JedB

Thankyou so much for your reply. I have replaced the air filter and is clean, new fuel filter and fuel pump and new plugs but every year they were black previously. The only OBD-2 code showing was a fuel tank sensor which makes sense as shows constantly empty!! Probably damaged it when doing fuel pump after I looked at where it is located. No other codes have come up. I was thinking of replacing the lambda before cat. I have someone currently helping me with welding the new flexi on (as the repair kit didn't fit at all!!) so that will be air tight etc. Wiper is now fixed and clearing. I did a new brake cylinder - now the brakes are binding slightly on that side I think and handbrake is solid with 1 click so I need to look at this tomorrow, really appreciate your advice on that. Fingers crossed the exhaust system now being sound will mean emissions will sail through, have also taken it for a good run and dropped some additive in the tank.

@amgeriz@ObjectiveAway @mk2Hi guys. MOT day today! Didn’t go as well as anticipated lol. Apparently a brake cylinder on the rear is causing alot of the problems involving brakes but said “might” need some brake shoes on rear too?: Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects): Nearside Rear Service brake has no recorded effort at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (ii)) Nearside Rear Hydraulic brake cylinder leaking and braking performance affected (1.1.16 (b) (ii)) Repair immediately (major defects): Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii)) Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases flexi (6.1.2 (a)) Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i)) Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i)) Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i)) Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c)) He also said it may need a catalytic converter but I’m sure there must be something in that the spark plugs are very black within 1year of driving in the sense of it running rich but mechanical knowledge limited. The exhaust leaking is that flexi which I did kind of expect. Windscreen wipers were brand new so will have to double check i’ve fitted all ok which is frustrating. Any advice input or advice appreciated, thanks again.

Thanks so much. Have ordered the drop links today and exhaust parts. Also ordered brake discs and pads for front - hopefully rear drums+shoes clean up. Am mildly concerned the pads look slightly more worn on one side so caliper may be sticking a little and may need replacing especially now it's been sat for so long. Alot of people saying the car is not worth saving - giving me more motivation.. lol!

@tigcraft @mk2 Thankyou both so much. I did have an axel stand under too before going under, I see the triple sill now, thanks alot, appears to be no marks where I jacked. I have found the anti roll bar drop links, hopefully they are simple and a couple of bolts. Once new tyres are on tomorrow I can drive onto my little plastic ramps which I much prefer (with a couple axel stands, wheels chocked etc). I will have a look at Waxoyl - was going to buy the hammerite black paint to touch up alot of areas. Thanks so much guys - really feeling better about this car for my sister - knew it wasn't scrap as some people advised her - done £160 on 4 brand new 13" tyres, £90 fuel pump, £25 on wipers, £16 coolant, £25 fuel filter+spark plugs and now exhaust and drop links all seems well worth it considering when I owned the car I had the pedal box removed and refurbished and various other labour intense jobs.

@tigcraft @mk2 @Rich @ObjectiveAway @amgeriz Thanks for your help - so glad it’s running. Flushed all the fluids and changed wipers. I can see I have a perished bush on the wishbone which I initially thought was a droplink, can anyone please use their expertise identifying? Also this white part of the exhaust looks worse for wear, wondering if I buy this whole set of exhaust from eBay, any advice appreciated as smoke is escaping. I am now going to trawl the forums and youtube on changing aux belt, I think cam belt and water pump will be in order too but at a garage but then we should be ready for an MOT!

I did indeed and there was some electricity to the fuel pump! So figured had to be fuel pump. Replaced this and boom started first time! Thanks everyone. Will get fluids changed etc next.

Tried with replacement relay for fuel pump, still no fuel coming through. Fiel supply wires seem to be ok. I think new fuel pump is next.

Didn’t realise so many possibilities at the same time as easy fix! Fun starts. I tested the fuel pump fuse you mention and all fine. No sounds from relay so I think I am going to replace the fuel pump relay next. We did the fuel filter already. There is good ignition. I’ll feedback how we do with a new fuel pump relay. Then if no luck I may have to check the fuel signal control connection which may not be simple for me. Fingers crossed it’s this 410 8pin relay, do you think if it’s not a new fuel pump wouldn’t be a bad idea?

First off: Thankyou so much for all of your suggestions. I have only gotten round last week to having time to pop over and give these ideas a go. I copied advice from @mk2 and did tiny bit of oil in cylinders and replaced the plugs (they were very sooty) and sprayed some easy start inside, it ran straight away and cuts out, the more i spray itll run nicely off of it. Some little dying revs with the foot pedal but almost non-existant, no notable increase in RPM. I did an OBD scan and only one code which is fuel level sensor reading error. Cleared it but came back as soon as restarting engine which is odd but no other faults showing. Removed the two fuel pipes i could see at the plastic fuel rail and cranked with pedal but no fuel coming out. Don’t hear anything from fuel pump either. Now I am wondering, I have removed the relay for the fuel pump (410, 8pin) I am thinking about replacing this (£45) or buying a fuel pump for £70 and replacing, any ideas would be greatly appreciated as i hear no sounds from fuel pump itself or the relay. Perhaps i take the £45 relay simple job first then try the fuel pump? Just find it odd that its happened whilst sat but runs beautifully and quiet with fuel or easy start sprayed into the engine. Thanks again everyone

Hi guys. I have a 2001 Lupo 1.0 (70,000mi) thats was in the family for 7 years and well taken care of. Most recently had a new pedal box welded up and painted and reinstalled with a new clutch. Sadly my sister had been unable to drive the vehicle for 3+ years and it had been sat with some intermittent starting to begin with but at least 1+ year of no starting and 3+ years not driven. We did notice on a service a few years before she obtained it that the spark plugs were very carbony all black at the ends but replaced them (less than 1 year before it was left sitting) im not sure if this could be related but doubt it as car was running fine until it was left sat and may be something else we need to investigate once it gets running. We have changed the oil and filter and air filter, we have changed the plugs and charged the battery with trickle charger. All the electrics are back to life and working now but the vehicle is cranking but not starting! Does anyone have any other suggestions of what we could try? Someone suggested changing the fuel filter which I will do tomorrow but they said may need to do the pump too. Any suggestions are really greatly appreciated!

Not that I have noticed but it's a second car and doesn't get driven that much. We do love this car so I think I'll be making some attempts to get her back to normal again!

I will replace these hoses that are bodged. Should I replace the temp sensor with one from TPS at same time and do plugs as well and go from there?

Thankyou for your reply. No EML light on. Still worth getting it read? Funny you mention that as I replaced engine temperature sensor about 2years ago, just got a cheap one from euro car parts - suspicious lifetime alot of their stuff. This could be the answer.

Thankyou so much for replying. I don't have a whole lot of experience with cars as you can tell. Spoke to car parts store and they didn't know what pipes I was describing so I'm gonna take em off and take them down to the store tomorrow and see how much it is to replace them. The idle does seem to be fine at the moment. Where would you start with this issue? Replace these pipes and replace the plugs and go from there? A mate said it might need a really good run? Thanks again.

It might also be worth noting that I have some air pipes on my car that have been bodged with duct tape a friend did years ago when car was running odd. Could this be causing car to be running too rich? Does anyone know the names of these two pipes? One connects to the throttle valve and the other has a two way head at the end of it. Any help is appreciated, thanks guys.