In a message dated 5/30/01 2:22:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Tomsaudi200@aol.com writes:
> Obviously, when I get back, I will try to start her up again. To answer any
> questions you may have at first: I had Sears top of the line battery
> installed in August '99. The car received a complete tune-up in May '00.
>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The car should start! I just parked my '77 Midget for 6 months and it
started with little fuss. Two things to check B4 continuing below: make sure
you have gas in the tank, and make sure all the plug wires and the coil wire
are tight.
Did you try some starter fluid? Get a can of starter fluid (ether) and
squirt it into the air cleaner for a few seconds and then try to start the
car. If it starts, runs for a few seconds and dies, you have a fuel delivery
problem. If it does not kick over at all, you have an electrical problem.
If it is a fuel problem, is there gas in the tank? If yes, replace the fuel
pump (which is a very simple job on the 1500). You can test the fuel pump by
removing the fuel line that goes from the pump to the carb and then crank the
engine. (It is best to remove the wire from the coil first, just in case the
engine starts unexpectedly from gas in the carb.) If gas squirts out of the
line coming from the pump, fuel delivery to the carb is fine, and you may
have a clogged carb or maybe an inline fuel filter if one has been added.
If it is an electrical problem, you have to do more detective work. Pull a
plug wire off and sit it close to the block. You may have to stick a small
screwdriver in the plug wire boot to make contact with the metal connector,
and put the shaft of the screwdriver near the metal engine block. You want
about 1/8" to 1/4" between the block and the screwdriver. With everything
else connected (coil wire, if removed in fuel pump step) turn over the engine
and watch the gap between the screwdriver and the block. If you see a bright
spark jump, you are getting a spark at the plugs, and the electrical system
is probably OK. If no spark, do the tune up again, or replace the coil, of
replace the electronic ignition (if fitted), or look for a loose wire on the
coil.
I hope some of these suggestions gets you running. You can do all this stuff
in a very short amount of time, so maybe you'll get lucky! It is always
comforting to go about your detective work until you find a definite problem,
and then fix it once and for all. That way you will have confidence in the
car, and these cars are actually very reliable.
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
///
/// mgs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// (If they are dupes, this trailer may also catch them.)
|