spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jul 12, 2022 19:37:04 GMT 1
i thought i had my robin all sorted and even had it booked in to a show this sunday but it cut out on me sunday night and refused to restart and was as if the battery was flat when i gave up and as luck would have it i was near a customers so i left it on the drive over night monday morning it started up and ran fine so i got it home any ideas what it could be ? i was having hot starting problems but thought id sorted it been through the carb plugs coil and thought it was sorted
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Post by Joepublic on Jul 12, 2022 19:48:15 GMT 1
Battery terminals ok?
Chassis earth and engine earth ok?
If you’ve painted the engine / gearboxes you might have stopped the starter earthing with the paint
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jul 12, 2022 19:51:01 GMT 1
Battery terminals ok? Chassis earth and engine earth ok? If you’ve painted the engine / gearboxes you might have stopped the starter earthing with the paint yep checked all that even added an extra earth to the engine i even made sure to grind the paint back on the earth on the gearbox before i fitted it |
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Post by wightdiag on Jul 12, 2022 20:17:47 GMT 1
If it stopped whilst running then was no crank, assuming it has an alternator on it (which would keep it running even if you lost battery +ve) and you have added a block earth, with it re-starting the next day then I would look at the ignition switch losing power. - I assume the same ign power feed also feeds the starter relay/solenoid.
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Post by OldGit on Jul 12, 2022 20:19:15 GMT 1
Has it got the original battery terminals with the single screw holding them on to the battery? they used to corrode like mad between the battery post and the terminal - might be worth a look. If it has an inertia starter, have you tried bridging the terminals to see if the starter spins? also worth checking the ground connection to the solenoid and using a jump lead from the battery to the engine to rule out internal corrosion in either the -ve battery strap or the engine ground connection.
IIRC they have a single 'ignition' fuse, might be worth checking the fuseholder isn't corroded and heating up, causing the contacts to lose their 'spring' and therefore connection.
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jul 12, 2022 21:27:13 GMT 1
If it stopped whilst running then was no crank, assuming it has an alternator on it (which would keep it running even if you lost battery +ve) and you have added a block earth, with it re-starting the next day then I would look at the ignition switch losing power. - I assume the same ign power feed also feeds the starter relay/solenoid. how would i check that ? |
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jul 12, 2022 21:29:45 GMT 1
Has it got the original battery terminals with the single screw holding them on to the battery? they used to corrode like mad between the battery post and the terminal - might be worth a look. If it has an inertia starter, have you tried bridging the terminals to see if the starter spins? also worth checking the ground connection to the solenoid and using a jump lead from the battery to the engine to rule out internal corrosion in either the -ve battery strap or the engine ground connection. IIRC they have a single 'ignition' fuse, might be worth checking the fuseholder isn't corroded and heating up, causing the contacts to lose their 'spring' and therefore connection.
ive tried all that sadly ! all seams fine |
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Post by OldGit on Jul 12, 2022 22:25:45 GMT 1
Have you checked the battery voltage when it's warm? it's possible it isn't charging properly but recovers enough to start once it's been stood for a while, the ignition coil resistor will drop the voltage possibly enough for it to cut out. V.difficult to do this remotely without measurements!
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Post by wightdiag on Jul 12, 2022 22:51:09 GMT 1
You would really need the car in a failed state. Ideally use a test light but failing that a volt meter at the ignition switch feed in from the battery. With the ign off I suspect only one wire will be at 12.7v (assuming good battery), test between that pin and ground and turn on the ign/try to crank and make sure it stays at around 12.7v- if anything is happening it may drop a little but you are watching for it to drop right down. If it does you have a bad connection between B+ and that pin on the ign switch.
If it stopped whilst running as you said then I would not bother testing the starter.
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Post by OldGit on Jul 12, 2022 23:19:33 GMT 1
The starter test was also to check the integrity of the engine ground - I did pick up on the cut out / hot start issues, it'd be so much easier if it was in front of me!
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Post by valhalla on Jul 13, 2022 23:14:02 GMT 1
When you say that the hot-start issue was "like a flat battery", do you mean that the engine was slow to turn-over, or it just was not turning at all?
It's rare for an engine to just stop, and then for the starter to not turn the engine over. Usually the starter will whip the engine around, but the engine will not start; all the classic symptoms of failing ignition system or fuel-starvation.
If you can get it to do the same thing again, the very first thing I would try is to see if the engine turns by hand - i.e. put a socket-drive on the crank-pulley and see how stiff the engine is to turn-over.
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spud
Apprentice
Posts: 1,275
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Post by spud on Jul 14, 2022 19:37:34 GMT 1
When you say that the hot-start issue was "like a flat battery", do you mean that the engine was slow to turn-over, or it just was not turning at all? It's rare for an engine to just stop, and then for the starter to not turn the engine over. Usually the starter will whip the engine around, but the engine will not start; all the classic symptoms of failing ignition system or fuel-starvation. If you can get it to do the same thing again, the very first thing I would try is to see if the engine turns by hand - i.e. put a socket-drive on the crank-pulley and see how stiff the engine is to turn-over.
slow to turn |
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Post by OldGit on Jul 14, 2022 19:57:10 GMT 1
Sounds like it's either not charging or it's mechanically 'tightening up' - is it OK once it's cooled?
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Post by Joepublic on Jul 14, 2022 20:17:17 GMT 1
You must have a spare starter to try in your hoard 😂
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Post by OldGit on Jul 14, 2022 20:43:04 GMT 1
A starter problem wouldn't make it cut out
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