14 replies to this topic

[a1dan mini]

I recently completed my mini project and managed to get the car through the mot, but a few hours after the car passing the mot the car wouldn't run properly which made me a tad confused as it ran perfect at the mot :S, since the problem started we have had to take the car backwards and forwards to southam minis who have been really helpful when we first took the car they fitted an electric dizzy and a new type carb needle, and they thought the problem was solved so i took the car home and it was fine ran perfect all the way home, i left the car for a while and then decided to attempt to start the car to see if it was starting any better and i was shocked it just wouldn't start again it will turn off but not fire up, the way i managed to get the car started again was to pump the throttle pedal really fast and then all of sudden it would fire up.

We decided to take it back to southam minis as when we rang them they said to us we cant leave you with the car doing that as it still is running properly so we drove the car back there, we then went back and collected the car and they said that they had the car running and it starts every time the owner even showed us it running turning the ignition off and then back on again so i drove the car back home thinking finally the problem was sorted, driving the car home was an absolute dream it didn't miss a beat, when i arrived home i decided to give the car a quick wash as it had been very dusty at Southam minis and my car looked filthy which was really annoying anyways i decided that once i had finished a quick clean i would crank the engine over again and guess what it wouldn't start we by know just didn't really know what the problem was so we thought right lets ring southam minis and see what they said luckily we are not to far from them so he said bring it back and we will have another look and sort it for you.

We took it back and the owners son altered some of the wiring so that the coil was getting 12 volt to it as it was wired so that it was on getting 9, after he had done the wiring he said leave the car for 15minutes and we will come back to it again and try it so he showed us round the workshop and then we started the car again with no problems, so i left southam minis and drove to Coventry with my friend to meet my dad and had to park my car a short distance away from were we where with the hope that later on i would move the car closer so that it would be easier to watch and keep away from thieving hands! 1hour passed and i said to my friend im going to move my car now closer so we can watch it easily, i went to start it and it wouldn't fire up it would just turn over it sounded very much like the carb was getting flooded because when you pull away after letting the car warm up for a few minutes it would be very sluggish and hardly move anywhere even with my foot pinned to the floor to clear it but when it was warm it run okay until you have to come to a stop and traffic light and then it sounds like it wants to cut so u have to hold the revs on to keep it going :S i then thought right ill park up and see what happens know so i parked up and turned the car off and tried to start it and again it would start up it would turn over but not run! there was constanly a strong smell of fuel when the car was always hard to get started again and nobody knows were the smell is coming from.

Southam minis said they think that the carb is flooding and they cannot understand why, but they currently have the car and they said they will keep it until they find the fault, it always seems to be that it wont start when the car has been hot and then turned off! it also at the minute is costing me a fortune in fuel so im not quite sure were that is going.

Has anybody else had a similar problem like this with their mini??????

Edited by a1dan mini, 10 September 2010 - 03:49 PM.

[pikey7]

quite honestly, i can't even read that! Ever heard of a paragraph!?

reformat it a bit and i'm sure you'll get some more help.

edit: don't mean it to sound like i'm having a go.. i'm not! just trying to help...

Edited by pikey7, 10 September 2010 - 03:45 PM.

[pikey7]

can they not just try another carb and see if that solves the issue? Seems like it is carb related, but they aren't sometimes easy to diagnose.

Is there a spacer/insulator between carb and inlet? Possibly you're getting vapourisation before it hits the engine. Have they checked for vacuum leaks? hoes the compression?

[lrostoke]

If they think carb is flooding you don't say what carb.

If its HS4 then remove the lid off the float bowl and clean out the needle jet. Or fit a new one.

Can't help on the HIF versions not had much experience.

[tonic2k]

im going to be one of those really annoying people and say i cant help you but have exactly the same problem, after a short journey it wont start again just keeps turning over then 5 mins of trying later it goes.

[a1dan mini]

can they not just try another carb and see if that solves the issue? Seems like it is carb related, but they aren't sometimes easy to diagnose.

Is there a spacer/insulator between carb and inlet? Possibly you're getting vapourisation before it hits the engine. Have they checked for vacuum leaks? hoes the compression?

We have changed the carb since and the problem stopped for about a 1 hour run now its doing it again, im not sure about the spacer between the carb and inlet :S
i think that there is some vaporization going on but we are not sure how to prevent it, by putting an electric fuel pump in the boot prevent this???

