Griff won't start...

[apk]

'92 4.3 Griff. It's been laid up a while so I know I'm asking for trouble. Anyway, battery is charged, the fuel pump primes, she turns over but does not fire. What can I look for? Please bare in mind I'm a complete numpty when it comes to anything mechanical. Thanks...

[Ding]

? starter.

(not that I know anything!)

Elizabeth

[Pum]

If it turns over at a good speed then shouldn't be starter.

Could try removing all the spark plugs and cleaning them (WD40 & light emery cloth/paper) and reseting gap. I guess that's about the simplest thing to try.

Watch out for flooding - if you tried to start it for a while, and gave it some right foot then it may be. Turn it over without touching the accelerator pedal a bit(to try clear the cylinders), and then leave it to evaporate away excess fuel, (whilst cleaning the plugs) before trying again.

Pum

[Griffter]

apk said:

'92 4.3 Griff. It's been laid up a while so I know I'm asking for trouble. Anyway, battery is charged, the fuel pump primes, she turns over but does not fire. What can I look for? Please bare in mind I'm a complete numpty when it comes to anything mechanical. Thanks...

First thing to do is take the plugs out, disconnect the HT lead from the coil and remove the fuel pump fuse (so the pump DOESN'T prime), then turn the engine over (it'll spin very fast with no compression resistance due the plugs being removed). Watch the oil pressure light and stop the engine spinning once the light goes off. I wouldn't spin it for more than 10 seconds at a time for fear of burning out the starter. If it doesn't come on after three goes you've either got no oil or a huge problem. Then turn the engine on the starter again to get oil all around the engine. The purpose of all this is to get the oil pumped where it should be because after a lay-up it'll all drain right back to the sump and without priming the oil pressure first when the engine does fire you could do serious damage.

Anyway back to the problem in hand...replace fuel pump fuse and coil HT lead which were removed above, check all the other HT leads are on tight, and the spark plug shrouds. Check distributor cap is secure. Check the connections to the ignition amplifier on the side of the distributor. There's also a diagnostic chart to follow in the bible.

Essentially you need to check you've got a spark. Then you need to check you've got fuel. Just cos the fuel pump's priming doesn't mean you've got fuel - the injectors may not be opening for some reason. Also, without an ignition pulse, the ECU, although it'll allow the fuel pump to prime, won't pump fuel with the engine turning over. If you've got fuel and spark you should be in business, if you're missing one or the other you need to work out why, at which point the intricacies of the injection/ignition/ECU/sensors relationship become apparent. As a self-admitted numpty, you might not want to go beyond checking HT leads and any loose connections (visual inspection and push/pull test), but that's probably the best place to start. If you get a spark but it still won't fire then get to work with a voltmeter, to check you've got fuel pump voltage with the engine turning over.

To be honest it could be one of many things, but not-starting at all is easier to diagnose the problem than if it starts but splutters and misfires.

[apk]

Thanks for the help. The AA have been and got as far as looking at the ignition module. He didn't have a spare so I'm getting it relayed to the local TVR mechanic. Thanks again...