Starting-trouble Checks

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30804, 16 July 1965, Page 9

Starting-trouble Checks

is more annoy-' ing than to rush out off the house in the morning and ; find the car will not start, or to be at a picnic and find,: when you come to return j home, that the engine just* will not start. I Often, the cause is some- ! thing simple which can be; remedied on the spot in a 1 very’ few minutes. If the engine does not turn over when the starter is operated, the cause could be a‘ flat battery (in which case a' battery charge or a new bat-! tery is the only answer), a jammed Bendix drive on the starter, a seized starter mo-[ tor, or a seized engine. If the starter has jammed.) as opposed to seized, it can! be freed by either engaging; top gear and rocking the car to and fro by hand, or by turning the nut on the end of the starter pinion shaft with a spanner. Instructions' on how to do this will usually be found in the car instruction manual, as this is not an uncommon fault even in the; latest cars. If the starter motor itself i is at fault, professional help! will be needed, although it!

[may be possible to start the I car by pushing it, and engaging a gear when it is moving. I As a last resort jack up one rear wheel, engage top gear, and try to start the engine [by turning the jacked-up[ wheel. If the engine has seized/ there is obviously something; seriously wrong, and ho fur-! •ther attempts should be made ! to start it. This is, however, ! [a rare occurrence unless the! motor has been run without, ‘water or oil. I If the engine turns over' [slowly but does not start, the, ! cause could once again be a run-down battery or a faulty' starter motor, but a common) [fault which causes this trouble, and sometimes results in no electricity at all, is a loose connexion from the battery. Always make sure the battery lead clamps are clean and tight. Undersized battery cables will also cause slow cranking, but unless they have just been replaced this is not likely to be a source of trouble. Finally, if the engine turns . over at its normal cranking speed but refuses to start, the trouble is likely to be one of itwo major things: a faulty

fuel system or a faulty igni-1 tioa system. Air leaks in the . intake manifold or carburettor will also cause this' trouble, as will a very faulty engine with upset valve timing and so on. Another cause can be a (flooded engine. If the engine lis flooded, a strong petrol smell will sometimes be noticed. Flooded engines can; ■ usually be started by pressing! [the accelerator pedal slowly! to the floor and then operating the starter, releasing the ! pedal when the engine fires. In very hot weather, pariticularly after a long, fast run, vapour lock can prevent an engine from starting. This can be overcome by cooling the fuel pump and carburettor. either by wrapping them in soaked rags, or just pouring cold water over these components. The main object, of course, is to cool the; fuel in the lines. To check the ignition, hold a spark plug lead about an eighth of an inch from any metal engine part and crank the motor. If a fat spark jumps, it is likely the ignition system is in good condition. Most starter motors can be operated from under the bonnet by a switch mounted near the battery.

1 If there is no spark at the i plug, see if there is any spark; from the lead which travels! from the centre of the coil | to the distributor cap by dis-j connecting and testing the distributor cap end of the: wire. If there is not. it is| likely the coil is faulty, of' failing this, the distributor. Sometimes a faulty coil can! [be made to get one home if [all the spark plug gaps are I reduced greatly, but a good | plan is to carry a spare. To check for a fuel blockage, disconnect the pipe lead-! ing into the carburettor and crank the engine. If petrol! spurts out of the pipe, it is) likely the fuel system is not at fault, although the trouble could still be a blocked carburettor jet. To clear a fuel pipe blockage, try blowing down the pipe from the engine end to the tank. ’ Do not forget that a loose [connexion which permits air to enter the fuel lines can cause trouble. Be particularly suspicious of braided pipes. When checking the ignition, always make sure the distributor rotor drive has not sheared. If you can turn the rotor with your finger, and it moves around freely, then the drive has sheared, and