I think it should be a crank sensor..did you already check it?

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Another think you can make, disconnect the plug or the high pressure pump and reconnect it again.

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Back to basics...in a petrol car, if you have a spark and fuel it will run....maybe not well but it will run...so which is missing. Are your plugs wet and smell of fuel?.....yes...than you have fuel being injected. So then you need to see about the sparks. I'm surprised there are no fault codes.

 

The old way to check for a spark was to take a plug out, re connect the lead and hold it with a pair of insulated pliers against a convenient bit of earth eg the cam cover, and get a mate to crank it and you will see if there is a spark.

 

....or...as my dad did to me when I was about 6....get me to hold the HT lead whilst he cranked the engine over. The loud scream as I left the ground confirming that there was indeed powet to the plugs. My mum went mad!

 

Yes, I did think about that when I wrote about using insulated pliers. Those were the days of trying to get the morrie minor going so my dad could get to work (remember lad, you may not be rich, but you'll be happy) A TBi might kick a bit harder, so the pliers would be good!
Some testers have a clamp that you can attach to the wire to test for a current so you don't have to remove the plug.

 

I had a problem with a non-starting car because I did not let the throttle body calibrate and find the idle position after I removed the battery. Sometimes you just need to keep the key in the on, (but not starting) position for a few minutes and you should be able to hear the throttle body make noises. Could be different for your 159, it's just a suggestion.

 

check live data see if you have rpm signal when cranking.
As above whip plugs out see if they are wet.
Could you remove all plugs fit to coils and ground against engine to check for spark?

have you checked the belt timing?

 

Thank you for the replies, I’ve just done a old school spark test and I’m seeing plenty of bright blue spark. I did this with the fuel pump fuse out as I didn’t want to flood the engine.

The engine does have an RPM signal whilst cranking, and I have tried leaving key ignition for a few mins before starting.

Tomorrow I’ll try cranking once more with everything reconnected and check the plugs are wet. If so I’ll look at some of the other suggestions. Thanks,

 

Check cranking speed on MES too...will give a clue about battery performance....maybe is just not turning over fast enough.

 

If you have a healthy spark, then as Alfaitalia said earlier, it likely is a fuel, or lack of, issue.

 

Thanks for the suggestions - ive now taken a look back at the new spark plugs, they are wet, but also seem a bit blackened by oil/carbon deposits - see image and note this is a brand new plug (although has been subject to a fair bit of cranking without any starting/running) - is this a clue?

Back when the car was running I had one off faults of P0340 (timing sensor - no signal) and P0191 (fuel high pressure regulator - short to ground), but these didn't (and continue not to) reappear, so I discounted them - was I wrong to have done so? I've taken off and cleaned the cam position sensor. I tested it's resistance with a multi-meter and got an extremely high reading (70k Ω), but internet was giving conflicting opinions on whether that's a valid test or really means anything for this type of sensor. They are relatively cheap to replace, but feels a bit of a long shot. Checking belt timing looks a bit tricky.

Ran some more MES stats - cranking speed is around 200-300 rpm, fuel pressure 70-80 bar, battery voltage is fine. Still no faults. Thoughts welcomed before I really do chuck in the towel this time!

 

Have you checked the starting motor? My TBI had a starting issue last year and ended up being a rusted earth down near the gearbox however it wasn’t turning over like your was ...removed and cleaned and went back to normal .

 

Looks like oil fouling on the plug rather than just carbon - was there petrol on it? - if it smells of engine oil - it could possibly be either oil getting past piston rings or PCV (oil vapour separator valve) sticking or blocked breather pipes. But if you clean the plugs first and it still doesn't go as you did before, the jammed PCV or whatever wouldn't explain the lack of any starting so then it must be a fuel issue considering that you have established that there is a spark. Whichever, you do have a plug fouling problem that you have to solve.
Good luck.

 

Seems odd the plugs are like that despite having not run since they were fitted.
Did they smell of fuel when you fetched them out?
If they smell of fuel it would defo be belt timing and compression test time if it was me.

 

Just to close the loop on this one - it was, as many predicted, a fuel issue - the fuel pump was a bit jammed and wasn’t feeding the engine sufficiently. Didn’t need a new one, just needed some tinkering. Took it to NJS Alfa who sorted that and another 100 assorted bits and pieces out, a great service and she’s now running as good as new. Thanks all for the help