Here is EXACTLY what I done in a perfect timeline before it decided to run like this.




1. I first took the rocker cover off to fix the rocker cover gasket leak. I put it back on, it ran fine for 2 days, the gasket was still leaking though so I put gasket glue on it this time and let it dry. I then started the car and it ran bad (low idling, bassy purring exhaust sound etc). I then turn it off and find the bolt on the rocker cover gasket had a 90 degree crack around it. I wonder how this had happened since I only torqued them to the specified 6nm.
Dad then tells me he tightened them with ALL HIS STRENGTH a few months ago to attempt to stop the oil leaking. I'm guessing the pressure of this and my taking the rocker cover over twice finally opened the crack.

2. I then replaced it with an EL rocker cover Which it still idled badly.

3. (****WEIRD PART****). I reverse it out of the driveway with it sounding bad since I needed to move it. It idles extremely low and then dies. NOW THIS IS THE STRANGE PART, I try to start it again and there is no noise just dead silence, so it's stuck in the middle of the road with the hazard lights on. 5 minutes later I thought I'd try to start it again and it just starts (but still sounds bad) and I put it into the garage).

4. I take off the cover to find that the rocker cover gasket fell off around an area of 2 inches so I reapply correctly this time fully sealed. I then start the engine. it actually sounds a bit better but still sounds bad. I decide to hop out and listen closely to the engine to examine it more. The idle speed is changing only very little though but is still low sounding. I hear a rattling from around where the rocker cover snapped. The rattling sounds trebly (like paper hitting a fan rattling) it is also around the timing chain which worries me. Also there is a big air noise for a few seconds after I start it although I am unsure whether it was always there.

I then turn it of afraid that I am causing damage.

The strangest part was no firing attempt when I tried to start it DIRECTLY after it died and 5 minutes later without changing anything it just magically starts.

motor wont turn,is starter motor locked in mesh-didnt release

Is it possible this thing was badly o/heated at some stage ? Could explain some of the issues... I know for one that my EF never had such brown rocker gear - looks as if the oil has gone really gummy...

Have you replaced broken PCV valve yet! If not have you plugged the hose?

Grumbles

Yeah replaced the valve and plugged the hose in.

The oil looks fine in real life the flash just made it look brown like.

How do I unmesh it?

rock the car,is it manual or auto

It's an auto

Yeah just replaced rocker cover and nothing is fixed.

I'm just gonna take it to G&D mechanics in cranbourne

One multi meter normally measures all of the items - Volts, Amps and resistance. Try not to get too fancy a unit that measures stuff like capicitance, freq, Hfe etc. as this may only confuse and cost you more. Make sure it has decent leads and is protected ( typically with an internal fuse) on at least the current (Amps) range. Hint: DON'T try to measure the current your battery can deliver only measure its Volts.

Perhaps you could try cranking the motor with the starter...

The really weird non-start thing. Sure you were in P or N?

Here are a couple of pics under my EF rocker cover - you can see the colour of the oil where its hanging around. Speedo says 219,000Km

 

 

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Trying to turn the motor? Pulled out the plugs? I had a strange noise coming from the front of my motor after giving it a bit of a run, although it idled and ran well. The grating growling sound seemed to not get much worse as I revved the motor. The boys had a listen - timing chain tensioner was said quite often. Next morning I decided it could be the power steering pump as it had a tingling vibration that kind of matched the bad sound.
Took off the serpentine belt (EF) and the bad sound was gone. Excellent!
Without the belt tension it was also easy to feel the play in the water pump bearings. Eureka. No need to take off the timing cover, but changed the front seal while I was there. All of that stuffing around and I thought I knew what I was doing.

Looks like you are trying to hop, skip and jump up the learning curve. At least the parts are cheap. Hang in there.


C

Yeah the mechanics look fine.

AN UPDATE.

I got a digital multimeter from school (it's a cheapo).

I don't know how to se it that well there's a lot of options along a dial wheel.

I took out the TFI module and got no reading but does the negative battery terminal have to be connected? I disconnected it.

I also decided to take of HT lead 1 to check the ohms I selected 20k on the digital multimeter (only option that showed readings) and I got 7.97 I thought they were meant to be like 10 000 it's like a whole 9.993k off. Does it mean 7970? Also I done this form lead end to end I had no distributer cap on.

OK I put it back together and it starts a lot weaker now and also the rough sound it was making has got a lot worse!!!

Also

Anyone???

It's been like this for a week now.

Dunno if it's even driveable to a mechanic

Did you check your old PCV valve on top of the rocker cover. There is a little ball bearing inside it. Sometimes the grey plastic type pcv valve cracks and the little ball falls into the engine and f$cks your engine up big time. Ford installed the stronger steel ones on LPG cars only. Just give it a shake, you should hear it rattling inside the pcv valve.

cheers..

Yeah the old one was fine, still had the ball in it.

Also how do I check the operation of my MAP sensor and oxygen sensor?