9 replies to this topic

[ToM 2012]

hi all my car was playing up and misfiring a few weeks back and i checked all the plugs and they are all black with light brown color tips what says normal in the haynes manual anyway it was still spluttering. i changed the plugs and then retried it and it was a lot better and drove fine since. anyway today i started it up this morning all ok moved it of the drive as i was washing my other car i then come back to it later today and it was misfiring very bad wouldnt even go up the drive slope? i have now checked the plugs and 3 are black and one is wet. so i have put some second hand ht leads that i have got and its running ok but splutters when driving it. i have a electronic ignition new spark plugs everything else looks in good nick. what else could be making it splutter and keep missfiring.. thanks tom 

[cal844]

A bad dizzy cap, rotor arm, leads or even a loose connection(ive got this fault on our 998)

Edited by cal844, 07 September 2014 - 07:04 PM.

[lawrie124]

Or a knack erred vacuum advance unit. I spent weeks before I found that on my race car.

[Fast Ivan]

check that you're getting a spark from each of the leads and check your valve clearances

[1984mini25]

If the ignition and fuel checks out and the tappets are sect correctly, I'd be doing a compression test....

[ToM 2012]

drove fine today abit of splutters when driving of this morning but i am sure thats just because engine is cold.. once warmed up it was fine. problem is with my travelling is i only have to travel down the road 10 min drive and then its turned of and left all day untill 5 and then i drive back 10 mins its not getting a good run in is it? 

[Coxie]

I had misfire on one of my old minis and couldn't find the problem for ages. It was only by chance that I opened the bonnet when it was dark one night and could see a wire arcing to the bodywork and causing it to sputter.

[Stu1961]

As the plugs are black and one is wet it may indicate it is running to rich or as you stated before maybe a lack of use especially if the engine isn't getting up to full running temperature. Give the plugs a good clean and take on a run say 20-30 miles then re-check the condition of the plugs.

[minimender]

Check coil connections are good and dry also connector at dizzy is good and dry

I would put new cap and leads on as well.

[Gerbil367]

Might sound stupid, but just check the plug gaps are set correctly - mine misfired for a good while and plugs were black - it ran much better when I re-gapped the plugs, mine were set too close together, my mixture was also a tad rich.