37 replies to this topic

[mini-mad-mark]

Hi all,

Sorry been away (in the mini !! and for work)

Ran fine over last week end so all good at the moment but will be back if the problem reoccurs

 

Cheers, Mark

[mini-mad-mark]

Well I said I'd be back if the problem recurred.....

 

I was supposed to be using the mini for the IMM but as that was cancelled I hadn't done much mini-ing until recently with the nice weather/lockdown (although I am still working ATM)

Tried to start the car and it sounds like its running on two cylinders 

 

First thing I noticed is that the rev counter has stopped working again (which seems to be intermittent and I don't know if somehow related to the poor running when it happens)

 

In most of my other minis (single large speedo) the coil to distributor B-W wire was just a short wire between the coil-dizzy.

 

On this mini I cant work out how the B-W wire is set up as it seems there is one wire at the coil, one at the dizzy and one at the rev counter - they must be joined somewhere and I am wondering if this is the root of my issue.

 

I unwrapped a small part of the loom by the coil to see where the B-W wire went (checking for a break in the wire really)  and it seems to go "upstream" in the loom not directly down to the coil - the coil wire also seems to go "upstream" - can anyone point me to where they are joined just so I can look for an issue there as it seems to be related to the rev counter not working (maybe)?

 

To save time for people reading up its a 1991 Neon with ballast resistor set up but as mentioned above (I think - even I can't be bothered to read back   )  I have tried a non-ballast coil direct from a 12 V source which was not successful last time although willing to try anything.

 

Not really sure how I fixed it last time, the "cure" was that some lent me a carb and when I bolted it on the car went fine so I assumed there was a carb issue although all along I have been convinced the issue is ignition based.

 

Cheers, Mark

[cal844]

Fit a 12 v coil and run a new wire, use a piggyback spade connector at the fuse box end.

Edited by cal844, 13 April 2020 - 09:19 AM.

[mini-mad-mark]

Hi - Cheers - tried that last year when I was tearing my hair out and it didn't work then, but will try again as it's a quick thing to try (and eliminates the B-W wire issue)

 

But for my info does anyone know where the B-W wires join? 

The wiring diagram shows what I would expect; a short wire from dizzy to coil then a piggyback to the rev counter

My car/loom definitely has one wire at the dizzy one at the coil (no piggy back) and one at the rev counter so they must be tee'd somewhere

 

I think the Neon was originally a two dial set up so the rev counter has been added (before I got the car) but the wires to the rev counter look like they were in the loom already (guess they were put in all looms?) however there is definitely no piggyback at the coil (and no obvious wire not joined/missing when I opened the loom around that area)

 

Time for another session of hair tearing I guess (and there's not much left up there after last year's faff ) 

 

I'll try the 12v coil and fly lead first anyhoo

[Zami]

Long shot many years ago I inadvertently bought the large hs4 jets (MGB) during a rebuild. Engine ran very rich with smoke etc. after better part of a day realized I had the wrong jets. Once changed engine ram perfect.

[mini-mad-mark]

Cheers but have tried various carbs with no discernible difference except until a friend lent me one - what I realise I haven't tried yet is a completely isolated 12v non ballast coil; by that I mean completely isolated from the loom so separate 12v feed (so removing any ballast resistor issue) and separate neg wire to the dizzy (removing any possible issue with that) - another idea to try at the weekend 

 

Watch this space....

[mini-mad-mark]

Found a few minutes to play with this mini a couple of weeks ago in between playing with the project - mainly because this mini is on the drive in front of the garage so if I need to get the project out I have to move it.

 

Changed the coil for a 12v/non-ballast coil and ran a +ve wire from the fuse box and a -ve directly to the coil.

 

Have started it about 7-8 times now with no issues and no misfiring - I haven't pulled the plugs yet as I have been working on the project mainly, but when I get to that I also plan to run a slave wire directly to the rev counter - if that works then I will definitely suspect the -ve black and white wire as I still haven't figured out how there can only be three ends (one at the rev counter, one at the coil and one at the dizzy - no piggybacks and no obvious joins I can see)

 

Hopefully this is the answer but without being able to go out for a decent drive (damn that virus!) its hard to be certain as starting it for a few minutes (on choke) can be misleading, but it definitely seems to be running properly now.

 

We'll see.....

[mini-mad-mark]

Well the problem came back but I forgot to post the final solution to this - I took the car to a mini guy in town and basically he adjusted the timing (and fixed my pratting about with the carb setting) and now it runs great. 

 

I think my mistake was putting the distributor drive in one tooth out when I stripped the engine down to clean and paint it  - I couldn't believe the distributor would need to be positioned where it is at the moment for correct ignition timing

 

At some point I need to move the DD forward (?) one tooth and then redo the timing again but as its running well I probably won't do that at the moment.

 

Its been so long since the car ran properly that I had forgotten how much fun this car is (998 stage one about 35K miles) ....... especially with all new ignition components