HELP!!!!

[handi_andi]

Hiya Peeps
My lotus elan plus 2 S130 won't start. I ran her a couple of months back and she was fine and tried to start her two weekend ago to no avail. She is turning over fine and there is a spark at the plugs. I figured a couple of weekends ago it could be stale fuel and not enough juice in the battery. So i have just put in 5litres of fresh fuel, have charged up the main and spare batteries and have them running in parallel via jump leads. She is turning over fine, there is a white spark at the plugs, albeit not as strong as I might have liked, but she is making no attempt to start whatsoever. I have checked the voltage at the feed to the coil resistor and am showing about 10v, am getting just below 5v on other side of coil resistor feeding into coil and just below 1V on ground side of coil. So the HT side ought to be fine, there is some sediment in the glass fuel filter but that shows it is doing its job, so am stumped as to why she isn't coughing or anything. I have been turning her over for like 30s or more at a time in order to pump through any stale fuel and owuld have thought by now it would be on fresh.

Anyone got any good ideas? Am seriously baffled

Cheers

Andrew

[john.p.clegg]

Andi
Clean/change the plugs

John

[handi_andi]

Hiya John

Sorry should have mentioned I did take them out and clean them, they were just a bit oily from turning engine over without running. They were a brand new set of NGKs in the summer and the engine has only run for about 12 hours since fitting.

Have to admit I am slighly confused as to why I have 12V from battery but only seeing 10V at ballast resistor and then 4.5V post resistor. Seems like I am getting a 2V drop somewhere between the solenoid and the coil although I guess this could have something to do with the wiring runnign through the Tacho?

Cheers

Andrew

[oldokie]

Try jumping out the resistor.

[handi_andi]

The coil is a Lucas Sports coil that's only rated for 6V hence the resistor, would jumping out the resistor not surely damage it? Had thought about jumping from the solenoid to the resitor though to make sure the resistor is seeing 12V instead of 10V, any thoughts?

Andrew

[oldokie]

I have 12v into the resistor, 9v out. Yeah, anything to get 12v to the resistor would help.

[twincamman]

change the condenser -- add a Bosch blue internal resisted coil --and all will be well ----CARNACK HAS SPOKEN --ed

[mikealdren]

Andrew,
If I understand correctly, you are losing 2 volts between the battery and the coil.

Assuming that the battery is ok, why don't you run a temporary lead from the battery to the coil and check you have 12V. If it starts and runs, you have found the problem, trace back from the coil terminal all the way to the battery. If it still doesn't start look elsewhere.

Do you have two 12V leads to the coil? Cars with ballast resistors on the coil used to have two feeds. The first was through the starter motor connection only and went directly to the coil bypassing the ballast resistor. The other, for continuing running, was via the ballast resistor. The idea is to give a starting boost. Not sure if Lotus did this but it was very common in the 1960s/70s.

I suspect this isn't your problem.

Are you getting a good spark on each plug?
Is it turning over quickly enough?
If so, is the timing correct and are you sure you haven't done something daft like putting the leads on in the wrong order?
Are the leads ok and not damp, a spray of WD40 may help.

With a good spark in the right place and some fuel, the car should at least cough and splutter.

How are you starting it? The weather's cold now (it wasn't two months ago) but traditional advice for Webbers and Dellortos is to ignore the choke and pump the throttle a couple of times to squirt neat fuel through the accelerator pumps. This really works but only a couple of pumps or you will flood it.

If you think you've flooded it, try taking the plugs out and drying them, warming them up as well may help.

Hope some of this helps, good luck
Mike

[ElanSeries2]

Andrew

Just a simple suggestion, but if you've turned the car over lots, I'd expect the plugs to be wet with petrol, and the plug-holes to stink of petrol. If they're dry, you have a fuel issue.

If they're wet, try turning the car over with the throttle opened (if you've flooded the engine, same advice goes). You should be able to smell petrol coming out of the exhaust.

If you've got wet plugs, and can smell petrol, but the car won't start even with the throttle open, then go back to the ignition side. Check your plug leads are in the correct order, check the points, then try jumping the car from another (running) vehicle (you'll get 14V rather than 12.5V).

If none of this works, then I'd check the static timing, and then start replacing stuff, starting with the plugs, HT leads, coil, points, rotor arm and dizzy cap.

Of course, you could try brute force if you like? Bump-start the car down a hill!

Greg

[1964 S1]

Have you tried squirting starting fluid in the carbs? What carbs do you have? I'll bet it's a fuel problem. Unhook the fuel line to the carbs, stick the end in a can or jar, crank the car, do you get fuel in the jar?

[handi_andi]

HIya
I have twin dellotos. I brought some starting fluid today but want to try and eliminate anything out obvious first as I dont like using it. I think I might try and pump some fuel through as that way I know I will have fresh fuel in place. Think I will also put a jump lead in to the ballast resistor from the solenoid as don't like the 2v drop I am getting at the moment. Think I might have some dampness in tacho as saw some condensation on inside of glass of it today. Points shouldnt be a problem as it is fitted with an Petronix Ignitor and that was running fine when last ran engine and sorted out ignition timing them too. Think I will also pull the lugs, again, and clean them again LOL might keep them all out and check for spark on all of them. Haven't touched leads since I last ran engine so I don't think the leads are in the wrong order although would be worth a check. Was trying to start with two batterires today which is the best i can manage because of position of car. If everything checks out fine and still not running then will have to try the starting fluid. I just find it so strange I can't get any coughing as before when she has been hard to start after a few turns over she owuld at least cough and then finally burst into life and after a bit of running would be as relaible as anything as starting. Guess it is my own fault for not having run her enough this year due to other commitements.

Thanks

Andrew

[handi_andi]

Hello again peeps
Right I have checked the fuel pump is pumping, cleaned the plugs, checked the ignition leads are correct, sprayed the end of them with WD40, put a jumper lead into the ballast resistor from the battery feed, put two batteries in parallel, and used cold start fluid. With the later I am getting coughing and spluttering but still refusing to start. Have had to put batteries back on charge. Anyone got any other ideas for things I could try?
Cheers
Andrew

[twincamman]

go back to points ---ed

[handi_andi]

Well when it was last running it was running alot better with the Petronix Ignitor in there than points so would rather stick it it. Hopefully a freshly charged battery and some dry start fluid and she will start, although am considering getting the hairdryer out first lol
Andrew

[oldokie]

Can you smell fuel on the plugs? Are they getting wet?