SPi Starting Issue
Turbo Mini Forums

Morning all, just had a call from my dad and my mum's SPi Cooper won't start.

The symptoms are:

- Car still has power (alarm controlled central locking still works)
- When key is in second position aux circuits are working (fan, lights etc.)
- However, fuel pump doesn't prime, no ignition lights on the dash and starter doesn't fire.

Details of the car:

- 1992 SPi Cooper
- Original Fuse Box (with 4 glass fuses - not later multiple blade type)
- Cobra Cat 2 alarm/immobiliser (no idea which one)

I've not looked at it yet, but tbh I find auto electrics confusing at the best of times! Is it likely to be a problem with crusty mini wiring (a hidden fuse somewhere etc.) or does it sound more like a fault with the alarm/immobiliser? Would a faulty relay module cause this?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Relays and fuses are the place to start.

Sounds like the relay pack on top of the servo to me. Sprocket may be the best man to answer this.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

If everything is dead on the engine side of things, I would check there is 12v at the brown only wires on the large relay pack connector, from memory I think there are two fairly large brown only wires. If you dont have 12v there the Hypalon Fuse links have blown, and you need to replace them with some other type of fuse link.

If there is 12v there, you need to remove the cover from the relay pack and have a look for any scortching of the tracks on the PCB, you might find that the connector pins on the plug/ socket of the main connector are scorched.

If the fuse links are blown or relay pack is FUBAR'd do not just fit another, you need to find out why either failed and that is usualy a dead short, most popular is the manifold heater element which either bunrs out and shorts to earth, or, the heater wire falls off its connector and melts onto the exhaust manifold.

Thats not to say its something else that I cannot magicaly see over the internet

Thinking about it a little more, it could just be the alarm imobilser cutting power to those circuits. Its not standard fit so I cannot help any more than that im afraid

Edited by Sprocket on 12th Apr, 2010.

Thanks gents, great information. Will let the old man know and will hopefully have it sorted soon.

We has in intermitant fault like this on the mighty mini, a wiggle of wires on fusebox usually sorted it. We eventually replaced the box and the dodgy looking connectors and it was fine afterwards.

Colin is a man who knows his stuff!! Dad had a look at it last night and found the following:

"Unable to check for 12v on the relay pack due to no exposed terminal and too fat probe I removed the multi plug to probe up it. Before removal I noticed that silicon had beeen squirted into the conector and the relay pack had been opened before.............. Upon closer examination the block has been melted before.

Sure enough as Sprocket predicted the burnt terminal has a brown wire with blue trace which Haynes tell me is the wiring to the PTC heater.

I probed the large Brown wires with the connector removed and didnt have 12v.

Upon reading Haynes I find that to access the PTC heater I need to remove the inlet manifold and it is advised I change the the exhaust manifold gasket at the same time. Now I probably could just about manage this given enough special words, enough time and a few new tools - but realistically this isnt going to happen before the Riviera run!

So the specific questions are:

The extra current taken into the relay module has melted the solder but not damaged the board - if I resolder are there any other components likely to be damaged?

I need to find and replace the Hypalon Fuse with another type of fuse - any idea of the value?

Reading the Hayes it says that the PTC heater heats the inlet manifold till the water temperature reaches 50 centigrade to reduce emmisions. When faulty can produce flat spots when cold - Can the car be run temporarily with out replacing it? Obviously the faulty PTC heater has to be isolated so I wondered if cutting the PTC wiring near the module and inserting a blade fuse holder - with no fuse thus leaving it open circuit!"

Colin, are you able to shed some light on the questions about please?

Be sure that the fuse links are infact blown. if like you say, there is no 12v on the brown wires at the relay pack, chances are they are blown. By the way, the white anti back out shield on the large relay pack connector is removable. If its been arcing at that point, it will generate heat and probibly the reason why the solder has started to melt.

to check the hypalon fuse links, remove the ring terminal from the starter motor, and slide back the fibreglass insulating sleave. This soft rubber insulated wire is the fuse link and it should have 'FUSE' printed on it some where along its length. If its blown you should be able to easily stretch the link like a rubber band. One othr thing to consider is corrosion of the soldered joint that joins the fuse link to the main wire in the loom. these have been know to break at that point too.

Basicaly, the car is 18 years old, and the wiring is suffering from age.

Edited by Sprocket on 13th Apr, 2010.