Rain + Elise = won't start

fd · Post by fd » Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:30 pm

I'd usually recommend never spraying WD40 on wiring unless it's an absolute last resort and you know it's full of water, and even then cleaning as much of it off as possible . . . once all the volatile parts of WD40 have evapourated it leaves a sticky residue which attracts dust, and that dust (at this time of year) is usually made up from salt off the road . . . so all the parts you WD40'd end up with salty dust on them, attract water and corrode . . .

Anyways . . . I've never spent 2 hours in the garage trying to work out why my caterham wouldn't start due to no fuel, nope, not me . . . although if I had done that I'd say that I have no fuel gauge or means of telling how much fuel was in it and the pump sounded like it was priming the system . . .

Fd

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:27 pm

Going to change the leads and I have ordered a new cap and rotor, thinking I might as well refresh the lot while I am at it.

was looking at magnecor KV85 anyone got any experience of them ?

mwmackenzie · Post by **mwmackenzie** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:05 am

Rain + my Elise = no problem.........

S2 engine cover keeps the pesky water ooot!

shortie2 · Post by **shortie2** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:32 am

mwmackenzie wrote:Rain + my Elise = no problem.........

S2 engine cover keeps the pesky water ooot!

Thats what i thought too until you will find otherwise if you leave it out in rain for any length of time, those nice countersunk screw holes will fill with water and it will get past in time, take the screws out and fill the gap with silicone grease

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:13 am

Can you fit one of those plastic covers to an EU2 engine ?

Ferg · Post by **Ferg** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:19 am

Does the s2 cover fit straight on?
Might be an idea to get one of those if I'm leaving the car outside a lot.

mwmackenzie · Post by **mwmackenzie** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:22 pm

My car lives outside and has done for the last year and a bit with no problems with rain ingestion! The S2 cover does not fit straight on you need the actual cam cover and a couple of new pipes to fit it to the S1, oh and a little bit of dremel work to fit the cover to the VVC but to date it's been very effective on my car

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:32 pm

ok so I have changed the leads and plugs and still she won't start. I conected it up and it started for all of 30 seconds still sounding rough when I put my foot on the accelerator the revs just fell until it stopped.

Where the hell is the coil ? I'm working outside in the dark and the rain and a hell of a wind blowing and I can't find it I was going to replace the lead from the cap to the coil and I am unable to trace the cable back.

What I have noticed now when trying to start the car is you get the familiar noise then it stops and it just sounds as if a motor is spinning.

I REALLY need to get this fixed before the weekend, failing that it goes on fire

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:13 pm

Follow the king lead that will take you to the coil.

I'm guessing that you haven't changed the king lead since your asking for the coil and since this is the one that takes the spark from the coil to the dizzy it would have been on of the first leads I would have changed.

Drop me a PM with all the symptoms and what you've done to date and I'll read through and see if I can advise.

Mac

fd · Post by fd » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:01 am

The coil is on the rear face of the block, under the inlet manifold, towards the gearbox side of the engine . . . you can reach it without removing anything . . . it looks like a transformer (surprisingly)

. . . assume you put the new leads on the correct plugs . . .

And I assume you have taken he dist cap off and all is OK inside ? Checked for a spark, etc ?

Fd

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:08 am

fd wrote:The coil is on the rear face of the block, under the inlet manifold, towards the gearbox side of the engine . . . you can reach it without removing anything . . . it looks like a transformer (surprisingly) . . . assume you put the new leads on the correct plugs . . .

And I assume you have taken he dist cap off and all is OK inside ? Checked for a spark, etc ?

Fd

I can't see the coil but it is dark and I am worning by torch light, I can see what appears to be the starter motor down there but nothing that I think resembles a coil.

I am pretty sure I have connected it up right but will double check tonight.

The engine should be 4 3 2 1 when standing at the back, correct ?

I didn't want to take the cap off in last nights weather so i have been unable to check it.

steve_weegie · Post by **steve_weegie** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:42 am

BiggestNizzy wrote: The engine should be 4 3 2 1 when standing at the back, correct ?

I didn't want to take the cap off in last nights weather so i have been unable to check it.

Yup, #1 cylinder is at the cam pulley end

Dont rely on a visual inspection of the distributor & rotor arm - stick an old spark plug on the end of each HT lead to make sure the electricity is turned on.

Just out of curiosity, do you hear the fuel pump prime?

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:57 am

steve_weegie wrote:
Just out of curiosity, do you hear the fuel pump prime?

Yes

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:27 pm

Tonight I had another look at it and I am getting a spark at the plugs (well one plug) I managed to replace the king lead (I will have to chop the old one in half to get it off the car) my leads are in the correct order also

it still won't start.

when I try starting it, the starter motor stops and coughs and sometimes it sounds as if the motor is spinning but the engine isn't.

I am at a loss is there anything else I can check ?

fd · Post by fd » Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:14 pm

Push start it . . .see if that works . . . IF you have spark then you have crank sensor and presumably you have fuel, I'd check the main loom to injector rail multiplug (under the throttle body if it's where it should be) as these can look like they are pushed in but sometimes arent . . . I guess it should be wetting the plugs with fuel by now, worth whipping one out and checking for fuel/fuel smell . . . What's the battery voltage . . . have you been charging it . . . if it's getting flat it may be the cause of the strange starter motor noises . . . now . . . one last thing . . . check the cams are turning when it's being cranked (at the gearbox end of the engine) just to rule out a broken cambelt . . . which may also make the engine sound funny when it's cranking over . . .

Fd

Scottish Elises

Rain + Elise = won't start

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Re: Rain + Elise = won't start