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Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:22 pm
by bmcecosse
All the usual suggestions apply - pour some fuel down the carb - if it starts, the problem must be fuel related. If it doesn't - then get back on the Ignition trail.........
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:38 pm
by mike.perry
Start with checking for a spark at the plugs, if not then work your way backwards.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:30 pm
by katy
Check that new rotor very carefully.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:32 am
by sevrien
little update
There's no spark on any plug
but current is fine thru the whole distributer.
so the only thin I can think of is a bad rotor, although its a brand new one, including a new dizzy-cap.
Could this really be the problem?
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:37 pm
by katy
Try another rotor, preferably a known good one from another car.
Sometimes the high voltage will burn through the rotor from the brass arm on top to the steel shaft that it sits on, so you have to look for evidence of this. Look for little black (carbon) marks at the end of the hole where it sits on the shaft.
Poor quality replacement rotors are prone to this.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:15 pm
by sevrien
seems fine to me
if broken, it would be very poor quality, it has driven for only 150 Km.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:42 pm
by MarkyB
That is the type that fail.
I think it's to do with the rivet, there is not enough insulation between it and the cam to stop HT going that way.
It isn't something you can see, substitution is the way to test it.
The Red "high performance" ones are said to be OK.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:45 pm
by bmcecosse
Check for spark at the king lead coming off the coil......
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:41 pm
by sevrien
And where can I get a 'red'-one?
Can't find it at ESM or Bullmotif
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:59 pm
by mogbob
www.distributordoctor.com is the man....a lot of imitators have jumped on the band wagon, so beware of " look alikes "
Bob
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:12 pm
by bmcecosse
King lead sparking ok ? Carbon brush present and correct in the dizzy cap? Any sign of tracking inside the cap?
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:19 am
by sevrien
king lead is fine, carbon brush is present.
What do you mean by tracking inside the cap?
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:10 am
by bmcecosse
Fine crack or just a 'spark line' on the surface of the cap running from the centre post to other contacts.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:18 am
by sevrien
Nothing funny to see at the outside or inside of the cap.
Only some very small irregularities on the bulge where the carbon brush comes out at the inside of the cap.
I doubt this is a problem.
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:49 am
by bmcecosse
Hmmm - doubt it too - but if the spark is arriving at the carbon brush - then it will be getting to the rotor arm - and from there should be getting out to the contacts on the cap. Do you have another old rotor to try?
Re: not starting, help please
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:52 am
by sevrien
No, the old rotor was worn out and I trew it away.
I guess the bad insulation of the new rotor seems to be plausible, but weird too because it only functioned for about 150 Km
Re: not starting, help please SOLVED
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:45 pm
by sevrien
Marky B was right, replacing it with a red rotor did the trick
Re: not starting, help please SOLVED
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:50 pm
by bmcecosse
Amazing - now refit the old one for a trial - if it's still faulty - can you see why? It is the simplest thing in the world - hard to see how they can go wrong. And - carry a spare rotor arm from now on! Thank goodness it wasn't the coil......

Re: not starting, help please SOLVED
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:05 pm
by sevrien
haha, you owe the first one who can proof he has a faulty coil a bottle of champagne.
I can't see where it's faulty, I assume the plastic is of low insulating quality, but where?
Re: not starting, help please SOLVED
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:32 pm
by bmcecosse
I think I have heard of a problem with a rivet through the middle - passing volts down to the clip that secures the rotor to the drive shaft. As for the coil - all the folks that have been saved from buying an unnecessary new coil can send me a Pound -and I will be a millionaire in no time! It's the same on the Mini Forums - everyone wants to put on a new coil at the slightest sign of Ignition problems - and the sad thing is that some of the coils being sold today are not well made and seem to give endless problems. A good old original coil lasts 'for ever' ! Of course - it shouldn't be abused by leaving the Ignition switched on with the engine not running!