My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when 
starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why she's 
only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time.
Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's had 
those two done and a new clutch.

She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the 
stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come back 
on.
Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air.
Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says once 
it gets going.
But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't even 
turn over.

So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these problems? 
Breakdown company on their way as we speak!

Cheers
Paul, West Yorks

On Sat, 3 Sep 2005 16:06:23 +0100, Paul wrote:


> My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when 
> starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why she's 
> only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time.
> Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's had 
> those two done and a new clutch.
> 
> She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the 
> stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come back 
> on.
> Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air.
> Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says once 
> it gets going.
> But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't even 
> turn over.
> 
> So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these problems? 
> Breakdown company on their way as we speak!
> 
> Cheers
> Paul, West Yorks


Someone's probably either trapped a wiring loom or mashed the connections
in a multiplug somewhere.

On Sat, 03 Sep 2005 16:06:23 +0100, Paul   
wrote:


> My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when
> starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why  
> she's
> only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time.
> Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's  
> had
> those two done and a new clutch.
>
> She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the
> stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come  
> back
> on.
> Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air.
> Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says  
> once
> it gets going.
> But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't  
> even
> turn over.
>
> So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these  
> problems?
> Breakdown company on their way as we speak!
>
> Cheers
> Paul, West Yorks
>
>



Normally because when they took the engine out to do it they didn't  
reconnect the earth strap properly.

> My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when
> starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why
she's
> only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time.
> Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's
had
> those two done and a new clutch.
>
> She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the
> stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come
back
> on.
> Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air.
> Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says
once
> it gets going.
> But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't
even
> turn over.
>
> So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these
problems?
> Breakdown company on their way as we speak!
>

Sounds like its not charging, and the strange stuff is happening as the
battery goes flat.
They probably disturbed the alternator wiring when they did the job.

"Paul"  wrote in message
news:4319ba7b$0$17499$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...

> My Mum's 1997 Fiesta (1.2 petrol) has been making a crunching noise when
> starting (intermittently) for the past 3 or 4 years. Don't ask me why
she's
> only just decided to take it to the garage after all this time.
> Anyway, the starter motor and ring gear was damaged apparently, so she's
had
> those two done and a new clutch.
>
> She's collected the car and gone shopping in it. After 5 miles or so, the
> stereo starts tuning itself on and off, then it goes off and won't come
back
> on.
> Then the heater, which is on cold, starts blowing out hot air.
> Then it struggles to get going in first gear, but was alright she says
once
> it gets going.
> But then the engine has conked out altogether and won't start - doesn't
even
> turn over.
>
> So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these
problems?
> Breakdown company on their way as we speak!
>


It'll be a loose Earth from the battery to the engine/Gearbox,chances are
they didn't tighten the bolt when refitting.

Steve

> So how does a new clutch, ring gear and starter motor cause these 
> problems? Breakdown company on their way as we speak!


Certainly sounds like loose earth strap. Complain loudly and get some money 
back. Good luck ;-)
DaveK.

Thanks for all the replies. Seems all diagnoses were roughly correct - it 
was a loose wire between the alernator and battery - reconnected and all OK 
at no cost (I should think not anyway)!
No idea why the breakdown man didn't spot this.

Anyway, I have a happy Mum again.

Cheers
Paul

Paul wrote:

> Thanks for all the replies. Seems all diagnoses were roughly correct
> - it was a loose wire between the alernator and battery - reconnected
> and all OK at no cost (I should think not anyway)!
> No idea why the breakdown man didn't spot this.
>
> Anyway, I have a happy Mum again.


I had a (soon-to-retire) AA man tell me once that the engine management 
system had died on my B-reg Nova (all basic carb setup, no trace of EMS 
anywhere). That was the earth strap too.

> I had a (soon-to-retire) AA man tell me once that the engine management
> system had died on my B-reg Nova (all basic carb setup, no trace of EMS
> anywhere). That was the earth strap too.


Yes, dodgy earthing can do some strange things. My full beam indicator used
to come half on when using the dipped headlights. The current was prefering
the earth path through the full beam lights and dashboard indicator to the
dodgy earth connection to the light bulb.

The lights were a lot better after I replaced all the bulb multiplugs (the
old ones were charred and melted).

Christian.