Ok fella's - help me out here, have had the baby running like a dream for a month now - all finished, certified and legal - YAY!Hasn't missed a beat - until. last week had to call out AA twice in a day!Have had no trouble starting hot or cold, had visited a client and went to leave, started her, and moments later she died.Wouldn't start.AA reckoned the points were a bit dirty, gave her a scratch and way she went.Had a few stop starts - no problem. then, I pulled over to check my phone - she died.AA again, same fellow, gave the points a good clean, suggested maybe I replace. I'm sure they aren't that old.So, I've had a looksy, points/condenser look new. Then it occurred to me that I had let fuel get quite low, and wondered if it had picked up some crap from the tank. so filled her up, started, ran, stopped started. all good.But. I've noticed the fuel bowl doesn't seem to be filling. it has a fairly new electronic pump and the bowl always only used to get around half full.Took the hose off to see what was the happs and it only seems to be dripping.slowly. fuel pump is definately running.Is there a way to check the pump! Wondering if something is stuck in there. looks sealed though.any advise. please fella's.
socram,
Apr 20, 11:50am
Onlya suggestion, but as you pointed out yourself, may well be crud in the fuel system.I'd probably go through the whole thing, even to removing the tank and getting it properly cleaned, all lines blown through, carb bowl cleaned, float level set correctly and make sure the valve is working OK. Maybe fitting an in line filter would be worthwhile for peace of mind.At least removing a Mini tank is fairly straightforward as it is usually only retained by a strap in the boot. I believe there are systems for coating the inside of the petrol tank but I have zero knowledge of them.
Someone on here will know much more than I do.
Syphon the petrol out first and filter it or save for the lawn mower.But be careful. Messing about with petrol is highly dangerous.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 12:10pm
thanks, it does have an inline filter, which is new (when the pump was installed) it looks fine (clear bowl) carb was rekitted not long ago, so shouldn't be anything with that, and hopefully nothing would have got past the filter.I was wondering how much fuel you would expect to be coming through from the pump (which is only slowly dripping)I would have thought it would be more, or at least a fast drip!going to have to start doing some eliminating I guess .
xpfairmont,
Apr 20, 12:22pm
I would put the points distributor in the bin and replace with a electronic one. What kind of fuel pump has been fitted!
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 12:28pm
It's a Facet electronic fuel pump, made in USA.Don't know a lot about it, auto sparky friend fitted it to my other mini prior to me crashing it!Had never missed a beat, (besides being noisy) at least I know it's going.
smac,
Apr 20, 12:28pm
If you mean fuel is only dripping when the pump is running and the fuel pipe is disconnected from the carb, then yes that's a problem. Should be flowing out. Also you say fuel filter bowl is clear - clear petrol, or clear as in empty!! Basically you need to work your way back from the carb to the pump, to find the blockage (or the fact the new pump is shagged). Go front to back, so you're not messing about with the tank unless you have to. As socram says it's not TOO bad to remove, but checking filter, pipes, hoses and pump is a whole lot easier.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 12:34pm
I disconnected between the pump and the inline filter. slow drip.Fuel bowl is clear. both!it's clear that I can see the filter etc, and it's empty. so that is suggesting that there is a blockage (or the pumps shagged) between the tank and the pump. the car is still starting though, must be just on what is left in it.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 12:36pm
you lot'll be shaking your heads at girls tinkering with cars.
sifty,
Apr 20, 12:42pm
I had a problem with fine rust in the tank clogging the filter. Wasn't immediately obvious as filter 'looked' fine, but was in fact clogged with very fine particles. very easy to swap/bypass filter and see if fuel pumps out better.
My solution was to remove tank and seal it, all sorted.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 12:44pm
Thanks, in this case the filter is after the pump, so the issue must be the pump or in the line between the pump and the tank!
whqqsh,
Apr 20, 12:49pm
had similar, changed almost everything & still no joy, turned out to be the only thing I hadnt done. the condensor! once car got hot it wouldnt start & occasionally when cold but was a really intermittant fault
sifty,
Apr 20, 1:00pm
Oh ok, any old rubber fuel lines before the pump! Another thing that can happen is fuel line disintegrating and a 'flap' internally blocking the line - just thinking aloud as you said pump was fine previously.
