Wedge wont start - again!

[racingsnake]

Oh no its playing up again,tried start my 350i yesterday it coughed then refused to start. Took out the recently replaced plugs as they were flooded by now and dried em. Fully charged the battery overnight replaced the plugs and still no joy couple of coughs then nowt. Engine is flooding so there must be fuel there. I am a bit puzzled by the timing marks on the crank wheel, when No1 cylinder is at TDC shouldthe TDC line on the crankwheel line up with the end of the pointer on the O/S of the engine block? Mine seems to be on the after bit of the wheel. Any one any ideas. I will get a copy of the bible asap. What is it with these things? It was running fine for a while!

[racingsnake]

I should have mentioned i have a fat spark at the plugs. So coil, ignition amp etc should be ok?

[l33]

You have fuel and a big fat spark. As long as you have made no other silly timing changes etc it should fire.
Don't want to teach you how to suck eggs but are you sure plugs are fully dried out? I have had similiar on a triumph spitfire before - drying the plugs with old rag and still not firing up. By leaving the plugs out in sunshine for the day and ensuring all fuel evaporated ensured everything fired up. It is also useful to leave plugs out the block for a while to ensure all unburnt fuel is evaporated fully out the cylinder head. if not, as soon as you turn her over, she floods instantly...

Whats your oil like? Cylinder head gasket hasn't gone has it (engine oil goes white and milky) as this would cause engine not to start despite fuel and spark.

Good luck
L33.

[Wacky Racer]

Damp inside the distributor cap....

[jmorgan]

I have had a bad earth. Battery to block, connector was heating up a treat on cranking. There was what appeared to be a good spark but once I had flooded it it took baking the plugs and sorting the earth. Working at the time so took two weeks

[grahamw48]

When mine wouldn't start, despite the presence of fuel and spark, it was a bad earth (engine to battery strap).

[350zwelgje]

Eeeehhhm, the 'old' coolant temperature sensor problem perhaps? Had, it and had your type of problems. Shorting the plug of the sensor, or even better to put a resistor in of about 180 Ohm, and dry plugs could give you a test for that situation.

Rob

[TVR 3X]

Do you still have the cold-start injector connected - the one on its own near the top of the Plenum. I have been told that they are not much use (except for flooding purposes) above -40 degrees.
Also - you need to use the correct technique when starting - especially if you suspect flooding! The ECU provides a richer mixture for the first 12-13 seconds so a pecking technique will keep you in this zone all the time. If you think you have flooded (and your battery is healthy) then fully open the throttle and keep cranking - it might start to stagger into life one cylinder at a time.

Russ

[racingsnake]

Wow what a response this is a great place thanks guys.
I like the sound of the engine to battery earth problem particularly as two of you mention it. I will check that tonight, its just had new exhuast headers fitted so perhaps they damaged/weakened it in the struggle to fit em they were a tight fit. Thanks for the flooding tips unfortunately i had dried the plugs in the oven then cranked the motor over before replacing em so dont think its damp plugs. If all else fails i will disconnect the cold start injector the blue plug is a bit of a loose fit is this normal?
Were would i find this coolant tempreture sensor is it in the o-side bank below the alternator front of the cylinder head? The other week i had idle problems and the plugs were wet and black this could related eh? Changed those plugs but maybe were back to sq1.

[tallbloke]

Yep, foot flat to the floor until she starts to fire. Also, just try a couple of jump leads, one from the block to the battery earth and the other from the block to the chassis to see if it helps. DOn't mess with the timing at this stage if it was running ok before. I know it costs £20, but try a fresh set of plugs if it still won't have it, you can always re-use the current set after a clean and bake if it's something else, but constantly flooded plugs sometimes just won't play any more...

Good luck

[adam quantrill]

Sounds far too rich - agree with the temp sensor thing. Pull the fuel pump fuse before 2nd cranking - it'll probably fire for 10 seconds and then die as it uses up the fuel, that will confirm the temp sensor diagnosis.

Good luck.

[350zwelgje]

racingsnake said:

Wow what a response this is a great place thanks guys. If all else fails i will disconnect the cold start injector the blue plug is a bit of a loose fit is this normal? Were would i find this coolant tempreture sensor is it in the o-side bank below the alternator front of the cylinder head?

There are two sensors close to eachother close to the distibutor and thermostat housing, one is coldstart thermotime something the other is the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is the one closest to the plenum.

Disconnect the connection of the coldstart injector (it is the one on the plenum) anyway.

Rob

[jmorgan]

Just to add, my earth problem reared its head by burning the insulation, only a little, at the crimped eye to the block. Touched it and very hot after a few turns. The actual eye to block was good, the crimp to wire was going HR. (high resistance)

[racingsnake]

Well guys following the bad earth thread i only had a few moments to take a look last night, but i could not find an earth strap at all from the block to chassis/battery. On the O/S bank below the headers on the block there is a bolt about halfway along with what looks like an earthing lug but without a cable/strap in it! Is this the normal point of connection for the engine earth? I bet the fitter at the exhaust place has wrenched this off by mistake when fitting the new headers. I will have time to connect it tonight and fingers crossed. Whereabouts should i earth it? (My battrey was put in a box in the boot by the previous owner) it is earthed to the chassis on the top shock mount. So to earth engine to the battery would need a bloody long cable. Will do though if best bet. Thanks for all the advice.

[adam quantrill]

The earth strap goes from battery negative to the RHS lifting eye at the back of the engine. (Drivers side in the UK).

There is also another strap from the rear of the gearbox to the chassis.

There are some more straps near the dizzy and the coil.

[racingsnake]

To keep you all up dated on my progress i got no further but over the weekend found the earth to the ballast resistor on the coil circiut was snapped.
Disconnected the resistor and found it to be badly corroded and melted. Will replace this and let you know if it goes. It has two resistors linked with a jumper wire, anyone elses got two, cant figure out why it would need more than one?

[tallbloke]

Maybe the original has been replaced with two of a smaller resistance value. If one has got a corroded connection, the other may have got very hot and partially melted. This is the sort of fault which can start a fibreglass fire

Get a ballast resistor of the right value and make sure all the connections are good.

[racingsnake]

Fitted new resistors and its made no diffrence fires
but only for a second then nowt. Have been trying with jump leads on to rule out battery problems i am now near the end of my tether -anyone got a match?
I think i need an expert with diagnostic gear, anyone recomended in the west lancs area?
Incidently i knocked the spade connector wire off the starter whilst fumbling about there are two spades and one wire i think i put it back correctly but am now paraniod i put it on the wrong one (its a Lucas).
Could someone advise top or bottom spade connector?

[wedg1e]

Calm down, calm down [/scouse]

The starter terminal... one is generally the feed from the ignition switch (white/red wire?) to actually fire the starter motor, the other is the feed OUT to the ballast resistor. Is there another wire elsewhere on the solenoid - maybe on a threaded stud - ?

[adam quantrill]

Hmm - are you thinking of those starters that have a bypass of the ballast resistor while cranking? They used to be prevelant in early Rover days but I haven't seen one like that fitted to a wedge.