Sorry, first time using site,it cut out going downhill after driving about 5mins.Engine cut out and immediately pulled into carpark.Engine will not fire up but it is turning over.Checked cam belt this is ok ,checked spark plugs ok and spark coming to each one from coil pack,checked fuel delivery and this is ok.The oil level was low on dip stick,took over 2 litres of oil to get to min level.I did not get an oil indication low from the dash so matbe this pressure sw is faulty but would that stop it starting?Is there a low level safety cut out to save engine?Is there some kind of electronic device that does the timing ?Thanks for looking at this and hope you might have some ideas.

If you could elaborate on the problem, you may get a few more responses.

Ran out of petrol?

Wish i had but there is a quater if a tank.

you checked the oil when the engine was still hot?

I read somewhere of a low oil level causing the engine to cut out but that wasn't on this site that was some jargon I found on google. don't know how true it is though.

Done all these checks on Sunday,broke down on Saturday morning so engine had cooled down and also needed to get some tools and advise and restore my sanity .Saw that blog too but sometimes they are misleading ,just need to meet that person who is in the know....I hope

1.7 total oil capacity is 4.62 litres, so you had less than 50% in your engine?

As more than one person on here can tell you, the Puma engine does not like a shortage of oil.

There is no such thing on a Puma as "oil indication low" light, it's an oil pressure low light, if it comes on when the engine is running, you're already in trouble.

The VCT operates by oil pressure and this will be affected if it doesn't have a good supply.

Did you actually take the covers off and check the Cambelt, or were you looking at the Auxiliary Belt?

Check the ignitions wires are intact mate. Also.. did the engine sound groggy at all before it died and was there an oil light at all. Just because you can see a spark on the plugs doesn't mean its strong enough to start the engine. Give the dizzy I good check

I once had a similar problem with an Escort; a couple of times, the engine just stopped whilst I was driving.

Did you manage to get the car started again afterwards? Did you have any power to the lights and the dash? The problem I had (I think - it was a few years ago) was a short in the alternator. It screwed up the electric signals somehow, completely stopping everything running on the car. (Ever tried restarting a car whilst coasting down an A road, with little to no steering and no brakes?! )

Thanks for info everyone,did check cam belt visually and it is ok,was fitted at 60k which was 15k ago still looks new.The VCT may well be the problem,hope not as i believe it is an expensive part along with any valve damage that maybe done.Is there a way to test the VCT or is this something for a specialist. would failure of this cause the timing to go out.

All the electrical system seems to be working but it has not started at all since,but engine turns over and auxillary belt is rotating but it does seem to be turning over way to fast.

If its turning over fast, I would get a cylinder compression check done.

well i know its not a puma but, i had this in a bmw i had and it was the ecu

i had this with a 206 and found it was the idle control valve it cut out on me all the time when the clutch was down and starting it was terrible

yeah that ICV issue you mention happened to me on my puma! but it always started just stalled straight after.... if its not even starting at all then maybe its a fuel related problem?

fuel pump stopped working?

can you hear it prime and are you sure its the fuel pump. best thing is get a mate to put his head under the car near it.

Have you tried bumping it off????

Mine had a glitch quite a few months back. I started the car and it immediately stopped as I don't think I turned the ignition for long enough.

When I tried to start it again the engine turned over really fast like what you described. I thought the cambelt had snapped and all sorts of terrible things. Anyway, my mate came round and bumped me off, it started no problem and touch wood, it's ran as sweet as a nut ever since and just like it did before it happened.

It still confuses the hell out of me as to what caused it so if you work out what it was please post on here as I'd like a bit of closure or at least know what to check if somethings gone wrong with yours.

Hope you get it sorted

Thanks for all the suggestions, Going to try bumping it as the oil had drained off the hydrulics and towing it will circulate the oil thru system ,soo hopefully there is no damage and this will work,will let you know later if my silver dream machine has fired up and is back on the road where it belongs.fingers crossed.

yeah I had exactly the same problem last winter, EXACTLY that.

Basically came out one morning tried to start and it turned over really fast just like a snapped cambelt, tried it once more and same, so convinced it had snapped arranged for it to be towed to the garage.

garage had it for a day and rang me to say they stripped it down and cambelt was fine and it had started fine

they put it down to the starter having a flid and not engaging properly

not happened since touch wood

hello mate , are u getting spark ? if not then probably it might be the coil pack cause they seem to go on old puma and fiesta's , alsocheck the earth aswell , also try checking if its wet were the ecu round the passenger footwell. feel under the carpet. if its all okay down there then swap the relays around. get under the bonnet and u will find them on the passenger side next to the bulk head . but other than that then u need to check for pulse . i dont no much about checking for pulse but i heard if the signal is feeding back to the ecu then the ecu could be fried . but i hope it aint the ecu .

if it is the ecu its a cheap and easy fix

The girlfriends MGF has a similar problem and that turned out to be the ECU, paid bugger all for a second hand one and it's been fine since (touchwood and all that).

Hi

Its the coil or the crank position sensor.

Paul

its 120 from ecu doctor, u send it to them and they will repair it, but on second thought yh it might be the crank position sensor, try that first, clean it with wd40 , cause when the crank positioning sensor is corroded, the car will have no pulse or spark so best best is cps like nutty said.

hows it going, how u getting on