37 replies to this topic

[mikeynphoto]

Right first time ive had chance to do anything with it for a few days today...

I took off and cleaned up the earth strap engine connections.. bolts and bracket and the ends of the earth strap etc...

Went to try turn the engine over and the throttle cable started to heat up and engine wont turn, just clicked...

Im feeling there must be an earth issue here somewhere,, continuity from body to engine and earth strap is fine.. not sure why it is grounding through the throttle cable though...

Will try cleaning up the battery neg in boot now and report back..

[mikeynphoto]

Cleaned contacts on starter and boot neg...same thing!...running to earth through the throttle cable?? Im confused as hell now..

[pdaykin]

Where are your engine bay earth straps ? It sounds like they aren't doing their job

[GraemeC]

If the throttle cable is getting hot you DO NOT have a good connection through the earth strap.

[pdaykin]

Just a thought, is the engine Earth on the steady bar ? If so, is it arranged so that the bushes are stopping it properly grounding?

[CityEPete]

I'd put a heavy duty jump lead between the engine and a clean bit of bodywork and see if that helps, how clean is the metal near the battery earth too, likewise the starter solenoid connections and crimps.

[sledgehammer]

More worryingly , you may find the brake pipes warming up (if engine is earthed to subframe , but not the body)

 

I would forget the other earth cables for now (esp if you cleaned them up & refitted) - as they aren't working

 

make a new lead up (can be jump lead) from starter motor area (clutch housing) to the bodywork (not subframe)

 

that should fix the problem (then try to reposition the other earth cables)

Edited by sledgehammer, 16 January 2016 - 11:41 PM.

[jsor26]

does it get hot when the battery is connected or when the ignition is turned on?  if thats the case most likely a short. keep in mind that the throttle cable housing is a coiled cable that is not properly bonded to the vehicle neg. therefore acts like a heating coil when it becomes a conductor. and if thats the case and there is a short, bonding the cable to earth should  blow the fuse and help isolate the problem.

[mikeynphoto]

Thank you for the input guys,

I used an earth cable off my welder, attached to engine steady bolt then clamped onto a few diff body positions, with that the engine cranks again and no hot throttle cable, so there is deff a problem with this engine strap,

In the meanwhile i checked my other mini out, i bought it for the engine and parts etc... it has a mg metro 1.3 installed... this one has two earth straps...one like on the 998 from bulkhead to engine steady mount...and another from bulkhead to clutch case.. like you mentioned sledgehammer!...

Think i will make a decent wire up tomorrow and attach from clutch housing to inner wing... see if that helps...

by the way when i got it to crank earlier, it was still turning over slow..

Edited by mikeynphoto, 17 January 2016 - 12:21 AM.

[mikeynphoto]

Only gets hot when cranking jsor

Cityepete i cleaned battery negative body mount and starter and solenoid connections back to clean metal too..

Pdaykin,, yes it is on engine steady bar, would the bolt be grounding it within the thread? Rubber doesnt seem to be insulating it from what i can see.

[Dusky]

Pics say a thousand words.. :)

[cal844]

I have 2 earth's on my minis(one is a 998 the other is a 1275) the standard one(using the top engine steady) and another between inner wing and clutch cover... Car always starts

[CityEPete]

How is the strap bolted at the bulkhead steady position? I wonder if you have isolated the earth that end.

[mikeynphoto]

Its straight to metal on the bulkhead side pete..

[CityEPete]

Weird one then, is there any sign of a crack or fatigue where the steady mounting bracket meets the actual bulkhead?