Dead as a dodo

[LouiseM]

Due to a variety of reasons my traveller has been parked in the garage for the last 6 months. Not good I know but there was no other option. Anyhow, on attempting to start him there is no ignition light and the lights, wipers etc don't work. It does not turn over on the key and I have checked the battery condition and charged it but no change.

I have also checked the earth & solonoid leads and these seem ok. I have also replaced all of the fuses just in case but no change.

I have noticed that the ignition barrel is loose. Could this have caused the problem? It is a late traveller so has a combined neiman steering lock & ignition. Any thoughts? Thanks

[les]

Did you check the battery voltage? Can you put a meter across the terminals to check you are getting 12 volts?

[olderisbetter]

When i have a suspect dead battery normally put the lights on to see if there is any power, If you have no lights on the dash and it will not charge then maybe a jump start might help as a temparay measure.

[kennatt]

new battery needed,stood for 6 months so very likely dead .jump start would prove it. good luck

[oliver90owner]

Two alternatives. Complete open circuit or dead battery.

Battery is prime suspect of the two, but needs confirming. A corroded terminal connection (battery or other) is a lesser suspect and a broken earthing strap the least.

Checking the battery voltage and current capability are the first two checks. Discharged batteries can be brought back from the dead with special chargers but not a lot of hope if the battery has been discharged for several months.

Modern battery chargers may not charge at all, if the battery voltage is too low. A £10, or less, multimeter is a good investment as a testing tool.

RAB

[LouiseM]

Thanks all, it was a duff battery. I think what threw me was that the charger indicated firstly that it was flat, then after a while on charge that it was fully charged. Anyway, new battery fitted and started OK, although the Traveller didn't get very far

Some of you will remember a lengthy thread last year where I had ongoing problems with it running perfectly fine then suddenly cutting out and as the problem was very intermittent it was difficult to find out what it was, although a fuel problem seemed the likely culprit. The cylinder head gasket subsequently blew and when that was being fixed the garage found a small leak in the carb jet so a new assembly was fitted. All seemed well but the same problem occurred today ending up with me getting a tow home. Next job is to examine the fuel line from the tank to the pump which seems like the likely culprit as pretty much everything else has been ruled out. I'll update the original thread when I finally discover what the problem is!

[oliver90owner]

If the pump is drawing air it will be ticking away rather more than normal!

Check for spark when it cuts out and will not start. Best to rule the ignition sysrtem in or out of the reckoning, as that is an easy check.

RAB

[LouiseM]

The ignition system has been ruled out. It seems that there is a restriction to the fuel flow when under load as there are no problems when idling. The pump/filter has been checked so if there is some sort of blockage/restriction it's likely to be further back, between the tank and the pump.

[TDV102]

Internal collapse or delamination of the flexible fuel hose? Seen that before and a dead cheap fix.

[ManyMinors]

It hasn't had an in-line filter fitted has it? They can block up and cause problems.
Does it make any difference how much fuel is in the tank?

[LouiseM]

Internal collapse or delamination of the flexible fuel hose? Seen that before and a dead cheap fix.

That's been previously suggested but wasn't the problem.

It hasn't had an in-line filter fitted has it? They can block up and cause problems.
Does it make any difference how much fuel is in the tank?

No, there's no in-line filter and the amount of fuel in the tank makes no difference.

Here's the original thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=56168

I am hoping that this might be the year that I can finally drive Eric to the National rally without arriving on the back of a tow truck so all suggestions gratefully received!

Thinking about this logically, my MOT is due in early June, so 3 weeks or so before the National. Nothing needed doing for the 2014 MOT but I'm wondering if when it went onto the 4 post lift at the garage the fuel pipe might have got squashed? Could be a coincidence but there were no running problems prior to that MOT.

[les]

It's maybe a long shot but a few years ago, I had a similar issue, although with another make of car, pulling hard the car would stumble and often cut out but start again, a garage had the car for 6 weeks before discovering the copper in a wire going to the fuel pump had fractured inside its plastic covering, just making contact, any load put on it was too much and contact lost.

[oliver90owner]

Looking at the problem logically.....

It does seem like fuel starvation at higher fuel requirement. But if it stops due to low supply from the pump it should be ticking away until it catches up, then it should restart.

If the fuel supply is satisfactory from the pump and the fuel flow is halted (pump stops ticking), yet the carburettor is not filling, it would indicate a total intermittent blockage between pump and carb.

If the feed pipe to the carb is good, then the problem must be within the carburettor.

The first place I would check is the float valve (rubbish floating around and only blocking the jet under higher flow rates, but remaining jammed in until the pump pressure is reduced, next would be a sticking float but that seems unlikely to give the symptoms described unless engine vibration is a factor.

The last might be a slug of water going through the system which causes the engine stoppage, but I am not sure of how well SU carbs deal with such happenings.

Last time I had this sort of problem was 17 years ago when a tractor occasionally stopped, usually at high engine speed/power. Turned out to be hay in the fuel tank, only gradually strangling the fuel supply. Mechanical pump, of course, so no useful signs like from an electric pump. Cost three or four breakdowns over a couple of months as it was used irregularly, before the tanks were emptied and cleaned out. As I recall, it was the top tank feed to the lower tank which caused the problem with that one.

I would be removing the float valve/checking carb fuel level when it stops, as a first suspect.

[olderisbetter]

I had a problem that ended up being a old bit of fuel pipe to the carb, It was twin wall and on tick over and a rev it was fine but under road use it was struggling, I ended up putting the air line down the pipe and found the inner skin was split and under pressue it sealed up, a bit freaky but very simple.

[LouiseM]

the copper in a wire going to the fuel pump had fractured inside its plastic covering, just making contact, any load put on it was too much and contact lost.

I checked that last time you mentioned it Les and the wire seemed fine. I suppose I could try replacing it to check - where would I get a replacement wire from? (can't see it advertised with the usual suppliers).

It does seem like fuel starvation at higher fuel requirement. But if it stops due to low supply from the pump it should be ticking away until it catches up, then it should restart.

The pump doesn't sound any different to how they normally do - no excessive ticking. (For info the pump is less than 2 years old and I checked the filter but there was no debris there).

If the fuel supply is satisfactory from the pump and the fuel flow is halted (pump stops ticking), yet the carburettor is not filling, it would indicate a total intermittent blockage between pump and carb.

When I broke down on the way home from the 2014 National the fellow Traveller owner who stopped to help checked the carb and said that it was filling as it should be. I had a thorough carb check & clean at the 2015 National and no problems were identified. I also checked the float bowl previously and there was no crud there. (The pipe from pump to carb was replaced but no change). I think this is what's making me think that the restriction/blockage might be at the tank end rather than the pump/carb end.

[kennatt]

Louise with out reading through all the logs,have you tried running without the petrol cap on,to eliminate vacuum in tank. must have been suggested but just in case

[les]

Oops, sorry Louise, I remember mentioning this wire thing before but didn't realise it was in reply to your issue!