mini not starting, help please

[sij]

hi guys, my name is simon and am i am new to site. hoping that someone can help. i have just bought a 1994 mini cooper spi with a starting issue. was running ok but now has decided not to start at all. plenty of fuel coming from the injector, good spark to all plugs. but plugs are staying dry. tip petrol in to the cylinders and it will fire up. so basically the fuel is not getting to the plugs. any ideas to resolve this problem would be very much appreciated. thanks simon

[johnflamered]

i know you say you got fuel from injector but sound like the alarm is still on when you turn the key do you hear the fuel pump??? and try pressing the inerser switch its the black thing on right hand side with a round rubber top and check all the fuses where are you as with out seeing it can be very hard to work out you need try pm sprocket on the forum as he is god with spi minis or pm theroadie as he got a code reader and have a look on www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?s=a10123c5503d33287f9f3cbf522102c5&showforum=140 and if that dont help pm MiniBlues (paul form Minichanics)

[johnflamered]

and check vac pipes

[sij]

hi, thanks for your reply, the alarm is no longer in the vehicle. i have checked all the electrical connections and renewed the spades that go to the fuses on the bulkhead. the black rubber switch is also disconnected. the fuel pump can be heard when turning the ignition on and the engine is turning over. there is a good spark at the plugs(all new plugs, dizzy, rotor) and a good spray of fuel going into the throttle housing. why would fuel not be getting to the plugs? i am lost for ideas

[Matt]

Have you had the rocker cover off and checked if all the tappets and that all the rockers are operating fully?

[sij]

update. sprayed starter fluid into intake and car started but revs very high(sound like its going to blow up) is this down to the ecu?

[johnflamered]

With out looking at the mini its very hard to work out the problem did you have look at the link? Need to code read it really a few in the club have got them and for a beer or 2 will help when got some free time put a SOS post up for spi code reader help

[sij]

thanks john for being so helpful. will do that

[BassAddict]

I've had a (non mini) engine rev its nuts of when started - not instantly though, it sort of built and I shut it off after about 5 seconds - turned out to be an injector seal had gone so it was pulling air in regardless of the throttle being closed.

[The Roadie]

Without seeing it, sounds like spilt or blocked vac pipes, or a blocked trap. Very common on SPis.

On the back of the inlet manifold (facing the bulkhead) there are two pipes:

Red one - goes to a flap on the intake to draw warm air off the exhaust manifold when the car is standard.

Black one - goes to a small box (the trap) that is on a bracket that is next to the fuel pipes. After the trap the pipe goes to the ECU. These control the fuelling.

Check the condition of these pipes and the trap. You should be easily able to blow through them and blow through the trap one way. See if there are any small splits where it draws air through.

That or its got a massive air leak somewhere.

Again, have to have a look at the car to give a proper diagnosis.

[sprocket]

Engines that refuse to start without the aid of fuel added to the throttle body are usually as a result of a coolant temp sensor fault. The ECU assumes a temperature of 60c if the sensor is open circuit. the difference in fuel required to start the engine between 60c and a relatively cold 20c is a massive 250% so when the ECU 'thinks' its 60c there is just not enough fuel to get it to start at 20c

If you can get it to run with adding a little fuel this way, let it warm up if you can and check to see if the temp gauge starts to move. Fully warm the temp gauge should be on the midway mark. if after a drive around the needle is still struggling to get out of the blue, the coolant temp sensor or its wiring is faulty. Check the wiring down to the sensor on the right hand side of the injection manifold which runs down and under the injection manifold, as these can some times get trapped.

If you are still struggling to find the fault after that, the best thing is to have a diagnostic connected and check things out.

[sij]

thanks for all your valuable replys. decided to send my mini into my local garage and after couple of days its up and running. mechanic striped throttle housing cleaned and put back together with adjustment and now seems ok. thanks again