running problems

[tanyadavidson30]

hi yeah the plugs are defo in the right place as I only took one off at a time put it back when I was finished . iam not too shure what as to what the rotor looks like .if I take off the dizzy cap I can see my electronic ignition with red ting on top with brass tip on it would that be it . many thanks do u think a new set of leads dizzy cap and new rotor would work or be worth trying what is the best dizzy cap to buy and rotor the rotor that's on just now is red

[bmcecosse]

That's the part ok - and no - it shouldn't need renewing. Clean and dry the plugs.

[tanyadavidson30]

ok so I do not touch the rotor or dizzy I just clean the plugs and dry em themn try to start car many thanks all in all the fuel pump is working there is spark from coil the carburettor seems ok and has been topped up with oil .all leads are on the right place but it still wont start . confussed .com lol forgot to thank you all for your patience as im no mechanic .

[bmcecosse]

If the plugs are soaking wet - then they won't fire. Take them out - crank the engine over to expel any excess fuel - and leave it overnight if possible. Then fit a different set of plugs and hope for the best.... One thing that can cause non starting is use of resistor leads + resistor caps + resistor plugs. Had this on a mates MGB - he had proudly fitted new plugs and it wouldn't start. Removed his new NGK plugs and fitted an old set of Champions from my bag - and it started up right away. Too much resistance !! So check the plugs don't have an 'R' in the code number.

[simmitc]

Although the rotor arm "looks" OK, the next logical test is to refit the HT lead to the dizzy cap. Now remove 1 spark plug, refit the cap to the plug, and lay the plug on the block in the same way that you did with the coil lead. Again crank the engine and observe whether the plug sparks. You can repeat this with all four plugs (one at a time to avoid mixing them up) just to confirm that all plugs and leads are OK, and that the arm and cap are OK.

You can also check the vacuum advance. I don;t think that it's the culprit, but it's worth checking anyway. Remove the dizzy cap. Find the thin pipe that connects the dizzy to the carb and remove the pipe from the carb. Now suck on the pipe. You should feel resistance and also see the inside of the dizzy move backwards and forwards.

Another thought: Is the dizzy secure or is it free to rotate? It should be fixed in place and not be moving.

Double check the order of the plug lead. They should be 1 - 3 - 4 - 2 anti-clockwise around the cap. No. 1 is usually just anti clockwise of the low tension terminal (where your electronic ignition unit wires come out.

[tanyadavidson30]

what im going to do is order a new set of spark plugs as they are cheap enuff .then I will see if that makes any difference if not where would u go then after checking spark to each one . if they were all fine what would be next option would it be carburettor removal strip rebuild . I see service kits on esm 36 pound . many thanks for your time

[bmcecosse]

Why on earth are you so desperate to overhaul the carb? It's NOT the carb - but if you doubt that - just pour an egg-cup of petrol down the carb throat and crank it - to see if it starts and runs.....And 'order' a set of plugs - can you not get them locally??? Or just dry off the ones you have and try them again.

[tanyadavidson30]

hi I am going to clean the plugs and dry them tomorrow . and I am going to order a new set of plugs just for spare . where we live there is no auto part shops whatsoever . as for overhauling the carb I am not going to do that I was thinking ahead .more or less if I check the plugs tomorrow and there ok after a clean and dry and there is spark from all 4 . where do I go then if car wont run and start . im just trying to fugure out where to go from there ifits not the plugs coil leads fuelpump what could it be . so maybe I will order a new dizzy cap some plugs just incase the plugs are knackerd

[bmcecosse]

Order whatever you want - but as long as there is spark and petrol - and the camshaft is going round (it is - you tell us the king lead sparks) it will run.

[tanyadavidson30]

it does sparked when I checked today I have an electric pum fitted . the pump is around 2 years old I have not done much mileage in the car as I have just not had the time torun the car atall. although I have been going around 3or4 times a month and starting it it has never failed to start .even after the problems started last night .when I went round this morning it started first time after I had checked all levels ie water oil carb oil topped up. it started and ran good for 20 30 mins not probstaking revs whatsoever . once the car warmed up it sounded different started dying on me to a real point of the exghaust hitting vibrating underneath the car . when left to tick over it would but when reved it would not take any and cut out it done it a couple of times then died and now wont start at all. the only reason I mentioned the carb was because it was low on fuel and I went with a fresh clean petrol can and got some fresh fuel which I put in the car so wasthinking if fuel was low . then maybe some dirt has come up from tank and is inside the carb . nowi know nothing about carbs I must admit but I did check thecarb bowl tday there was some dirt right in the bottom of pot petrol was alittle murky so I am not to shure whether or not that's gonna be aproblem but I will try the plugs first . I appreciate all your advice thanks

[myoldjalopy]

Hi Tanya,
When you say it sparked today, do you mean the king lead or all the plugs? I agree with simmitc - if there is a spark coming out of the king lead INTO the dizzy, the next question is is a spark coming OUT to each plug? If not, then we have rotor arm or dizzy cap as prime suspects......faults here can cause difficult starting and poor running.

[simmitc]

Reading back over the symptoms, you have mentioned checking all levels including water, and that it runs OK for a while and then becomes rough. I don't think that a head gasket is very likely, but is the radiator water level changing a lot? If you leave the radiator cap off when running the engine, are there any bubbles appearing in the water?

[bmcecosse]

If it' starts and runs like that - I suppose it could be a vacuum forming in the tank. If it wasn't electronic ignition, I would suggest the condenser is failing. It definitely IS electronic - YES? Or (Oh no) - perhaps it's the coil......although again I doubt it when it starts/runs. The 'not taking revs' definitely smacks of fuel shortage - so check the vacuum idea first - ie take the filler cap off......

[simmitc]

Can you post a picture of the dizzy with the cap off just so that we can see which electronic ignition is fitted.

If you have a spare coil then it could be worth swapping over, just in case; but I do agree with Roy in that it sounds more like a fuel problem.

[tanyadavidson30]

ok just to start where I have gone and been today . first off I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support and all the help and patience needed . the car does not start at all now I have removed the spark plugs and cleaned and dried them .individually then I removed 1 plug at a time and checked to see if there was any spark the answer is no spark at all at any plugs . I would also like to say sorry to bmc the rotor was not red it is a black one and the electronic ignition is accuspark I have got pics which I am going to try to upload . also to add when I tried starting and removed plug I am shure petrol is getting threw . I wil now try to upload pics sorry bmc you were right not the carb but spark is coming from coil as main middle plug when removed from dizzy is showing spark many thanks Tanya

[tanyadavidson30]

the pics I have promised[frame][/frame]

[tanyadavidson30]

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