Citroen Xantia unable to start when engine hot

[Hoppieguy]

My father has a 93 1.8 8 valve petrol Citroen Xantia which will not start if the engine is hot. He will have been driving for some time, stopped to go shopping etc but when he tries to start the engine it will not fire. Any ideas? Any hints would be welcome. Thanks

[sub42]

First port of call is the starter motor. Check all connections, and make sure that the engine earth strap is intact. If all seems ok here, then check the voltage to the solenoid that operates the starter is ok, failing that then the solenoid itself has dried out and needs to be stripped and greased up. Also check for dead cells on the battery, signified usually by a lack of water inside the respective cell. If the battery is of the low maintenence type, then get it drop tested. It's the heat thing that makes me wonder....seems just like a dry solenoid or solenoid contacts. Is the car losing any water?

[sub42]

And that teaches me for not looking in the first place, do you mean it turns over, but wont fire?

[Hoppieguy]

Thanks for reply, but I obviously did make clear problem. My parents had driven 30 miles, picked up relative then driven a further 20 miles + or - then left the vehicle for 10 mins. When they returned to the vehicle and attempted to start the car the engine turned but would not start. They had to wait for the engine to cool down before it would start. There is no loss of fluids Water or Oil).

[jeremy]

Could this be a fuel vaporisation problem? The idea of the return pipework system is that fuel is circulated by the pump - but vaporisation still seems to happen but I'm not sure if its a Xantia problem.

So - it the problem worse when the car is really hot or just a hot start problem? (can it be started at night when its a bit cooler?)

Has anything under the bonnet been disturbed which might cause part of the fuel system to get hot (shield dropped off, pipework re-routed, under bonnet blanket dropping etc.) Does stopping it with the bonnet open etc make any difference?

[AndersDK]

Hot starting problem then.
The starter motor cranks the engine - but the engine will not fire.

I've got to say that at this point we need to know if its the ignition or fuel that fails.
Thats quite easy to establish : pull one of the HT lead plugs, insert a screwdriver, make the screwdriver shaft have some 10mm distance to chassis or engine metallic parts (use a dry & clean rag).
Now try start the hot engne.

If you have sparking from the screwdriver shaft - you have got ignition.
Then the problem is in the fuel system.
If you dont get any sparking - the problem is within the ignition system.

[mezuk04]

I suffered from that problem but with other problems aswell with my old petrol ZX.

I would do a trip to sheffield about 30 miles but usual took an hour to get there, parked up in the local maccies for 15 mins and the car would be a bugger for starting and would need to be continually cranked.

The other problems however was that the car kept stalling at every possible type of driving. Driving up a hill, slowing down at the top of the hill, clutch down for changing gear.

From memory I believe it was down to air getting in

[Clogzz]

I’ve had that at times, when the petrol engine was at operating temperature and getting restarted after being switched off for about 15 minutes.
A second attempt about 10 seconds later with the accelerator pushed half-way down has always cured it.
It’s as per Jeremy’s post, like vapour lock from rising heat.
It’s fairly rare for it to happen, but probably because I rarely start the car twice in a short time span.
The owner’s book knows about it, and says to wait about 10 seconds between starting attempts.