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[Andy B]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

[terry paget]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

As said in reply66, starter works fine connecting solenoid terminals 12v live to solenoid activate, it cranks the engine, but ngine does not start.

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

Nope, jump, with leads, from a working car.

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

As said in reply66, starter works fine connecting solenoid terminals 12v live to solenoid activate, it cranks the engine, but ngine does not start.

Didn't answer the question.

Have you physically connected the battery on the car to the battery of a working car with jump leads for the express purpose of starting it?

[terry paget]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

As said in reply66, starter works fine connecting solenoid terminals 12v live to solenoid activate, it cranks the engine, but ngine does not start.

Didn't answer the question.

Have you physically connected the battery on the car to the battery of a working car with jump leads for the express purpose of starting it?

No. I have connected a second fully charged battery with jump leads to battery in car, but that was before I worked out how to crank the starter. With the fuel gauge suddenly reading empty and the display saying F gal/h I thought we had agreed the fuel pump and gauge were lacking power.
Do you reckon it is worth my dipping the fuel tank to confirm there is fuel in it, and if there is: I should connect the battery of a second car, with engine running, to the battery of sick car, with SWMBO in sick car, in neutral, handbrake on, crank the engine for a minute or so, and see if it starts?

[STEMO]

How would a lack of fuel stop the motor from turning over? Gah........going round in circles. 

[terry paget]

How would a lack of fuel stop the motor from turning over? Gah........going round in circles. 

It wouldn't, but it would stop it starting.

[STEMO]

There's a fault on this car that you are not going to find by tapping relays, removing fuses and running wires. Someone who knows what they're doing needs to have a look, and I hope you haven't made it more difficult by adding faults.
You are out of your depth, Terry, leave it alone.

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

As said in reply66, starter works fine connecting solenoid terminals 12v live to solenoid activate, it cranks the engine, but ngine does not start.

Didn't answer the question.

Have you physically connected the battery on the car to the battery of a working car with jump leads for the express purpose of starting it?

No. I have connected a second fully charged battery with jump leads to battery in car, but that was before I worked out how to crank the starter. With the fuel gauge suddenly reading empty and the display saying F gal/h I thought we had agreed the fuel pump and gauge were lacking power.
Do you reckon it is worth my dipping the fuel tank to confirm there is fuel in it, and if there is: I should connect the battery of a second car, with engine running, to the battery of sick car, with SWMBO in sick car, in neutral, handbrake on, crank the engine for a minute or so, and see if it starts?

This is exactly what I suggested you do. Don't piss about trying to 'dip' the tank though. The gauge should work with reliable voltage applied to the car. Instructions to follow...

[Doctor Gollum]

1. Find a working car and jump leads. Ensure that the battery terminals are securely connected to the respective batteries.

2. Park the working car next to, BUT NOT TOUCHING, the broken one in such a way that the batteries are as close as possible... ie if the working car is the Omega, so that the nearside wing is next to the Vauxhall badge on the Vectra Grill.

3. With both cars off, connect the red lead to both positive terminals.

4. Connect the black lead to both negative terminals, starting with the working car.

5. Start the working car, and leave to idle. Then turn the headlights on.

6. Only now should you insert the key on the broken car.
Turn to position 1 and count to ten.

7. Turn the key to position 2 and count to ten.

8. Try cranking the broken car.

9. If it starts, allow both cars to idle for five minutes. Then with both cars idling, disconnect the leads in reverse order.

10. If it cranks but doesn't start, repeat 6/7/8.

If it doesn't crank, then you'll need to get someone to have a look at it.

[terry paget]

Have you tried jump starting it yet?

bump 

As said in reply66, starter works fine connecting solenoid terminals 12v live to solenoid activate, it cranks the engine, but ngine does not start.

Didn't answer the question.

Have you physically connected the battery on the car to the battery of a working car with jump leads for the express purpose of starting it?

No. I have connected a second fully charged battery with jump leads to battery in car, but that was before I worked out how to crank the starter. With the fuel gauge suddenly reading empty and the display saying F gal/h I thought we had agreed the fuel pump and gauge were lacking power.
Do you reckon it is worth my dipping the fuel tank to confirm there is fuel in it, and if there is: I should connect the battery of a second car, with engine running, to the battery of sick car, with SWMBO in sick car, in neutral, handbrake on, crank the engine for a minute or so, and see if it starts?

This is exactly what I suggested you do. Don't piss about trying to 'dip' the tank though. The gauge should work with reliable voltage applied to the car. Instructions to follow...

Thanks for all your help, Doc. I did most of that on day one, in that I put in a freshly charged battery, and when nothing happened, I jumped to it another larger, freshly charged battery. I put on the headlights. I turned the key, the engine did not crank, and the headlights did not dim.
I do not know a man who could help.
This job is not urgent. I had planned to leave the car until I could get a new Vx thermostat to throttle hose, as you suggested, but I got bored with the lockdown, so bought some Loctite EA9492 and reassembled the pipe, then the exhaust. Then I put back the battery, and the rest you know.
It gives me something to do in the lockdown, which could last till next summer. I believe everybody will eventually catch coronavirus, and that will sort me out.

[Doctor Gollum]

Doing most of it isn't the same thing. 

Read and follow the steps and report back.

[terry paget]

Doing most of it isn't the same thing. 

Read and follow the steps and report back.

I bow to your wisdom, Doc, so I'll give it a go. I reckon I'll get to no.8, and the engine will not crank.
I'd love to be proven wrong.
I'll report back.

[terry paget]

It took 10 minutes to organise the cars, ands 2 minutes to perform your test. I regret to report that engine did not crank. With sick Vectra headlights on, they did not dim on cranking attempt.

[Doctor Gollum]

Best get someone out to look at it then.