11 replies to this topic

[Red dwarf]

Hello,
I was driving the car in a little bit of rain when the engine died. Tried to turn it over, the engine was turning but wouldn't start and waited for the RAC. After having a look and a prod around for about 30 minutes, reckoned that it isn't a fuel problem but probably the coil has gone!

I couldn't take a day off so unfortunately I was towed to work! Haha ordered a new coil and fitted a week later. Bearing in mind the is car is in dry building just in case it was rain that caused the problem. Fitted the new coil, almost went to bite but not quite.

After reading through various subjects on here I changed the vacuum pipes and fuel trap and let the ECU dry overnight. Checked the HT leads and dizzy cap and they looked a bit tired so thought just replace them, along with new spark plugs and rotor arm. Changed the fuel filter as looked rusty as anything, still no!

It'll start for maybe 2 or 3 seconds, sounds sluggish as anything and die. Try again and won't fire. But if I keep slightly pressing the accelerator pedal it almost wants to bite, but there's a popping noise coming from somewhere if I do that???

Could I just have the timing out? Or is it a fuel problem? With the air filter off the injector only spits out fuel? Is that because there already fuel in the system? I have put more fuel in the tank just to make sure

I've got tools, a Haynes manual, but I am amateur haha never had problems with it and always start straight from turning the key!!! Bound to be a simple problem.
Any help is much appreciated thanks

[minidaves]

had a few like this and 2 of them was ecu failure other was fuses the silly inline ones 

 

dave

[pete l]

Do you have a can of "easy start" ? at least that will tell you if it's injector related, if it runs with easy start then ECU, dizzy cap and leads etc are all OK

[pete l]

Check all pipes too around the inlet manifold. I don't know the mini SPI system, but I had a Metro turbo do what you describe, it was a split hose, must of been letting in too much air.

[Red dwarf]

I sprayed easy start straight into the manifold, nothing happened. I'll try it again later. I'll check the other points raised tonight. Cheers fellas

Is it worthwhile me buying a diagnostic kit for the ECU? I plan on keeping on the car for a few years

[FlyingScot]

Check the basics.
When you turn the key to position 2 do you hear the fuel pump running then stop?
Fuel cut off (on the right bulkhead as you look in) tripped? Press down the rubber cap.
Get someone to help you and check for a spark - safest way is those spark check things that light up (can't think of the right term)
Next air filter off and get someone to crank it - fuel spray from injector ?
If not check crank sensor connection - pull off and clean/dry blue plug at flywheel casing

Diagnostic kit makes it easier to maintain these as it makes the checking of sensors and components much much easier.

Have a look in the for sale section.....

FS

Edited by FlyingScot, 06 April 2017 - 08:59 AM.

[Red dwarf]

FS

I can hear the pump prime and checked the fuel cutoff. I know the what you mean by spark plug HT lead testers, they all light up as I turn it, going in order of, 1 3 4 2. I'll go through the remainder of your points later on tonight as well.

I'll look in the for sale section over lunch time.

Cheers bud

[Red dwarf]

So checked the fuel cutoff, in line and the box fuses, put it to tdc made sure dizzy cap is lined up with rotor arm. Pointing towards one o'clock. Going anti C/Wise 1 3 4 2. They're sparking in order. I can see the fuel coming out of the injector. Stumped!?! Haha it almost still wants to start just not quite. Checked the spark plug gap and there's a black tinge to them now.

I had to have a new cat fitted a couple of months ago and one time it did over during a long drive. If that helps?

[carthorse]

Fuel starvation? Is it a good strong spray coming out of the injector? If you've run the tank to almost empty recently it's possible some sludge / muck from the bottom of the tank has got into the fuel system. If the fuel filter on the rear subframe hasn't been changed for a while you could try that and while it's disconnected take the feed and return lines off at the manifold and blow through them to see if they are partially blocked.

[Red dwarf]

I've changed the fuel filter. I added fuel just to make sure the gauge was correct, 3/4 of a tank in it. I'll check the injector has a good spray tomorrow as well as the condition of the O2 sensor.

I can't think what else it could be?

[Alpenflitzer]

At the front of engine you have the FUSIBLE LINKS. My SPI 1993 showed completely corroded "inline fuses" and the engine was prune to water and shaking on bad roads. Suddenly the engine failed and I could not start again. After days I found the terribly corroded inline fuses.

Did you check them?

 

HOW TO TEST THE FUSIBLE LINK/S ( I found this somewhere in the net)

 

Disconnect the Battery

Remove the plug from the rear of the Alternator, or remove the thick brown wire from  the stud on the rear of the Alternator, depending which model Alternator you have

Turn a Multimeter onto ohms for Continuity testing (icon that looks like a sound wave or a Wi-Fi connection indicator.)

Touch the RED/BLACK probes together and the meter should read 0.00

Now place one of the probes on the removed terminal from the Alternator and the other probe onto the connection of the starter solenoid where the Alternator connect to

If it again reads 0.00 or close to then there is a circuit through the fusible links

If it reads infinity on the meter then there is NO CIRCUIT and the links are blown

 

As the Fusible links are hard to get in the UK lots of vehicles have been modified with the links cut out and 50 amp Brown wiring soldered and shrink rapped and the connection remade onto the solenoid.

Obviously the leaves the Alternator to the main battery supply and a step backwards from the original wiring by Rover. I like others have done the mod to return the Alternator Cables back to the earlier spec of non-SPI/MPI cars without trouble.

 

If your not happy then you can modify the wiring to accept a MIDI Fuses and shrink wrap

The standard Fusible link wires are both 22 strand (0.001mm2 per strand) which unwrapped will melt in about 10s under a load of 85-90amps so wrapped will increase the heat so this will be slightly quicker.

[minimat]

Have you checked the condition of the dizzy cap and rotor arm? sometimes you can get a hairline crack in them which causes them to short out stopping the engine.