Morris Minor Owners Club

primrose died the other day and i have no idea why. The engine just turns over and over but no ignition

i have replaced the coil, points and capacitor thinking it would at least be one of those.

When i take off the dizzy cap, i can see the spark crossing the points and the arm rotating, so i presume thats all good. However i cannot get a spark on any of the plugs. so i am not sure if the spark is getting from the dizzy to the plugs.

when i replaced the coil, i connected the white wire to the positive terminal and the white with black stripe wire to the negative terminal, so i am hoping its right. And when i set the points i set them to .015 as per the handbook

but other that i am at a total loss as to why the car simply wont start

Sounds like the dizzy cap to me in that case, change it. Are you earthing the plugs well as to get a spark?

Put the HT lead from the coil, centre lead of the dizzy, near to earth, do you get a spark out of the coil?
If so invest in a set of these

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165727

If no spark from the coil lead then the replacement coil could be duff.

Also, after trying to start have you had the plugs out? Are they soaked in petrol?

ill give the coil lead a test.

the odd thing i found was that the car started ok, moved 20 meters and then died totally, so its stumped me to say the least, but ill check leads, dizzy cap and all round leads.

Have you checked the fuel supply?
It no good changing everything and hoping that will fix it because if it does not then you will still not have a clue and if it does fix it then you still will not know next time the problem occurs. Test and change one thing at a time.

If it started and ran for a few seconds then you could be looking at a fuel problem rather than ignition.

Not sure i agree with the changing one thing at a time scenario, but i don't have as much experience. I would and have just done a bit of a service last time I had some slightly dodgy running issues, eg replaced ht leads, new re-gapped plugs, set the valve clearances, clean rotor arm dizzy cap and points and re-set them. I personally don't see how any of these could do any harm and could well make it just slightly easier to diagnose the problem.

There is a difference between servicing a car and checking points, plugs and tappet gaps, oil change etc. and renewing anything which looks suspect, and madly chucking everything in the bin in the hope of curing it when a problem does occur with the result that you will not have learnt anything.

I didn't chuck anything, the olds are now spares, and i didnt change and known to be dodgy parts eg new coil condensor etc.

right, so i need to check:
- the cable from the coil to the dizzy is producing a spark
-spark from dizzy to plug
-fuel actually getting into the engine (bearing in mind i have had the carb to bits and cleaned)


anything else anyone can think of before i head out and get caked in god know what?

I Agree with the other comments.It's no good changing everything and hoping you've hit the spot.if the engine ran for a short time then it probably was'nt an ignition problem.so start looking at the fuel system.i.e.sticking needle valve in the float chamber e.t.c

all sorted now, the carb was sticking open, so after re-centring the needle, cleaning it all out (again), the car started on the button first time.

though on the plus side from all of this faff, she does now have a coil, points and capacitor that i know the age of. the previous coil was the original from my 1954 wolseley, and the rest from the bottom of dad's tool box.

That nice old coil is likely to be much more reliable than any 'new' one. I would fit the old one - and carry the new one as a spare that you can lend out to folks who think their coil has failed......