7 replies to this topic

[Rickmayne]

Hi,

Just a quickie - my 94 spi cooper has been running fine, but recently it keeps loosing ignition lights and refusing to start. I used to solve this by fiddling around with one of the spade terminals but thats not working now. I've just realised that the other, smaller spade terminal has nothing attached to it. I cant see any loose wires anywhere near, is something supposed to be there? I can't remember anything being there before but its just been in the garage, they might have tied it up "accidently". Cant find it on the wiring diagram. The other spade terminal (which ive recently cleaned as well as the connector) is the large brown and red wired one.

Cheers

[minisilverbullet]

Hi,

Just a quickie - my 94 spi cooper has been running fine, but recently it keeps loosing ignition lights and refusing to start. I used to solve this by fiddling around with one of the spade terminals but thats not working now. I've just realised that the other, smaller spade terminal has nothing attached to it. I cant see any loose wires anywhere near, is something supposed to be there? I can't remember anything being there before but its just been in the garage, they might have tied it up "accidently". Cant find it on the wiring diagram. The other spade terminal (which ive recently cleaned as well as the connector) is the large brown and red wired one.

Cheers

Can you get a picture?

I have a spare terminal also, lets see if its the same!

[The_Mistro]

there should be a black and white wire for the rev counter, but obviously if you dont have one this is not needed, but i cant remember of the top of my head which side this is meant to be on!

Sorry I thort you were talking about the coil, ignore me, my bad

Edited by The_Mistro, 21 February 2010 - 05:00 PM.

[Rickmayne]

sure: the top (slightly butchered) is the large red/brown spade, the bottom, smaller terminal is the unused one

Attached Files

•  21022010026.jpg   559.01K   20 downloads

[AGoaty]

Looking at the photo, I would say that fitting a proper spade terminal would help.

If I am not mistaken it has wire twisted into the spade hole!

That's not good in any situation but certainly not good enough on the solonoid.

[Rickmayne]

ah dont worry its not normally like that
took the photo half way through fitting a new spade, the old one had gone green lol

[Punts]

The unused terminal on the solinoid sometimes has a wire that goes to the coil. It gives the coil an independant 12v feed as the starter draws power from the rest of the system. To loose the ignition lights and the singal to the starter solinoid I think you have a bad connection at the brown wires at the starter. from your photo there looks to be a bit of corrosion at them. You could get the same symptoms with a faulty ignition switch.

[Rickmayne]

Ah thanks Punts, will get the multimeter out and check the signal from the ignition barrel etc