Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

[sconebum]

Hi to All.

Ive had a recurring fault with my A Series Roadster for a while now and its getting worse. Battery is a new Bosch unit as I thought it at fault and I've also replaced the Starter with a brand new unit. Ignition unit (Switch) also replaced with a new Lucas switch and a new coil.
On occasion it wouldn't start!! Key in and on operating starter nothing. No power or ignition lights. Then after some 5 to 10 minutes with the key left at live, the circuit would be mysteriously "made" and the alternator "no charge" light would come on and the car would start normally. Then, on turning off, same problem and completely dead and no light or power to the starter. Its the long suffering original Marina loom and I've suffered bad earths on occasion before. Hoping some of our Club Wizards may have a better idea than me.

Otherwise, I'll try changing the alternator and search out whether mine has the Marina rectifier box which may be to blame. Ideas gratefully accepted.

Also,

I'm in the process of rebuilding the engine and really need a 1275 Sump if anyone has a good one. I've posted on the "Classifieds".

Thanks to all.

Scotty McBride

[HairyDave]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

This sounds just like the problem I had with my 1800. It turned out to be a bad electrical contact where the battery lead joined the starter motor. They were done up tight but when undone the faces were dirty. Cleaned up to shiny and refitted, all good! Only after removing the starter to check it and finding it oK. It was a newly serviced one. Good luck!

[dcunn]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

You could also check your earth connections, engine to chassis, etc

Good luck

Rgds DC

Edit : PM sent

[Ye Ol Ripper]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Hi Scotty
Follow the advice as both of the above posts have advised and if that doesn't solve it .
Do you have an inertia Starter( 1 heavy lead from Battery) with separate solenoid or a pre engaged starter (That has 2 wires going to it one is the ignition key start and the thicker wire is the heavy current lead from the battery)?

Depending on what you have if the earlier recommendations don't solve it I may be able to help you further.

[AndrewKB]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Earth, Earth, and more Earth. I reckon 90+% of electrical problems on all kit cars are caused by faulty earthing somewhere.

[Ye Ol Ripper]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Hi Andrew agreed, but that isn't always the case ;hence my offer to advise further if that doesn't solve it.

Hopefully though we can all keep the "earth" under our tyres as per your profile photo, instead of being baffled by electrical issues.

[sconebum]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Thanks chaps, all comment appreciated and I'll really scary having a good look on Friday. Its a separate solenoid on the alloy top panel but seems separately and well earthed. I will make this better with making a new main earth from this panel to the N/S chassis mount, as there are several returns simply earthed to this panel. There must be earth issues as the headlights are pretty poor at the best of times AND when I turn the lights on the generator light dimly illuminates!! So that may be of significance.

One important point also, that I forgot to mention last night that is probably important is that it now cuts out completely (and remains dead as a doddo until it decides otherwise) when you switch on the lights via the dash toggle switch, even to the sidelights!

Great to hear from you all.

[sconebum]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Baffling and not just my elekky issue. But how can predictive text change GOING to SCARY? LoL indeed.

[dcunn]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Thinking......difficult I know...... but do you have any relays to help in the headlight circuits ???

Just a thought from past experience

Rgds DC

[jon_wilkinson]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Baffling and not just my elekky issue. But how can predictive text change GOING to SCARY? LoL indeed.

Think it might have been a typo of START to SCARY.

[dogoncrazy]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

Probably not the best place to run all the earths as the alloy bulkhead panel tends to be sealed with sikaflex or similar . Running a separate earth to the chassis as you suggest seems a wise move. And as DC suggests, don't forget to check engine to chassis earth

[davidmartin720]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

I had a Roadster and after a short journey I had no power to anything. After a longish push home, I found the earth lead from the battery had disintegrated inside the plastic casing. New lead, no more problems in my ownership. David.

[sconebum]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

All interesting chaps and food for thought. There are a couple of standard black plastic modern relays on the top of the O/S bulkhead top but so far I have not traced where they are feeding. You have all given meekest food for thought or things to try. Cutting out when switching to sidelights shouts an earthing issue but I'm no Sparky preferring the mechanical bits. I'll start on the earth observations, (The chassis to engine braid is present but in fairly poor condition). If no joy there, I'll give Andrew a shout and investigate the solenoid wee box of Electrical Trickery.

Good advice chaps. Thank you.

Scotty

[T_Branson]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

The Laws of Brown and Branson for Marlin Owners

Sod has one, Murphy does and so do a collection of 19th century physicists so I don’t see why Andrew Brown and I shouldn’t.
Brown’s law states that whenever an electrical component on a Marlin fails to function the reason will always be a problem with the earthing of said component.
Branson’s law states that despite knowledge of Brown’s law and often prior demonstration of it Marlin owners will always spend time fiddling around with the live feed to a failed component before suddenly remembering Brown’s law and correcting the fault with the earth.
I can quote examples of these laws. I well remember stopping to help Andrew at the bottom of Stoney street on the Land’s End when his headlights failed. He was well into dissembling the live wiring to the lights and I offered my meter to test for volts. When I met him later he confirmed what we both should have known that the problem was with the earth.
The new addition to the Branson Marlin stable has had intermittent problems with its headlights. On the night before the Northern they wouldn’t work at all. I spent at least 45 minutes tracing the live feed from the switch to the fuse to the dip switch to the light until suddenly the penny dropped and I connected a jump lead from the negative pole of the battery to the headlight bar. This produced an immediate blaze of light and demonstrated Brown and Branson’s laws.
For those of you clever clogs who think you can defy these laws I would remind you that they belong to the same class as Sod’s law of which the complete definition is ‘ A piece of bread with butter and jam on will land butter and jam side down unless required to do so to demonstrate Sod’s Law. So next time a light goes out on your Marlin and you think I’ll show those idiots with their laws. You will spend the requisite 45 minutes undoing rusty nuts, losing them under the bench, getting everything clean with wire brush and emery paper and thoroughly restore the earth you will then find that what was needed was a new bulb. Don’t even think that by testing beforehand that you may avoid all the bother because even if the bulb works at the outset by the time you have sorted the earth it won’t. Trust me I’m a doctor.

[duncan]

Re: Ignition Fault.....Somewhere!

With my car - Duncan's Dubious Device - I decided that I would simply NOT use the chassis as an earth

I ran a separate earth wire to each thing that required power