ford fiesta not starting

[mackab24]

hi everyone, to start with my sister just bought a ford fiesta 1.2, she has only had it two days and now it wont start. basically she has bought it as seen and yesterday she noticed the heaters were'nt working so her boyfriend started messing with the fuses, which cut the engine dead, he replaced all the fuses but couldnt get the car to start again. all the fuses are ok but we can only get the car started on a bump start does any one have any idea what the problem might be? any help would be appreciated. also the car is an R reg 5 door fiesta.

[Caladon]

Dead starter motor?
Make sure the right fuses went in the right slots.

Failing that... call the AA out. Or get someone you know who has AA cover to sit in the car with her and call them.

[Buenchico]

Taking fuses out to fix the heater? I think that your sister's boyfriend knows even less about cars than I do ;-)

You'll gather that I don't claim to be an expert but I've had Fiestas with heating problems, so I'll have a go at answering your question:

The first thing to check with a faulty heater is the coolant levels. (Insufficient coolant in the radiator system will mean that the heat exchanger won't be able to work efficiently). Then it might be worth trying to flush the coolant system through (to try to shift any blockage in the system). Otherwise, a new heat exchanger is probably needed.

You've not said what happens when you try to start the car. If absolutely nothing happens, there's no power getting to the starter motor, so you need to check that the connections to it. (Also, double-check the fuse).

If you just hear a click from the starter motor, it's probably jammed. Whacking it with a hammer sometimes will sometimes free it but this should be regarded as a short term fix and the motor should be replaced as soon as possible.

If the starter motor turns over very slowly, it's getting insufficient power from the battery. (If so, it's probably a fault with the battery but the alternator can't be ruled out).

If the starter motor turns over normally, then there must be a fault with the ignition system. This could be a problem with the points (unless, of course, the car has electronic ignition), moisture ingress (e.g. damp under the distributor cap) or (among several other possibilities) faulty HT leads.

As I've indicated, I don't claim to possess any great knowledge or expertise but I hope that something here will point you in the right direction.

Chris

[Gary-ET]

It's a Ford. Fix Or Repair Daily... Has it got an immobiliser because that could be at fault.

[edd2blue]

try this take termanal the red 1+ poss of battery (first check if the radio needs a code and make sure u have it b4 going any futher) make sure the doors are @ the looked setting .Now put the red lead back on un lock the car & try to start.

[Andyvon]

Sounds like an electrical problem - probably a loose wire or bad connections. Try cleaning and tightening the contacts on the fuse box and on the rear of the starter motor/solenoid. Check the battery contacts too as that may be the problem.
Don't let the boyfriend touch the car as it sounds like he hasn't a clue! It'll end up worse and just cost your sister more money.

[Andyvon]

The heater may not be working if the coolant level is low. Also check that the thermostat is working and the hoses are correctly fitted! I bought a Fiesta once and found the heater wasn't working. It turned out the thermostat was stuck and that had burst the heater unit as it was the weakest point in the cooling system. The bodger had then just by-passed the heater unit by connecting the water hoses straight to the carb. That may also be why the car won't start if it has overheated and blown the head gasket.