[edit] I too have spent time of 'fuel' faults that turned out to be elctrical however, so condensor worth looking at as above.
socram,
Apr 20, 1:55pm
Nine times out of ten, the condensor is indeed the culprit, but if the pump is ticking and not much is coming through, agree that either the pump is stuffed or there is a blockage before the pump or even in the pump.Try compressed air through it. Check the earth on the pump though as it may not be going full tilt. Sifty is also correct about any rubber hoses as I had exactly that problem with an oil pipe on a Mini.Pipe was stuffed on the inside and cut off the oil supply to the cooler. (Thank goodness I had fitted an oil pressure gauge and looked at it.)
bwg11,
Apr 20, 2:18pm
Firstly, I would isolate the problem to either fuel or electrical. Disconnect the fuel line at the carb and check pressure and delivery. Original mini specs are 2 - 3 psi and 1/2 litre/minute. Your aftermarket pump should have similar pressure, but probably much greater delivery. If all is well, then check the ignition system components - either with a meter or by substitution.
luxy,
Apr 20, 2:28pm
blow the fuel line with comp air backwards to clear your blockage
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 3:10pm
my initial thought was condensor. but it looks so new, and if my memory serves my right I've replace that and points previously (maybe 300km ago)and it's no problem starting hot or cold. it's running, and then twice at idle it's just stopped and won't start again. thank god it hasn't been at the lights!
jmma,
Apr 20, 3:34pm
If it was lack of fuel it would cut out at revs, not idle. Think you are chasing the wrong thing, check coil leads and leads onto points nut
gedo1,
Apr 20, 3:59pm
Mini.if it's a fuel problem it will be the pump. if it's isolated to electrical your symptoms are classically the condenser because the points will burn and when you regap they will just reburn after a short time.Simply replace the condenser - they are not expensive and can't hurt to try that anyway.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 4:46pm
thanks everyone. lots of things to think about there!I have been through fuel line, re-earthed the pump, have checked fuel at every point and was running through fine. until I got to carb and turned on fuel pump, it choked and spluttered and then ran fine and now fuel bowl is nearly full. and, the pump is making less noise. so that may be helpful!Might have just spat something out at the last check.my understanding was (my old Dad told me) if there is a condenser problem the points look blue!I would have thought (hate electrics) that it would be more than intermittent.!
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 4:47pm
being a girl and all that. and hating electrics (I just don't understand it) how would I check the coil lead!I've got a multimeter that I have no idea how to use. lol
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 4:48pm
I didn't think they'd be expensive. are they just a part I can get from supercheap or somewhere!
smac,
Apr 20, 5:31pm
Yes you can get them pretty much anywhere. If you are sure it's the original distributor for the car then you just need model and year.
If you are getting better fuel flow now than you were you may well have spat out whatever was blocking it.
As an aside, the filter should really be fitted BEFORE the pump, not after.
Edit: oh and in reply to the comment above about fuel issue stalling while running not idling: not necessarily. Because of the fuel bowl there is a delay between a blockage and starving. If it's an intermittent blockage then it will appear random.
ladyjet1,
Apr 20, 5:37pm
Ahhh, thanks - I was wrong, the filter is before the pump, so all good there. I'm not sure what year the engine is. I flogged it out of a rusty old austin 1100 a few years back.I might just take it for a burl tomorrow (with my AA membership card!) I really think it might have been fuel, because I've never noticed the bowl empty before - touch wood!
thewomble1,
Apr 20, 10:55pm
Less noise from the fuel pump indicates to me that the fuel lines are now 'full' of petrol and the pump is getting a good supply of petrol to pump.
ladyjet1,
Apr 21, 4:45pm
grrr, still not right. in fact now spluttering under power. have replaced a length of fuel line that had some cracks, thought it might be sucking air, checked the plugs - running too rich, they're pretty sooty, all leads are fine. didn't stop on me this time, but. I'm going to have to get someone to give it a tuneup and check the carb
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