Board logo

Engine not starting (worked fine last week, cranks, fires, doesnt run)
dhutch - 9/2/10 at 07:32 PM

For some reason this morning when i came to drive it onto campus to help drag in motorclub members at the uni refreashers fair the car didnt start.

The battery was a little so, so after it failed to start first time i hooked it up to the peugeot with some jump leads to get it turning over faster.

Turned over really well and tried to start a few times, coughing and sputtering, firing a bit, but never actually running.

Fiar bit of white smoke, smell of petrol, fuel pump ticking away, tank full.

Checked the spark, which, to my untrained eye, looked ok.

Checked the triggerwheel (running megajolt) vr sensor/bracket. Both ok.

Try again (engines had a while to rest also) and exactly the same. Its acting like its just about to go. But then doesn't actually go. Time and time again.

Unplugged the mljt and jumped power over to the coil (running hard cut rev limiter) to try it on limp home mode. Same.

I then gave up at this point before i melt the starter in annoyance!

Video here as soon as it processes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHy_fEANJZk


Daniel

snapper - 9/2/10 at 07:39 PM

Suffered almost exactly the same problem, went the whole hog after frying the starter, ripping out electrical systems left right and centre, hard wiring Megajolt and EDIS, replaced both as i have spares, the list goes on.
At the weekend changed ignition leads for some second hand spares, fired and ran straight away, Doh.
Also check wires from VR sensor, i have had issues with this a couple of times giving me intermittent failiers

drury318 - 9/2/10 at 07:41 PM

It sounds like its flooded with fuel, stop the fuel pump working then crank it til it either starts or dries out, then start it up with your foot to the floor, might chug a bit at first but should dry out when it warms up, Dennis

dhutch - 9/2/10 at 08:47 PM

Yeah you dont know do you.
- When i took the plug out to check for a spark it didnt look overly wet however.
- Also, holding the half way did little, where pumping it a little or holding the choke open gave the above sounds on nearly starting. Which i what i usually takes to start it cold.

Daniel

RAYLEE29 - 9/2/10 at 09:01 PM

have you checked its getting fuel?
is the fuel pump making more noise than normal? sound like its not getting any fuel
carefully pull off the fuel pipe to the carb and check for fuel is it on bike carbs or fuel injection cant quite see in video if on bike carbs you can check for fuel by unscrewing the float drains.
also try taking off the filter/s and momentarily place your hand over carb whilst cranking this will suck the fuel through
hope this helps
Ray

Chippy - 9/2/10 at 11:06 PM

If it's been standing for a while, you could try spraying the plug leads, coil etc with some WD 40. May just be a bit of damp got into it. HTH Ray

Benzine - 9/2/10 at 11:18 PM

karma for turning the viking way into a quagmire?

zetec mike - 9/2/10 at 11:56 PM

Sounds like its flooded to me, or a weak spark. Whip the plugs out and burn them off with a blowlamp.

dhutch - 10/2/10 at 01:27 AM

Got it going.

Took all four plugs out and cracking it over with them on the rocker cover (best thing about the fined ford rs rocker cover) and it turned out the only the one plug that i had tested previous (cylinder two) was actually producing a good spark! Serves me right for trying to cut corners.

Sprayed them out with brake cleaner and gave them a gentle wire brushing.

Put it all back and it fired up almost straight away. All be a little rough running for the first minute or so.

Now as to whats caused the. Not at all sure. They almost looked oily (ooer) and certainly very sooty. Although they would be from all the not starting.

Drove it to the pub 10mins for the luff car club meeting and back so i'll whip the plugs out again tomorrow sometime and see what they look like after a run and also see if it starts.



Daniel

dhutch - 10/2/10 at 01:31 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
karma for turning the viking way into a quagmire?

I would like to say that that day was not in anyway organised or approved of my myself or my housemate who the landy belonged.
- We where invited along to the day by a friend of a friend.
- Since then we have declined there offers, and have been going to sibbertoft et al for pay and play days with the recently formed uni offroad driving club.

But yes, although it was clearly a state before we got there and the anti-gree laning lot can get over it, im not overly proud of that either and it does indeed give them a lot to comment on.

Daniel

Benzine - 10/2/10 at 10:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dhutch
- Since then we have declined there offers, and have been going to sibbertoft et al for pay and play days with the recently formed uni offroad driving club.

But yes, although it was clearly a state before we got there and the anti-gree laning lot can get over it, im not overly proud of that either and it does indeed give them a lot to comment on.


fair play to you. It started to get into a state about 5 years ago, due to off roading. Since I was a young nipper I used to cycle/walk/play down the viking way as it's so close to me and it's heartbreaking to see it knee-deep in mud with all the entrances looking in such a state. I used to be able to fly along them on a mountain bike, now I have to dismount and get scratched to bits whilst walking around the muddiest bits, and have to constantly watch my pedals as the ruts are so deep they keep hitting them.


I'm not against green laning, by the way, it would be better if some compromise could be achieved (e.g. limited use, use in better weather only, resting sections of the viking way (you can access it in many many places so that's do-able) or green-laners clubbing together to buy a massive bit of land to use)

[Edited on 10/2/10 by Benzine]