Doesn't start - Page 3

goldievvc · 17th October 2011, 23:47

Sounds like a piston ring or rings in all honesty. Won`t start due to lack of compression.

chrissyboy · 18th October 2011, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormbind

@chrissyboy. I used to live on the edge of East Dulwich (moved out last month after 5 years) and loved the Indian restaurants. Oh, and the Sea Cow...

It's no wind up. Honest. The oil level on dip stick drops is below min (when cleaned) and nobody really knows why it reports so low. One nasty suspect is a piston ring (or many piston rings) burning it off, but is there any chance my dip-stick-hole-blockage-idea could hold some truth?

i would drian the oil then put in the recommend amount ,then you would know for sure that the level is correct .if you had all that oil in the engine then the car would struggle to preform . your be down on power and it would be burning off .. if the rings had gone again the oil would be getting burnt .rough idle i would say is due to the inlet manifold gasket gone ,allowing water into the chamber ,once the engine is warm the the idle would be better ... oh whats sea cow never heard of it ....

Thorfin · 18th October 2011, 10:58

Maybe its been mentioned before.. Maybe not...

I had a ZS180 (same engine) with very similar issues to what you are describing (except the lack of oil)... Turns out one of my earth connections had gone and was making a connection every now and then which allowed me to start the car, but no connection meant no start... Once the engine was running it was faultless.

I did a lot of work on that KV6 engine in that car (with not much space to play with either!) so if you are ever in the "Portsmouth" area (I say that in the loosest of terms... I'm closer to Hayling Island) then I'll be happy to give the engine a once over and let you know what I think?

COLVERT · 18th October 2011, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by James.uk

try -- taking the dipstick out and cleaning it 3 or four times, then see what the reading is.. I think your engine block is half full of oil by now!!

...

Must admit James I did wonder about that myself.

James.uk · 18th October 2011, 17:21

Hi Colvey, I think we are going to hear soon that the OP took the filler cap off only to find that oil comes spilling out.. lmho...

...

stormbind · 18th October 2011, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by James.uk

try -- taking the dipstick out and cleaning it 3 or four times, then see what the reading is.. I think your engine block is half full of oil by now!!

...

That's what I do regularly. The dip stick can come out dry!!

But sometimes its a confusing because there will be a little bit of oil on the raised parts of the dipstick, and no oil in the MIN/MAX markers. I wonder if that means the oil I do get back is just residue on the tube wall, and not a true reading?

stormbind · 18th October 2011, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrissyboy

oh whats sea cow never heard of it ....

There's a fish & chip shop that gets whole fresh fish delivered every morning (caught same day). Best chippy ever and I think its called Sea Cow - its on the main road with all the other restaurants

stormbind · 18th October 2011, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by James.uk

Hi Colvey, I think we are going to hear soon that the OP took the filler cap off only to find that oil comes spilling out.. lmho...

...

Nope.

I did talk to a garage about Colvert's suggestion and they said they will look at it monday. How long would it take to check the crank breather is not blocked?

Also, what would the other symptoms of blocked breather be?

The car has very little power when the engine is cold, especially with recent cold spells. I think it has always started when cold.

stormbind · 18th October 2011, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorfin

I did a lot of work on that KV6 engine in that car (with not much space to play with either!) so if you are ever in the "Portsmouth" area (I say that in the loosest of terms... I'm closer to Hayling Island) then I'll be happy to give the engine a once over and let you know what I think?

Thanks for the support. I don't when I'll be passing but I have taken note

chrissyboy · 18th October 2011, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormbind

There's a fish & chip shop that gets whole fresh fish delivered every morning (caught same day). Best chippy ever and I think its called Sea Cow - its on the main road with all the other restaurants

not in east dulwich its not . the best one round here is the dolphin fish bar .never seen the sea cow,what road is it in

17th October 2011, 23:47	#21
goldievvc Avid contributor MG ZT-T 190 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Falkirk Posts: 129 Thanks: 10 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Sounds like a piston ring or rings in all honesty. Won`t start due to lack of compression.

18th October 2011, 10:58	#23
Thorfin Loves to post MG ZT-T CDTi & MG ZS 180 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Dyfed Posts: 457 Thanks: 29 Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts	Maybe its been mentioned before.. Maybe not... I had a ZS180 (same engine) with very similar issues to what you are describing (except the lack of oil)... Turns out one of my earth connections had gone and was making a connection every now and then which allowed me to start the car, but no connection meant no start... Once the engine was running it was faultless. I did a lot of work on that KV6 engine in that car (with not much space to play with either!) so if you are ever in the "Portsmouth" area (I say that in the loosest of terms... I'm closer to Hayling Island) then I'll be happy to give the engine a once over and let you know what I think?

18th October 2011, 17:21	#25
James.uk Passed Away 2002 Pale Blue. Rover 75 CDTi Connoisseur auto. 170K miles Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Near the M67. Posts: 14,509 Thanks: 199 Thanked 585 Times in 397 Posts	Hi Colvey, I think we are going to hear soon that the OP took the filler cap off only to find that oil comes spilling out.. lmho... ...