Mpi Starting problems
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi all and happy new year.

I use my tuned 1360 high compression mpi on a daily basis as my main mode of transport. I was off for about a week over Christmas, where I didn’t use and regrettably didn’t start the car. I serviced the car a few months ago. The engine has done around 20k miles

When I tried to start it two days ago it would turn over, not as quick as usual, but not fire.

I checked and charged the battery. Still nothing. We tried to jump start it, but it wouldn’t fire up. In the end we bump started it from a tow. It misfired for quite a bit then ran like a dream for a day and a half afterwards

Coming out of work this afternoon I had the same. Some guys in a tow truck luckily gave me a tow again to bump start if, following a failed attempt to bump start it at fairly low speeds and a failed jump start.

I think it may be due to the lack of weather shield to the mpi ignition system as per the older minis, with a lot of water getting in there from the motorway, as I do a lot of motorway miles in the car.

Tomorrow I might change the starter motor, check the ignition wiring and connections.

Does anyone else have any idea of what could be causing this problem? Once it runs for a few minutes it runs really well

Thanks

dan

Try to strap a good earth point from alternator bolt to chassis just in front, it should cure your troubles.lmk

ok. just before you posted i cleaned, regapped the plugs and it went fine for a few more weeks. it then woudnt start again so added the extra engine earth. it wouldnt start again today.

because its an intermittent problem its a bit tricky to pinpoint.

when i built the engine the only mpi flywheel hosing available at the time was one from an accident damaged car. this has a hole in it about 1 inch square, not far from the flywheel/crank sensor.

so i plan to change the plugs and leads. i will check the flywheel sensor to make sure that its clean and no dirt/oil has got in there.

after that i will have to check and change and clean as apropriate the sensors systematically. if that fails i will look to swap the coil pack. are there any other ideas that anyone has that could be the route of this problem?

many thanks

dan

Edited by welshdan on 2nd Feb, 2011.

Have you got an acr4 or a mate with one around your area?
It would help to diagnose, regarding sensors you don't need to clean or change them if them are in good order condition, check them with a volt/ampmeter. In fact the sensors generally are reliable, the loom not as much...
Regarding the hole in front of your crank sensor , could it let swarf going around rpm magentic pic up? I would start with this one..be aware they are fragile and costly, and can only be tested with a scope.
a note your looking for a shitty thing that can't let your engine to start, so it's not: iat, map, coolant sensor, lambda etc they would make it in fault mode but not prevent the engine to start:
so it rest: coil, fuel pump/filter, rpm pick up, injectors wiring, earths. I think that's all
Patiente and order are your friend there, I generally use a strategy paper on which I note each sensors/loom to test and note their theorical value, and coreect plug location to the ecu, I then let a colomn on the side, to valid check, and value, it does also help to visualise what is done.

Dan,
perhaps could you could come back after some help?

Whatever it will certainly help overs in the future, I talked with my mate at mini garage, and mpi's tend to suffer from the relay box, in which you find fuel pump relay(above the brake master c), it oftenly burn at the loom connector face, and when this is not cured early it does burn the circuit inside the relay box, these are costly but you can open it and weld back the circuit and change the connector. He say that this last year this failure is becoming regular.
Just came home, and what did I found: mine is seek too

That is a common problem on all the injection minis.

Loom problems also.

The real problem with the diagnostic is finding some one that knows how to use it, and I do not mean that he has read the user manual and knows what buttons to push.

"se ne estas rompita, ne ripar ĝi - supercharge ĝi."

i got around to looking at the car today due to work comitments.. i removed the crank sensor and there was a load of oil/dirt on it from the hole in the casing. i cleaned it off. the car seems more responsive now, so i hope this was the problem. only time will tell due to the intermittent nature of the problem. next time i pull the engine i will change this casing. but i will keep this thread updated. i will also check the relay box tomorrow. thanks for the input

ok, so i have been driving this for 3 weeks now with no problems. i dont want to tempt fate, but it seems to be the crank/flywheel sensor that was causing the problems. i hope i havent spoken too soon! cheers