Intermittent starting problems
Turbo Mini Forums

This is driving me mad, no spark at the spark plugs, petrol is there. I have had this problem the last 2 weeks, been fine beforehand no problems. Weather may not be helping the situation.

I am fetching new leads tommorrow, dizzy cap, rotor arm, spark plugs and coil from mini spares. Just wanted other ideas to bounce off in case no luck.

Took it for MOT yesterday, good news that it passed. Got back in it to come home, and it would not start. Hence it is intermittent.
Got home after being jumped started, but this took a couple of attempts. When home and dry, turned engine off, then it would not start.

Any help or ideas would be great, thanks.

Have you checked that the voltage to the coil is not going awol?

i had similar and it turned out to be the rev counter having an intermitant fault

whats your battery like? if it goes with a jump but not after a run my advise would be to start by charging your battery fully.

then test (with a multimeter) the voltage from the battery at rest, then with the engine running.

at rest it should be anywhere between about 11.5v to 12.6v and then with the engine running anything over about 13.5v is acceptable but your looking for over/around 14v. (anything above 15v-ish would be over charging but i wouldnt have thought that this is your problem.)

it sounds to me like your alternator has crapped out and taken your charge from your battery.

With a multimeter, tackle it logically.You said in your initial post that there was no spark,so check for voltage to and from the ignition switch and the coil,with some one pushing and pulling at the wires if necessary to see if there us an intermittent contact.If this all seems OK try putting the new parts that you mention on,one at a time, to see which one was giving the problem.If your battery is dodgy dont mess about, get a new one,but do check that the alternator is not at fault first, as above.

Ok, my hubby has just sent me down the garden to post an update, thats the thanks I get for taking him a cup of tea.

We have changed rotor arm and cap. Checked the voltage, from the battery all the way through, which is present upto the cap but no spark. Think is measured at over 14volts.

Charged battery last night, so thats fine.

Tried a second distributor, but no change. Changed ignition module.

We have noticed, there is a spark when turning the ignition key off, this lasts a second. It turns over but no spark, until you turn the key back.

Thanks for all your help, it allows my husband to live another day. I will either torch this mini, or I will bury it with dave in it.

Thanks

hahaha classic!

does it have a condenser?

by ignition module do you mean coil? just so as that we are not thinking of different things.

is it points or electronic ignition? if points then check the gap/dwell angle.

if electronic then wait for someone else because im not too sure on them. lol.

Sorted, It was the starter motor, see my cup of tea helped loads.

Thanks, no the ignition module thats on the side of the dizzy. Just for anyone reading this at a later date, the mini is electronic ignition.

Once again thanks for saving Daves life!

Miriam, Daves loving wife x