Engine still wont start

[MortisMinor]

Okay, sorry if you’ve heard enough of my wngine problems but its really frustrating me!.

Okay, so the car seemed a goon runner, starting third time of 9 year old petrol. But now when i come to start it, it wont!. So far ive had a faulty fuel pump and a burnt out HT to the coil. SO the fuel pump starts working, nothing, i find a HT lead that pulls out the distributor with no effort and only half of it comes.

Fine so i replace the distro cap and HT's. Problem first though. i have a 1 litre engine, not the 948cc but me engine it fitted with a side entry dizzy. But there interchangeable. Fine i though, but then the HT's wont fit onto my coil. So i cut the end of the new HT as a bodge and attached the end of the old HT. But much to my amusement there wasn’t a wire going through the HT, well it might of been but the wire was quite furry. Even worse when i looked how the fitting hit on the cable. there just clamped to the outside. Plus i can move the whole distributor system up and down.

I dont now what to do, i think my best chance is to but a complete new dirstro system with side entry cap, coil, and some others. But what had be stumped is how why the HTs wont fit onto the coil, how the old HT lead burnt in half? and why was my car fitted with a side entry distro?.

Edit:

Forgot to mention the ignition light does not come on either what causes this?, or where are the ignition sensors?.

[Stig]

I didn't understand much of that, so could you clarify what engine it is? (803, 948, 1098 etc)

Other things:
You can fit side entry dizzy caps or top entry (on a 948,1098), both are fine but the side entry ones need the connector on the end of the HT lead cut off first - they connect by screwing a spike into the core of the HT lead. You don't need a side entry cap on a Minor, there's plenty of room for a top entry and it's less faff to change HT leads.

HT leads aren't just bits of copper wire, they're resistive so instead of copper they often use what looks like a thin bit of string coated in graphite in the middle. I'd suggest you get a multimeter and test the resistance from the centre contact inside the dizzy cap to the end of the lead that goes into the coil. It's not critical, but should measure between 5k and 25k Ohms. Same goes for the plug leads.


Oh, and before anyone else asks, has it got a dynamo or alternator fitted?

[MortisMinor]

thanks for that, its a 1098 system. But im still unsure of what makes the ing light(Ignition light) stop comming on. Its a dynamo car. I suspect the previouse restor has used any part he can get, as car parts are really expensive here, except from one suppler but apparently hes a bit iffy on the quality.

[mike.perry]

Is it just the ign. light not working or are there other things like the indicators and wipers? If other things are not working then you have a blown fuse. Just lift the cover off the fuse box and check the fuses.
Sometimes the fuse contacts can be a bit iffy so switch the ignition and indicators on and wiggle the fuse around until the indicators start flashing.
If it is not the fuse then you could remove the glove box liner and check that the ign. light unit has not come out of the back of the speedo and that the bulb has not blown. Is the oil pressure light working?

[bmcecosse]

First off - where are you Mortis ?? Could you put up your location in your Profile ?
You mention the dizzy moves 'up and down' - this is not right! It must be fixed in place. Tighten the clamp. Either style of cap can be used with what I suspect is a 25D dizzy. As Stig has explained- it's carbon string in the newer leads!
Ignition light - is wrongly named - it should really be 'charge warning light' - it comes on when the ignition is switched on - due to a flow of current from the ignition switch into the dynamo. When the dynamo starts charging the generated voltage balances out the current flow - and the light goes out. So - if it's not coming on, there may be no voltage at the ignition switch, or the bulb may be blown, or the wire may be disconnected somewhere between the switch and the dynamo. I suggest you print out the excellent wiring diagram which you can find on a 'sticky' in the electrical section - and then start tracing the wiring! There are all sorts of complications in the Voltage Regulator - but first step is to trace the wiring and make sure it is intact!