Not again....Please

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps
Was out enjoying the sun tody and then popped back home breifly..Came out and the car wouldnt start..Ran out of petrol and blew a fuse?..A mate turned up and gave me a lift to the garage, Got some fuel put it in, Changed fuse started up went round to garage and put some more in just in case..came back home went to go out and now it wont start..Flattened the battery..Charged the battery..Wont start..Flattened the battery..No fuse blown?....Will check it tomorrow for spark as the battery is on charge again..Cheers..Ziga

[GV]

Check the earth connection to the battery as that may be suspect.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps..Went out this morning and changed the leads..Rotor arm..coil to the spare one i had in the boot..Started first time..went for a drive..stopped for fuel..got back in..nothing and now it seems to want to start just as your turning the key back to second position and when the key is turned to the first posistion its like its turning over..It seems like the ignition is trying to work in reverse?..This is very strange..Perhaps its developed a short or something..Dont know where to look, Ive checked the battery terminals which are secure..Cant find any earths to check..Where are they?..
After i sat there for around 3/4 hour it decides to start first time again..Any ideas welcome..Cheers..ziga

[wild rover]

Is the coil getting the voltage, also check it is producing a spark.

[mrzigazaga]

Thanks mate..I didnt check for that but will do..I replaced the ignition amplifier module just incase it was that but it still died after getting to normal operating temperature..Now the battery is flat and i cant check for spark..Charging battery at the moment..I have replaced the coil the last time it happened as i had a spare..Nothing..I will see if there is a spark and try a wire directly from my battery to the coil to see if its the ballast resistor wire..I have ordered a distributor as it could very well be that, Again if it isnt then thats another thing out of the equasion..Plus it was only £68.50 with postage for a brand new..Boxed un-opened original ford distributor..They are normally a lot dearer than that..Cheers..Ziga

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps..Went out to have a butchers this morning..Warmed it up to just over normal temperature and it cuts out..Whilst cut out ive replaced coil..Lead from coil to dizzy..Replaced the fuel pump relay as it was getting a little warm..Ran a wire from the battery to the coil bypassing the ballast resistor..Checked for spark from coil..Which i have even if it was a little weak..A bit yellow rather than strong blue...When it does this as said before it feels like the ignition is working in reverse..Wants to start as you let go of the key and when you turn it off there is a bump sensation in the engine compartment rather like a after run when timming is out but only one bump?..Could the coil pick up in the distributor be failing?..I did have metal filings on the outside of the dizzy cap that looked like iron filings on a magnet..The dizzy cap is new as is the rotor arm and plug leads..It will start once it has cooled right down..Any suggestions welcome..Thanks..Ziga

[adam quantrill]

>> It will start once it has cooled right down

Running far too rich? Check the fuel return pipe is not restricted. I know you probably checked this a couple of months ago when doing the fuel system but even so - blow down it to make sure.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Adam..Are you talking about the return coming off the metering head?
Cheers..Mark

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps..Ive just seen what the bump sensation is..The engine is cranking about 5" Anti-clockwise when its hot and the key is switched to the off posistion..Why would it crank the wrong way?..This is freaking me out..Please help if you can..Cheers..Ziga

[TOPTON]

I would be checking the timing on that one zig. It sounds like a symptom. The bible says 9deg when running super and 12deg when running normal unleaded

ETA just re read the earlier posts and you mention timing, Has it been checked then???

[mrzigazaga]

Hi mate..Yep timing has been done a few times recently as well..I know that the kick back on the engine can be down to timing but it can also be related to metering head..Which i have an issue with..Distributor, Due to the coil pick up failing..WUR..Leaky injector..Im going to replace the distributor when it arrives and should of got the metering head..The WUR and the accumulator done when i had the money a month ago..I will check the timing tomorrow..Thanks..Ziga

[adam quantrill]

mrzigazaga said:

Hi Adam..Are you talking about the return coming off the metering head?
Cheers..Mark

I'm not too familiar with the Ford lump but it's the petrol return to the tank, might be from the metering head yes, and it gives a right strange set of symptoms when blocked.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps..Well dont want to speak too soon but going to pick up the car as its been sorted..I hope..The garage said the main problem was the wiring from the ignition..Some of it was coming apart from the bullet connections and one wire from the ignition switch had broken all together and pinged up into the dash..Good job hes other profession is a contortionist..My starter is ok..Hes fitted the new distributor and changed the metering head over to one that weginald kindly lent me..He said it started first time and he left it idling for 40mins..No problems..Turned it off..Turned it on..Started first time..He also mentioned that it is idling really smooth..I cant wait to get it back..Sorry for calling you a be-arch for over a week..Now it looks like it gonna rain all next week..So its a combination of..

[TOPTON]

Good news that it sounds to be sorted zig.

But whats this about rain, you gonna say you've turned into a wimp and won't/can't drive in the rain.

As mrs tt says---you'll not melt ya know

[mrzigazaga]

Lol..Mrs tt said the same thing my auntie said a while back..I rushed off as it was gonna rain..and she said what you gonna melt..But she also said when i had to dash off from me mums at christmas as it was getting dark.."What you gonna turn into a vampire"..She just laughed when i said my lights dont work..Zig

[wooly350i]

Hope its sorted ziggadoo.

[wedgeinald]

Sounds good ZIG

I'm off on the London-Brighton run with my280i tomorrow (early start) prediction is for "possible showers" but I'll have one in the morning anyway...LOL.

I don't let rain worry me too much, if needs be the lid will go on for the duration of any HEAVY rain, the rest of the day the car will be toppless! We have found that if we can maintain over 20mph the rain tends to go over the top of the driver/passenger anyway.

Hope yours behaves better when you get it back.

[mrzigazaga]

Cheers Chaps..Got it back this morning..Drove it back from the garage and there was some serious pinking going on so i checked the timing when i got home and it was on 15..I nudged it down to about 10 as i use super unleaded and the pinking stopped..I still have a starting issue when hot but its not as bad..The main problem it had was that some of the ignition wires were falling apart from their bullet connections and one of them actually snapped and pinged up into the dash..He changed the metering head over but maybe im losing fuel pressure somewhere else..Later on i will get the WUR refurbed and the metering head refurbed a new accumulator and injectors and hopefully that will sort it..But it hasnt cut out and is running again so thats good..Cheers..Ziga