6 replies to this topic

[Howie1000]

Good afternoon,

My mini, after its 20yr slow rebuild is almost ready! And in true mini fashion...... It won't bloody start! It's a manual 1275 Metro Vanden Plas engine, elec ignition, it's turning and turning but not firing, occasionally a pop or bang from the exhaust. The car was originally an auto, is there anything I could've missed on the wiring? I know there was something on autos to stop the car running away with itself in drive, I I don't know what it could be. All basics have been checked.

[wzd345]

Yes, the park switch inhibitor wires on the auto car need to be bypassed for the engine to run (all other things being correct). You need to locate these two wires and hook them up to a switch, on/off, which can be used as an immobiliser.

On my car (1994) the wires are white with red trace, and I liberated them from the loom, fed into the car, then fitted the switch under the dash.

Good luck.

[Howie1000]

Yes that's the one, white wire with red stripe. I do recall coming across it, but knew it was to do with the auto, so as far as I'm aware, I left it disconnected at each end, do you know where it's meant to go to/via/from at all??
Many thanks

[dklawson]

If the engine is turning over on the starter as your first post suggests, it will not be the automatic inhibitor switch.  The wiring diagrams show that the white/red wire is the normal wire going to the starter solenoid (or starter relay) on manual transmission cars.  On the automatics the white/red has to pass through the inhibitor switch (in series) before reaching the solenoid.  If your starter motor works, you have already bypassed the inhibitor switch.

 

Did the new engine run for you before installation?  If not, how long did it sit?  Were the carb(s) on it when you got it?  Walk us through what you did to install it and any steps you have taken to tune the engine.  Also outline briefly what you have checked so far and how you carried out those tests.

[lawrence]

On mine the White and red wire was the cable to the starter solenoid .. The low power input for the starter relay. 89mini City.

If she's turning over than that'll be fine.
Have you got power to the coil and dizzy?
Popping a ht lead off and putting a spare plug then lay it on the head will see if you have spark.

Go from there and let us know how you get on

[Howie1000]

Embarrassingly enough I had two HT leads in the wrong order!! It fires up fine now. Thanks for the advice

[dklawson]

Thanks for posting your findings.  It is always glad to have conclusions posted to a thread.