Won't start when warm

[steveC]

Hi all,

Just bought a MK1, 1963, starts every time from cold but after driving for about 10 minutes and then turning off the engine it wont start. The engine just about turns over and it sounds just like a completly flat battery, if I leave it for 10 -15 minutes, engine starts first time. The battery is new and fully charged and is taking a charge when the engine is revved.

Any ideas?

[turbinecol]

not really sure I have an answer, but no other responses, so here goes.

Is the engine hot by the time you turn it off after 10 minutes. If it turns over well but doesn;t start it is probably flooded as it never came off full choke after a short run. Try and warm it up more (add a couple of roads to your journey if it is a daily drive to the shops or something)

Does it turn over well when you try to get it restarted, or is it poor? If the battery is recovering after ten minutes of driving, maybe it isn't charging properly after the initial start, but then it is recovering while sitting there. it won;t do that for much longer before it keels over and dies completely if that is the case....How old is the battery. They don;t last very long sitting in a little used car.

I know nothing about dynamos (assume the Mk1 has such an item), but there must be a way to check if it is charging properly. Is there an ignition light which glows faintly while you are driving?

[steveC]

Thanks for the reply.

I dont think it's flooding as the engine just about turns over and sounds like a flat battery, the battery is fairly new although I didn't fit it.

I have measured the charge going into the battery when the engine is revved and it goes to about 15 volts and the ammeter in the car shows a positive charge.

Someone else has suggested checking the regulator as this may be shorting to the chassis as it warms up?

Watch ths space....

[vqdave]

could it be fuel vapourisation as the carb is over the hot manifold? Mine had problems when hot starting because of this and a poor fuel pump not working as it should. Also fitted elec ignition which has helped massively.

As i have been told before its either gonna be fuel or spark, work out its not one and it'll be t'other.

Probably not much help to you sorry but thought the fuel thing may be worth a check....???

[steveC]

Thanks for the info. its got to be something silly, seems like its a process of elimination...

Thanks again.

[keith]

i have had this with my 63 mk1a, we have put on to it a electric fan & fuel pump, to keep the heat down, which do help, but it does sound like your advance /retire may be playing up, trying to start to far advanced will give you this prob , engine trying to start back to front if you know what i mean, sounds like it flat,!!

[steveC]

Thanks for the info, I will check the timing etc and let you know

Cheers

[keith]

we have had to fit a new distributor to mine as the weights are stuck and not moveing as they should and the spindle is worn ,giving to much play,i hope this helps, speedys can do you a new one if you need one,

[steveC]

Thanks again, all good information. Cheers.

[keith]

[size=18][/size]any luck yet ??/ would like to know thanks, keith,,?

[steveC]

Hi Keith,

It wouldn't start when I took it out last weekend, so I was checking connections etc and tried to start it with the solonoid push button and it didn't even try to turn over. I went to Speedy Spares and got a new solonoid and have been out all day in the car and it started first time every time...I'm just hoping that was the problem!!

Cheers

[keith]

nice one, thanks