steve24

apologies but i never did follow up on this issue and provide feedback. the issue turned out to be a simple starter motor problem. the starter motor was dried out and not performing correctly. the heat from the gearbox seemed to be making the starter motor hot and over time due to its close proximity to the gearbox. i guess the heat caused the starter to fail. when the car was left and things cooled and contracted the starter would function again i replaced the starter and since then have not had a single starter issue whatsoever and more importantly nor has my wife, who uses the car o travel daily to work. the new engine i had fitted is running exceptionally well. there was a slight issue with the radiator overflow draining but a bit of radiator sealant sorted that. faith restored

been checking around and i'm wondering of this is what some refer to as a HOT START failure. the ignition won't start when the car has been running and is HOT. the question is; what can i do to reduce this heat problem. some suggest it could be a voltage issue; i.e due to the heat the starter motor is getting too hot / not functioning. from my point of view i think I'm ready to take a sledge hammer to it

what signal would you expect to get ?

i reset the key /immobiliser by holding the key in the lock for a requisite number of seconds and after leaving the car it started. next time we are out the same thing happened; refuses to start yet the lighting sequence is correct. the light stops flashing as soon as the key inserted. once i got it started i took it to get a full diagnostic check and nothing showed up electronically. diagnostics showed not a single fault on anything; sensors; nothing. opinion now is that it could be an intermittent starter motor problem but really its just a guessing game and i'm at my wits end

wondering of this could be an immobiliser problem. can anyone advise. doors open fine using key fob remote; when key placed in the ignition ignition the security light continues to flash. everything lights up but there is simply no reaction from the engine. no turning over; nothing. wait for a while; return to the car and it starts fine desperate now

fitted a new battery problem seemed gone; two days later and its back again. simply won't turn over after driving for an hour and then parking up for an hour. nothing displayed on dash to indicate a problem; no overheating, no sensor lights displaying anything problematical. biggest brain wreck I've ever known.

after diagnostic check i was told the fault was the range sensor. i got a new one fitted and all seemed fine. got car home and an hour later went out and the same problem re occurred. mechanic has suggested that i could be that we are not pressing down on the brake before turning the ignition - new one on us as we have had the car from new in 2003 and unless we simply did this without thinking, its not something either my wife or myself can point to as a procedure we no longer follow. we had a new engine fitted a few months earlier and he says that perhaps the mapping codes require such a process to be followed. as it is an intermittent problem its difficult to replicate this on demand and you naturally don't want to risk driving off somewhere, park up then return a short while later and have the fault leaving you stranded. another mechanic has suggested we check the earth and then the starter motor so we are heading back to a garage for further checks.

no cranking whatsoever; totally dead. didn't notice the security light flashing. when i returned to the car after it had been parked for period of time it turned over then started. wondering if it could be a voltage issue or an intermittent fuse fault

this problem has now occurred four times over the last few weeks. Parked up and switched off as normal. on returning shortly afterwards, put the key in ignition, dashboard lights up but nothing turns over. tried removing key and repeating process but nothing happens. tried locking and unlocking via remote; tried starting with door open and door closed but nothing works. then suddenly, after a spell of rest - sometimes a few minutes and on one occasion an hour, the ignition turned over as normal and car started. anyone out there have any idea what is happening or what is causing this to happen. battery is attached fine; lights, air con and other electric components all working fine. battery in remote i working. its as though despite dash lighting up, the engine is immobilised.

looks like we've managed to sort the problem out. it seems that there was a loose pipe leading from the radiator. this caused air to get into the system and resulted in the radiator overflow to run dry. re attaching the pipe, refilling and bleeding the system she is now running sweet again. the vacuum pressure sensor housing and wires were loose and are now re attached and although i cannot work out where the housing attaches correctly, i have cable tied to housing to the bulkhead in a place where it will not be in the way. i guess I've been lucky; the steam was coming coming from the loose radiator hose and with there being no sign of water in the oil it looks like we don't have any other issues to contend with. cylinder head is tight and gaskets and seals holding up well.

thanks Steve; any idea where that vacuum sensor is supposed to be attached to; its simply hanging loose

update: the loose cable and housing appears to be the vacuum pressure sensor but i have no idea where it should be attached to. can anyone guide me please

additional info: ran the car in idle to allow it to warm up to see whether i could see where steam was coming from. on revving to 3000rpm the engine seemed to misfire; only seeming to generate just over 3000 revs

have an is200 (03 plate) that has recently had a new engine fitted. earlier this week noticed steam coming from LHS of engine bay near battery mount. checked rad and coolant level was down so topped up with about 1.5 litres. checked each morning and having to add about 500ml to top up but no sign of leak. temp gauge remains mid level. today temp gauge shot up to max and a strange grating/sliding noise could be heard coming from the dash/bulkhead area; noise stopped and gauge returned to mid level. then shot up again. engine warning light came on and tracking light started to flash on dash. stopped vehicle and on inspection could hear a hissing noise from somewhere at rear of engine bay at the rear of the throttle housing. checked Rad when called and it took about 3 litre to top it up. cannot see any sign of a leak; nothing coming from rad hoses. on viewing I also noticed a cable housing seems to have come detached and was lying loose near the bulk head. it is attached to three cables ( blue/green yellow/green and brown) but i cannot see where this housing is supposed to be bolted to. the oil check shows that there is no evidence of water contamination; the oil remains clear and fresh looking. can anyone help or advise as to what could be going on/wrong and how to rectify