[pikey7]

electric fuel pump isn't going to help things. The carb is getting fuel, so it's not a supply issue.

problem with diagnosing the carb flooding is that you could be doing it yourself when trying to start the car.

as mentioned above, what carb is it?

[a1dan mini]

electric fuel pump isn't going to help things. The carb is getting fuel, so it's not a supply issue.

problem with diagnosing the carb flooding is that you could be doing it yourself when trying to start the car.

as mentioned above, what carb is it?

oh right southam mini said that the electric pump would help because it would route the fuel another way so that it wont get hot!

The carb is a hs4

thanks

[pikey7]

seems an expensive way of solving that. A heat shield would be better, or some heat sleeving on the pipe.

how is the engine compression? hot and cold. I assume they have checked the spark strength and the timing? What dizzy did they fit? It's not the module breaking down when hot? Although that probably wouldn't just affect hot starting.

[a1dan mini]

seems an expensive way of solving that. A heat shield would be better, or some heat sleeving on the pipe.

how is the engine compression? hot and cold. I assume they have checked the spark strength and the timing? What dizzy did they fit? It's not the module breaking down when hot? Although that probably wouldn't just affect hot starting.

Yeh it is expensive but just want it sorted now to be honest. One of my dads friend mentioned making a heat shield but my dad is reluctant to make a heat shield god knows why he keeps sayin it is to hard to do even though i dont think it would be how would you say to do it?? could i use braided pipes?

The engine compression has been checked hot and cold and they said it was fine, they have checked everything the spark and the dizzy timing as well as he did that when i was there :S

thanks

[pikey7]

if the fuel is vapourising in the float bowl, and not just in the pipe, then you'll have wasted the money on the pump etc. A shield would solve both issues. Braided pipes wouldn't do much to improve it... they would just stop any contact between manifold and pipe being an issue.

to my mind, a bit of ally folded up and screwed to the cable plate, plus a foot length of hose heat sleeving would eliminate that potential issue. (and cost about a tenner all in!)

edit: The carb hasn't got one of the old waxstat jets has it? They heat up from the manifold and effectively give the car choke when it doesn't need it and overfuels on startup...

Edited by pikey7, 10 September 2010 - 04:41 PM.

[a1dan mini]

if the fuel is vapourising in the float bowl, and not just in the pipe, then you'll have wasted the money on the pump etc. A shield would solve both issues. Braided pipes wouldn't do much to improve it... they would just stop any contact between manifold and pipe being an issue.

to my mind, a bit of ally folded up and screwed to the cable plate, plus a foot length of hose heat sleeving would eliminate that potential issue. (and cost about a tenner all in!)

edit: The carb hasn't got one of the old waxstat jets has it? They heat up from the manifold and effectively give the car choke when it doesn't need it and overfuels on startup...

ohh okay that doesnt sound to bad to make to be honest, no they removed the jet as they said it did that but now im really confused what to do :S

[pikey7]

basically whatever you can do to stop the fuel heating up would be a good start. shielding, and do check on the carb insulator/spacer. Especially if you have a standard one piece exhaust/inlet manifold.

[a1dan mini]

basically whatever you can do to stop the fuel heating up would be a good start. shielding, and do check on the carb insulator/spacer. Especially if you have a standard one piece exhaust/inlet manifold.

Okay thankyou very much for your help

[jonjosar]

basically whatever you can do to stop the fuel heating up would be a good start. shielding, and do check on the carb insulator/spacer. Especially if you have a standard one piece exhaust/inlet manifold.

Okay thankyou very much for your help

Not a mini fix but the old Renault 5 Turbo used to have this problem. Renault decided that the problem was caused by "percolation". Basically, the fuel boiled in the carb after a journey and the car refused to start.
They made a kit for the cars involved which consisted of a relay that switched on the electric cooling fan after the car was turned off and ducting into the carburettor feeding the cold air. The relay timed the fan to run for approx 10 mins.
It did have some success in solving the problem.
Have you tried leaving the bonnet of the car open when you switch it off? This would give you cooler air around the engine bay.
Does your car have the electric fan on the nearside inner wing or the older fixed fan on the water pump?