2006 Aygo engine conked out - Why?

[Aygotoground]

I've had this Aygo for about three years and have literally had no problems with it at all.

During the late winter, in the snow, I was driving down a narrow lane and what I thought was a mound of slush turned out to be a chunk of the road surface pused up by a burst field drain. This cracked my exhaust but caused no other damage. The exhaust not became, to my ears, better so I thought I'd just leave it til MoT time.

About a month ago, I was pulling out of my drive ( It started on the button as usual when I was leaving home) and as I pulled onto the road, the engine just stopped. The dashboard lit up like Oxford Street at Christmas and I've not had so much as a splutter from it since. The starter motor tuns the engine over fine but there's no sign of it firing. My guess is that it's an electrical fault. I wonder if the air in the exhaust system has eventually caused the O2 sensor to shut the thing down? I've had no indication that anything was about to go wrong, no misfires, poor starting or anything.

I'm sure a guy with a laptop could point me in the right direction but I live way out of town and the various allegedly mobile auto electricians don't appear to be mobile enough.

Has anyone any idea what this could be?

 

[steveo3002]

o2 sensor wont make it shut down

can you hear the fuel pump prime with ign on ?  are the plugs wet/smell of fuel after cranking 

[flash22]

It could be any number of problems

Tried your spare key ?

Does the car have enough fuel in the tank ?

Do the lights on the dash come on and go off as they should ?

Does the engine sound the same as it did when starting ?

Have you had the codes read if any ?

 

A common issue with the Aygo is it will blow the fusible link, this is behind a cover on the front of the fuse box (behind the battery) under the bonnet

[Aygotoground]

Thank you for these replies. The fuel pump does make the little whirr on turning the key. It didn't seem like a fuel problem to me, it was too immediate, like a switch had been turned off.

I don't have a spare key.

There's enough fuel.

At the accessories position, Engine management, Oil and Battery warning lights are on but ominously, STOP is flashing and continues to flash if I turn the key fully to ingnition, at which point the engine turns over as healthily as it usually does but there's no hint of it firing.

I'm still trying to find a diagnostics guy to come out and interrogate the brain.

I've looked at the fuse box, the three square, colour coded ones on the right front and all the ordinary fuses are intact.

[flash22]

Read my last post re. the fusible link, you have to remove the Battery to access it on the front of the fuse box

 

[Aygotoground]

Thanks Bob, I'll check that out tomorrow.

[Aygotoground]

I’m stuck. I’ve not been able to figure out how to get to the fusible link. I assume you have to undo the clips round the base of the fusebox and slide the upper part off, is that right? I’ve tried to do it but it’s pretty reluctant to move and I don’t want to damage anything.

Pic shows where I’m at...

[flash22]

Unbolt the fuse box from the car and release the 4 clips - 2 at the front and 2 at the rear

 

edit. You need to push on the tab towards the fuse box (the part that come off of the lower half

[Aygotoground]

OK. Thanks. Rain stopped play this afternoon.

[Aygotoground]

Managed to get the fusebox off and separated this afternoon and no dice I'm afraid, the fusible link is bright, clean and intact.

Although it sounded promising, I had my doubts coz there was no identifiable cause for an electrical overload, as I said, I was just pulling out of the driveway onto the road and then - nothing. No odd noises, no spluttering, absolutely nothing.

If it was, for example, a fuel problem, would the word STOP be flashing on the dash as I cranked the engine?

[flash22]

Read the codes - a bad cam or crank sensor could do it, but get it diagnosed first rather that shot gunning parts at it