.

[bobbak]

Hey guys,

I put a new battery in today and I have seem to have lost power to the coils, no spark. I am getting fuel, I can smell it. Any idea's? It started fine before except for the battery voltage being down. Now it cranks fast, and every once in while it will get a spark, and then just goes back to cranking. It seems everytime I repair something on this car, somethng else breaks.

have you checked the charging loop from the alternator, I say this because I had a similar problem not exactly the same but quite similar. Esprits require a minimum voltage for starting from the battery I belive its 12.4 volts when the battery drops below this one by one the electrical circuits drop off line within the car the order in which they stop working I cant comment on. However as the ecu is electrically powered and that has a fundemental effect on ignition the car may still have enough battery power to crank but the ecu may be periodically dropping out of the equation preventing ignition.

If your alternator charging circuit is breaking down its not a hard deal to put right, on my car the red wire from the altenator back to the battery has a bolted joint in it and it is this joint that had become corroded and was causing the problem at the least its worth checking.

hope this helps if not i will keep thinking.

regards rob

[shawty_82]

Just a thought, but have you got an alarm system with an immobiliser on it? I had to get an alarm engineer to sort my Honda out after it had been left standing and the battery went flat. That might be where the problem is.

[matk]

I know I'm probably being stupid but in the process of simple things first have you checked the battery connections? I was at someones house the other day, they were telling me they had bought a new battery and the car wouldn't start. One of the connections on the battery post terminal was loose.............

[MufflerMan]

Well thank you all for your insight. Here is an update. I checked all of the above first as I agree with most of you too start with the simple stuff. I talked to Harry with Viking motorsports in so Cal (invalubleHelp over my Esprit ownership, and if anyone is here is fortunate to live in his proximity, I highly recomend his shop) he suggested trying my stock ECU. I unplugged my red ECU and pugged in my stock and it fired right away. So problem solved right? For kicks I unplugged the stock ECU and went back to the red. It fired up no problem. WTF? So I left the red plugged in and test drove it. It made it three blocks and died, restarted with no problem and made it another three blocks and died again. So I unplugged the red, waited a moment, and plugged the red in again. Since then (about 20 miles) it has run fine. I am giong to drive it again today to see what happens, I will update you soon.

[Paula&Marcus]

Colby,

What Red ECU do you own ????

Is it a factory Lotus one or is it an upgraded one from Johan or from me ?

Marcus

Well thank you all for your insight. Here is an update. I checked all of the above first as I agree with most of you too start with the simple stuff. I talked to Harry with Viking motorsports in so Cal (invalubleHelp over my Esprit ownership, and if anyone is here is fortunate to live in his proximity, I highly recomend his shop) he suggested trying my stock ECU. I unplugged my red ECU and pugged in my stock and it fired right away. So problem solved right? For kicks I unplugged the stock ECU and went back to the red. It fired up no problem. WTF? So I left the red plugged in and test drove it. It made it three blocks and died, restarted with no problem and made it another three blocks and died again. So I unplugged the red, waited a moment, and plugged the red in again. Since then (about 20 miles) it has run fine. I am giong to drive it again today to see what happens, I will update you soon.

Edited July 15, 2007 by Paula&Marcus

[MufflerMan]

Colby,

What Red ECU do you own ????

Is it a factory Lotus one or is it an upgraded one from Johan or from me ?

Marcus

I bought it from Harry @ Viking, he says it is a factory one.