car won't start!

[Rubce]

Evening All

Changed the fusebox over this afternoon. I carefully mapped out all the wires and labelled them up plus noted down what size fuse was in each position. After swapping the fusebox I replaced all the wires and the same fuses.

Car started up okay and all the electrics fusntioned okay i.e. lights, indicators, radio, instruments etc.

Whilst trying the headlights on full beam the engine died.:X Now it won't restart. :shock:There is plenty of fuel in the filter. I have rechecked the wiring in the fusebox plus the fuses and all seems okay. All other electrics appear to be functioning okay. The startermotor is turning the engine over but it won'tfire.

Yesterday afternoon I swapped one of the fuel hoses over in the engine bay. The car started up okay afterwards but I only ran it for a fewminutes. I am wondering if a bit of dirt has got into the carbs? The chance of both being blocked by a bit of dirt at the same time is slim.Will the car run on one carb only?

Any suggestions on what to check for would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bruce

[Sheepdip]

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Have you checked the fuel pump is working? Pull one of the fuel pipes off carb and check it squirts with ignition on briefly!

My somewhat dangerous way round fuel problem checks is pouring a small amount of neat petrol into carbs inlets and then seeing if it fires up. If not its electrics.

Good luck

Paul

[Rubce]

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Paul

I could not hear the fuel pump priming but there is plenty of fuel in the filter in the engine bay. Does that not signify that the pump is working?

Thanks for responsing

Bruce

[RogerP]

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Hi

Had a similar problem in France a few weeks ago, ignition light was on engine turned over no problem but would'nt start. Very simple solution and I think you may have the same problem as you've changed your fuse box.

Can't remember wheather it is the second or third fuse starting from the centre of car but it's marked ignition, yeh I know it seems strange but the ignition light on the dash is feed direct but the power for the ignition is through that fuse.

Suggest you remove fuse gentle close the contacts on the fuse box and replace fuse with a new one.

My problem was water had got into the fuse box and the fuse was not making a good contact, it would just die as you were driving and then startup again.

Hope this works.

Roger

[european voyager]

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Check the inertia cut off switch for the fuel pump , If i remember correctly its near the fuse box in the engine bay , Just because the fuel filter is full doesnt always mean the pump is working , try removing the pipes at the carbs but catch any stray fuel we dont want it to up in flames , with the ignition on if the pump isnt working the carb would run on what was in them , a stag will run on one carb but you could run faster than it would want to go. you could bridge the wires at the inertia switch to rule it out.

[Rubce]

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Thanks guys. I will follow your advice tomorrow evening when I get home from work.

With regards to the fuel inertia switch, my car did not have one fitted when I purchased it two years ago. Yesterday I fitted a secondhand switch but before doing so I cleaned all the contacts. I thought I had tested it properly but perhaps I didn't. Well worth investigating.

As regards the fuseholder, the old one was in a poor way and the second position along which should be the ignition control was unusable. So, the previous owner had moved the wires to one of the spare positions. Can anybody tell me what the colours of the wires would be so that I can identify them and check out the fuse as suggested. The car is LD1062.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Bruce

[Sheepdip]

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Mr(or Mrs ?) European - a very good point to check inertia switch.I came across a broken down Stag a few years ago that had " new fuel pump because it had broken down recently". Eventually found there wss no power to pump - shorted out the inertia switch and all was ok. Fuel in the filter means zilch.

[Oldromola]

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I would not want to speculate as to what has gone wrong on this occasion except to say that I have lost count of the number of electrical problems I have encountered over the past few years that have been due to a fault in thefuse box.

Nearly all these problems have been due to almost imperceptible corrosion on either the fuse clips or around the fuse ends - it is amazing how just a little corrosion can break down the flow of current. The solution is to apply a small piece of fine wet and dry over the effected areas. A few weeks ago I lost all the facilities that run off the ignition control fuse, but on this occasion an apparently ok fuse had come adrift at one end and areplacement fuse was all that was required.

These days thefuse box is always my first port of call when anything electrical goes wrong - this being something I have learned from the many 'master technicians' with whom we are lucky to rub shoulders with in this club.

[brian0443]

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Bruce

Info on wiring to fusebox sent as PM.

Brian

[Gresley]

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Bruce

I had a similar experience on Monday too! I fitted a Flamethrower coil. Started the car and it ran beautifully then died. No fuel was arriving at the carbs so I blamed the pump. a while later I remembered the inertia cut off switch - I had knocked it!Once reset the car started.

Brian

[Rubce]

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Thanks for all your help guys!:dude:

I had the car running again within five minutes of getting out into the garage this evening. The culprit as many of you predicted was the inertia switch. The bottom has slipped out of it and the contacts were no longer touching the plunger. After reinserting the bottomthe pump started to prime and the engine fired first time.

Now here are the next two problems:-

the horn is not working. It was operating before I worked on the fusebox. Any suggestions? I intend on cleaningthe contacts on it tomorrow night. All other circuits appear to be working okay.

the second problem is that the retaining clip for the inertia switch snapped off as I refitted the switch:XSo I have removed the switch and simply joined the two wires together until I can think of a way of holding it in position. Its in an awkward position behind the wiper motor.

Onwards we go

Regards

Bruce

[Big J]

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Rubce - bluetack, or sellotape,one of theseto your drivers side door.

[Rubce]

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Big J wrote:

Rubce - bluetack, or sellotape,one of theseto your drivers side door.

Thanks Big J

I was thinking more along the lines of making the wife walk in front holding a red flag

Bruce

[DJT]

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Rubce wrote:

Big J wrote:

Rubce - bluetack, or sellotape,one of theseto your drivers side door.

Thanks Big J

I was thinking more along the lines of making the wife walk in front holding a red flag

Bruce

Paint the car Java Green. Never need to use the horn again

Dave

[KOY 23]

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Nice one Dave