Dashboard warnings,Dead Batteries,No sparks,Crank Sensor.

[adieburns]

Turning to this site once again, would love to fit a better sound system, or find other lil improvements I could make to the "apple of my eye"...My Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8i Auto 'M' Reg ... Instead I'm asking for advice/guidance in a reactive nature... It's broke !!! the poor thing has been stranded in Caterpillar car park for last 16 days...frozen...like we where leaving work at 12.30am, the last to leave !! Temp was - 4c... it'd been a long week out on the old airfield at Desford (Cat UK)...my Cav was dead ! or rather the battery was.. got a jump start from security...she fired up...then died after a minute or so...she did this 3 to 4 times.. so at 2.30 am..we pay for taxi to get us into leicester and seek medical attention for frostbite...then home ...£20+ lighter.
For a couple of days before this the batt light & airbag light had been coming on together (after reading your forums etc, I know what this meant now !!).. then after work fri morn..I did a 260 mls journey...lights went out just after start of journey...never came back on !! sorted I thought...batteries recharged up so Alternator must be ok. However, driving back to work that nite...the engine control indicator light came on..stayed on for the 12 ml journey.
Thought nothing of it...went into work....left work at 12.30am that fri night/sat morning..you know the rest !!!

Buys a new battery...five days later.. takes it to the cav'...red cable to positive...so i thought..sparks !! tightens it up, starts it up...it doesnt fire !! makes a variation on the usual trying to fire...just turning over noise... batt cables too tight /short... batt looked to be wrong way round
...so turned it and disregarded red cable to pos' rule... connects it up...jumps in... starts up beautifully !!! revs it up to warm it up(bout 10secs)..starts to reverse out of parking bay...it dies !!

Tried starting it again ...turning but not firing...hasnt fired since!! put a can of juice in each nite I get to work to fill her up (thinking it might help !!)...but alas ! an ex Vauxhall mechanic now plying his trade at Caterpillar..took a quick peek at it as we left early hrs of sat ... he pulled a plug and held it to engine block as I started it turning over....no spark !! ..try your 'crank sensor' as a first route of enquiry !!...Mobile mechanic & new parts !! OMG ..must be looking at £100+ just for starters... Another mechanic @ work says...take it off & clean it (crank sensor)...it could start then !! without costing for a new one...or a mobile mechanic !! if I could do it ??? I only want it to start...to bring it home !! to love it & use it daily..my beautiful red 1.8i Auto (not a mark on bodywork..1 owner from new, until me).. and still have money in my account !!!

For anyone who's stayed until the end of this dour and drawn out story... HELP !!!

I'm eager to return to her..scrape of the fortnights ice..and work wonders with my paperclip on my ecu thingymabob... CAN ANYONE ADVISE ON THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS... warning lights, dead battery, starts then dies...new battery..starts & dies....wont start at all...no spark !! crank sensors !! where to find it ? remove & clean it ?.... I was a Psychiatric Nurse for years..I thought I was a 'crank' sensor

[planetc]

If you had the battery on the wrong way around you are more likely looking at blown ecu than a crank sensor. The original fault probably being alternator.

[Envoy CDX]

Hmm, sounds terminal. But at the same time if you have to spark it could be the coil, or the amplifer..

[piercedrab]

ironicaly my fatherlaw done this to his primera last week after a good bit of hunting it was a 80 amp fuse he blew got one from teh scrapy near him check the fuses you might be lucky

[planetc]

ironicaly my fatherlaw done this to his primera last week after a good bit of hunting it was a 80 amp fuse he blew got one from teh scrapy near him check the fuses you might be lucky

Most Japanese vehicles have a main fuse that blows under such circumstances, old Vauxhalls however do not. If it started and ran following the battery mishap then the chances are that the ecu is good, and something else has gone tits up. Easiest way to pinpoint will be substitution of parts, but I can't help wondering if there was some relationship to the original fault somehow.

[Robsey]

I have never cooked an ECU, but I would not expect it to run at all, nevermind 10 seconds..

Sounds to me just like when you pull fuse 11 to de-pressurise the fuel system... the car runs for a few seconds, and then dies when the fuel supply stops / runs out.
Are you getting fuel delivery at the throttle body, or wet plugs...?

An outside thought, but take a look at fuse 11. - nothing to lose.

What else is there?
Various sensors - Crank angle, Manifold Absolute Pressure, Idle Control Valve, Coolant Temperature Sensor, Oxygen Sensor....

Other vulnerable electronics... fuel pump, pump relay, ignition amplifier and ECU.

Are there any fuseable links on the red battery terminal ? I know there are some narrower cables besides the main cable to the alternator and starter.

Before cranking now, do you get an eml light on the dash.

This can be read without cranking,
just short your diagnostic plug pins a and b, with the ignition on, but not cranking or running. - famous paper-clip test.

[Robsey]

Look on this thread, for a break-down of all the components linked to the ECU,

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4874&p=45478#p45478

assuming that you will be checking all the components that coud have been fried !!

[adieburns]

UPDATE.... scrapped it ! and bought an Astra Sport 16V....viva vauxhall