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I recently bought a Marlin Hunter, it came with a starting problem that became increasingly worse. The fuel pump had to be primed 3 or 4 times before cranking the engine and on a good day maybe on the 4th attempt the engine would start but often I was looking at 10 attempts before the engine came alive, and sometimes wondered if the car was going to start at all.
With this in mind I did not feel confident when filling up with petrol for fear of the car not starting so only short continuous trips were made in the Marlin.
The car was due an mot so asked the garage if they would look at the starting problem. Four weeks later I collected the car with the understanding that the car would still not start on the first attempt but would definitely start easier than it had been doing.
I took the car home and fair enough the car did start on the third attempt (I could live with this)
Over the following two or three weeks the starting problem got gradually worse until a few days ago when I wondered if the car would ever start, I lost count on how many times I had to prime the pump and then turn the ignition with combinations of foot on throttle foot off throttle.
So yesterday I was home for the day and decided to investigate, I removed the fuel rail and with my son turning the ignition noticed that there was an irregular flow of fuel from the injectors, sometimes with the pump primed there was a squirt of petrol but not on every occasion and with the engine being cranked over there was not always a steady stream of petrol.
With the fuel rail replaced I removed the ingoing fuel pipe just before the rail and there was no problem, loads of fuel!
I had been toying with the idea of bypassing the swirl pot as I cannot see the point of having one on this car but instead decided on something which I had been thinking about doing for weeks but had not acted upon and it would cost nothing!
I borrowed the non return valve which I had fitted on my Sylva Vectis, the job took about half an hour, I fitted it on the Marlin on the ingoing fuel pipe as close to the rail as possible and with easy access …….cranked the engine and it started, I tried it several times yesterday and also this morning when the engine was cold and it started first time every time.
So for the first time since I bought the car (10 weeks ago) yesterday evening I finally had the confidence to pop down to the supermarket knowing that when I returned to the carpark I did not have to go through the embarrassment of sitting in the car for 5 or so minutes wondering if I i'd have to get the AA out.
Next job, replace the front shock absorbers (the o/s one is weeping) and then try and sort out the heavy steering.
Cheers Glynn
With this in mind I did not feel confident when filling up with petrol for fear of the car not starting so only short continuous trips were made in the Marlin.
The car was due an mot so asked the garage if they would look at the starting problem. Four weeks later I collected the car with the understanding that the car would still not start on the first attempt but would definitely start easier than it had been doing.
I took the car home and fair enough the car did start on the third attempt (I could live with this)
Over the following two or three weeks the starting problem got gradually worse until a few days ago when I wondered if the car would ever start, I lost count on how many times I had to prime the pump and then turn the ignition with combinations of foot on throttle foot off throttle.
So yesterday I was home for the day and decided to investigate, I removed the fuel rail and with my son turning the ignition noticed that there was an irregular flow of fuel from the injectors, sometimes with the pump primed there was a squirt of petrol but not on every occasion and with the engine being cranked over there was not always a steady stream of petrol.
With the fuel rail replaced I removed the ingoing fuel pipe just before the rail and there was no problem, loads of fuel!
I had been toying with the idea of bypassing the swirl pot as I cannot see the point of having one on this car but instead decided on something which I had been thinking about doing for weeks but had not acted upon and it would cost nothing!
I borrowed the non return valve which I had fitted on my Sylva Vectis, the job took about half an hour, I fitted it on the Marlin on the ingoing fuel pipe as close to the rail as possible and with easy access …….cranked the engine and it started, I tried it several times yesterday and also this morning when the engine was cold and it started first time every time.
So for the first time since I bought the car (10 weeks ago) yesterday evening I finally had the confidence to pop down to the supermarket knowing that when I returned to the carpark I did not have to go through the embarrassment of sitting in the car for 5 or so minutes wondering if I i'd have to get the AA out.
Next job, replace the front shock absorbers (the o/s one is weeping) and then try and sort out the heavy steering.
Cheers Glynn
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