14 replies to this topic

[adammini]

Hi all,

Got a bit of an odd problem.

The mini sometimes (after its been stood for a day or so) takes ages to start. It turns over, and after a while it splutters then catches.
If its just been run, then it burst straight into life.
I wonder if it could be the battery as, its about 1 volt down I think. Could that be the issue?
Could it either be fueling, im using the standad mechanical pump.

I replaced the leads, rotor arm, cap (its got luminition elec ignition) in August so that all should be fine.


Any ideas people?



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[Jordie]

Did it run ok before u replaced the above?

Are you using enough or too much choke?

Have you another battery to try?

[adammini]

Did it run ok before u replaced the above?

Are you using enough or too much choke?

Have you another battery to try?

thanks for the reply Jordie

It used to run fine a year ago before I took it off the road!

Ive been playing with not using any choke at all, it seems to help, so maby its running far too rich.

I dont have a spare battery unfortunatly, im tempted just to buy one as the one in the car is 6 years old.

[Jordie]

You could try lowering the mixture if its too rich.

Let us know how you get on.

[adammini]

Yea, it could well be that! It should be fine as it was rolling roaded just before I put it into storage.

Will give it a go!

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[fikus01]

bad battery/engine earth!! clean them all up to bare metal and go for a smear of vaseline on them before doing them all up nice and tight!!

[bluffin]

Have you put new fuel into the tank, unleaded petrol had a tendency to go bad after a while and it will make starting the car very difficult

[adammini]

The fuel in the tank is fine, its fresh the other day.

I hadnt thought about the engine earths, I better check, thanks.

Do you use the vaseline with the battery terminal contacts or the earth straps?


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[Retro_10s]

NO! Don't go smearing rubbish all over your earths... cause of many a problem!

Earths need to be clean and dry to work, smearing grease over them will not do you any favours.

Rub them with some wet and dry to freshen the surfaces, degrease with some white spirit and then do them up. make sure they're tight and dry.

P.S.> Fuel has a shelf life of about 6weeks nowadays before it begins to go stale, Get some Shell Optimax (now branded as Shell 'Vpower') and chuck that through it,. cleans your system and shuold iron out some erratic running enough for you to get the mixture and timing set well enough to get it back down the rolling road!

Edited by Retro_10s, 03 October 2006 - 03:46 PM.

[fikus01]

i appreciate the clean and dry approach to earths vaseline was only suggested to seal the metal from corrosion!!
i was told many a year ago about the vaseline thingy being the only grease/lubricant you could use with electrical terminals because it doesnt interfere with the current!!!!
i used to be a bus mechanic and we all always swore by it and got no problems!! i could so easily be wrong so many little old school things out there and some could be utter rubbish!!

[miniboo]

yep i have heard the same. VAS is good!!

[Jordie]

Hope your refering to vas on the earths matt and nothing else

[miniboo]

Yes lol

[jerry]

adam, are you still having the problem with starting (despite having checked your earths) ? I have a similar problem with mine: starts first time if it's been run that day, but if left overnight it takes a while to start up. I noticed that I get burst of white smoke from the pipe when it does eventually start up, leading me to wonder if leaving it overnight is allowing a buildup of oil or moisture in the cylinders - to my mind this would explain the reluctance to start and the smoke. I read somewhere that worn valve seats allow a build up of oil in the cylinders overnight, perhaps someone who knows more about engines could confirm this.

jerry

[Xiao_Bin]

mine did that during few months until the battery died, came back to normal after changin it