• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

It's an Electrical Mystery

Share this page

D

DesertSprite

Jedi Warrior
Offline
Hello,

Well, I figured out my starting problem. There wasn't one. I checked all of the connections to the starter, alternator, battery, pretty much anything with a wire coming out of it to make sure it was well connected and a clean connection. Scrubbed off any crud with a wire brush so it was nice and shiny.

However, when I tried to start it...nothing. So, I figured "well I might as well try to jump start it." Voila. Starts right up. Must have been the battery, yet I just replaced it less than a month ago. So I decide I should take it out for a drive since its been sitting for over a week, and to charge up the battery and see if I need to make a trip to Sears for a new one. Car runs great. Doesn't miss a beat.

Then it happens. It misses. Then again. The tach starts going bonkers. The engine is cutting in and out, then nothing. So, I'm rolling down Main St. Salinas in rush hour traffic with no power. Push it off the road into a parking lot and call the Wife with her 4Runner. Tow it home and take a look under the hood...but everything seems to be okay. Same as it was when I jumped it.

Unfortunately it started getting dark so I couldn't tear into it as much as I wanted, but I'm thinking something funny is going on with the distributor. Perhaps the points are shot? Would it behave like that if that was the case? It seemed rather sudden. Missing, then sputtering...then...nothing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

So...my starter is fine, fuel pump is fine, pretty much everything else seems okay...but it appears I have an electrical mystery on my hands. Great, the automotive skill I am least capable in, electrical voodoo, is where I have my problem. Everyone pray its just the distributor.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif

Joel

PS - While I was being towed home, I could hear my screwed up speedometer making all sorts of chattering noises inside it, as if something were sprung loose or what-have-you. Sounded like a bunch of spiders scurrying around inside it. Yeeesh... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
So, how's the battery?
 
I'm not sure. Never made it to Sears to have it checked. I don't have the equipment to do it myself either.

Think I should take it out and put it in another car to see if it's okay?

Joel
 
1 - get the battery tested
2 - if the battery tests out, consider testing the alternator. If you're alternator is failing, that would explain why your battery is low on charge and why you started having issues.
3 - inspect points
4 - get the multimeter out and start probing.

As for rewiring a vehicle. I rewired my rock buggy from scratch and I'm really glad I did it since there is nothing unnecessary in the system nowadays and I can tell you exactly what every fuse, wire, relay, switch etc does. Considering these vehicles are relatively simple in terms of their electrical system, it's not a horrible idea to consider.
 
when was the last time u put in tuneup parts...plugs, cap, rotor, WIRES...i had a problem w/ #1 pug wire...also check battery ground
 
Your alt is probley not putting enough juice back into the battery.

when you drop below 12 volts all kinds of strange things will happen.

start with a fully charged battery and go to one of the closest auto part stores that can check the ou put of the alt.

I think you will find your problem there.

Maybe a large drain on your electrial system, buts that is unlikely.

check your chargeing first.

Carl
 
Joel, it certainly sound like something is wrong with the charging system, or the battery is toast. When you jumped it, you put enough surface charge on the battery to operate everything, As the charge dissipated, so did your ignition. Finally not enough juice left to fire the plugs.
You can fully charge the battery, and then take it and the alternator to Pep Boys, or Kragens, whatever is handy, and have them load test the battery, and bench check the alternator. They'll usually do it for free.
Did the "Prepare to Walk" light ever come on? That's the ignition light. It should be on when you turn the key to the "on" position, and go out when you start the car.
Jeff
 
Alright, so mission number one is to have the battery charge checked and the alternator output checked. While I'm at it, I'll replace all the simple things: rotor, cap, plug wires, etc.

Re: battery ground cable, I'll look at it again. It appears to be in fairly new condition and its grounded on the firewall. Is that where its supposed to be grounded?

All the other connections are secure, I checked them all yesterday. Yet, it does seem that a fair amount of rewiring took place over the years that has left a few wires leading to nowhere. I'd really like to clean that up, I'm sure it's just another problem waiting to happen.

The ignition light still lights up when I turn the ignition to the "on" position, albeit quite dim. However, I don't hear the fuel pump clicking away behind me. Then trying to start the car, there's nothing at all.

Well, I'll let you guys know how it goes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
Joel
 
Good luck, Joel. I know these things can be frustrating, but the cars are so simple, it is usually fairly easy to pinpoint the fault. Of course, ham fisted PO's never help with all the "field modifications" they make. Just be thankful you haven't run into any lamp cord wiring. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
Jeff
 
I had a similar problem in my car last year. It turned out that it was indeed the alternator. Luckily when mine cut out it was at the END of a 30 minute drive and when it finally quit it was only 50 feet from my driveway. I pushed the car up the driveway and set about getting a new alternator shortly after that. It has run well (at least as that part of the car is concerned) ever since.

JACK
 
[ QUOTE ]

Did the "Prepare to Walk" light ever come on?

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Rob, I don't know how familiar you are with the early Sprites, but they had a light on the dash that was supposed to come on when the oil filter was clogging, and the oil system was in the bypass mode. On my '65, my brother has labelled it with a nicely done sticker, as "Prepare to Walk." I get a lot of questions about that stupid light!
I should wire the thing up to a toggle switch, just to watch the look on an unsuspecting passengers face.
Jeff
 
[ QUOTE ]
Rob, I don't know how familiar you are with the early Sprites, but they had a light on the dash that was supposed to come on when the oil filter was clogging, and the oil system was in the bypass mode. On my '65, my brother has labelled it with a nicely done sticker, as "Prepare to Walk." I get a lot of questions about that stupid light!
I should wire the thing up to a toggle switch, just to watch the look on an unsuspecting passengers face.
Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, that would be funny. I was assuming you were refering to the charging system/ignition light.
 
It will take me a while to get around to doing everything since my schedule allows me very little free time right now. But...I'll figure it out. Better to go slowly step-by-step rather than try to rush it and get frustrated when things don't work out right away.

Lamp cord? That's insane. I did find a t-shirt and a towel left in the engine compartment, tucked up into the fenders. That kind of freaked me out.

Joel
 
[ QUOTE ]
But...I'll figure it out. Better to go slowly step-by-step rather than try to rush it and get frustrated when things don't work out right away.


Joel

[/ QUOTE ]

Joel, I believe Chairman Mao said essentially the same thing. Of course, he wasn't working on an LBC at the time.
I know you'll get it whipped.
Jeff
 
Yeah...I'll figure it out. Electrical stuff just drives me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif because it seems like you track one thing down only to have something else short out a month later.

Joel
 
Back
Top