Engine turns but doesn't fire

You are right, Jack. 'Clear flood mode'. Foot flat on floor then lift it 5mm and turn it over! Most Japanese makes have the same thing!

Jimnydave, Assuming all 4 spark plugs were fitted at the same time to the same engine they will all be in the same condition. So if one spark plug has failed do you think the other 3 are going to be as they were when you fitted them?

Also, most starting issues I have experienced happen when the engine is cold because the injector pulse is longest then so more fuel pumps in.

Thanks for all the advice on here - checked for spark, all OK, next was to check fuel actually getting through but thought I'd try it again, lo and behold it started and hasn't dropped a beat since. Hope I'm not speaking too soon but looks like just one of those things - crap in the fuel? Air in the fuel line? I'd just filled the tank so who knows? I'll do a longer run in daylight tomorrow and hope to put it down to experience, but thanks again for all the input.

If all you done was remove the spark plugs, turn it over and it started it sounds like it was flooded.

I'd treat it to a new set of spark plugs. Check the engine coolant temp sensor is reading accurately in the data list.

Crap in the fuel usually happens because the fuel level has been run very low in the tank allowing corrosion into the pipes or water is getting in thru a corroded filler neck or tank. Constantly low fuel level and lack of use allows condensation to build up inside the top of the tank.
If you only have problems with low fuel level it would back that up.

To pick up on your first comment Jimnydave, my daughter has an 06 reg soft top, what age is yours?
Several anomalies, aside the VVT, it’s metallic red with matching bumpers and arches, it has the older front disks, with the larger centre, so if you’re ever ordering these use an older reg number. I ordered a pair with the 06 reg and they wouldn’t fit but luckily I had a pair ordered for my 02 reg which did.

Mine was registered 24 March 06 so had an 06 plate. I understand Santana stopped exporting the soft tops to the UK in 05 so this would have been one of the last and sat around for a few months before being sold. It also seems they only fitted the VVT engines to the soft tops for a very few months. By my reckoning the car's a Type 5 according to the table on the forum; details are difficult though because nobody (even Suzuki) seems to have the records of the VINs for the Spanish vehicles. Mine's red all over but not metallic. Good tip about the brake discs though! Thanks for that and keep in touch, sounds like we could be useful to each other!

JimnyDave, I think we might have the same model; mine is an 06 convertible VVT, so a bit of an annomoly as I understand.

So far I've had no starting issues but my engine cranks a few more turns than I'd like on a cold mornings before it lights, so a new battery may be required in the near future.

I'm a big advocate of 'using' up as much fuel in the tank as possible. Doing this continually, helps to ensure any small amounts of crap or water in the bottom of the tank always get drawn through to the filter, but you need to be confident that there is very little crap in the tank in the first place or it will cause big problems! I always fill the tank to the brim rather than just top up 'a bit'.
If the car is left standing for any length of time, again, as Delux mentioned, fill the tank to the brim to reduce the amount of condensation that can form.

An odd problem I had with a (proper BMC) Mini was that unless the fuel tank was full to the brim, it would cut-out going up a local steep hill. This was a weak (mechanical) fuel pump - probably a knackered diaphragm in the pump. I'm not sure how the Jimny pump operates but it's just a thought.