K-Series Click - begone!
James works his magic.
I'll cut to the the chase: my starting problems are solved.
The longer version: my car developed a misfire over about 5,000 rpm. Steve and I spent an hour doing some basic checks (we swapped all the ignition bits for some old spares I had lying around) and it improved things enough to convince us that the problem was electrical (phew!), but the misfire was still there. I knew that I wouldn't have time to work on the car any time soon, so I booked it in with James Whiting.
When I got to James' place I explained my starting problems to him (on the basis that he might find it difficult to investigate the misfire if he couldn't even get the car started). He'd obviously heard of the K-Series Click, but had never had to tackle it on a customer's car.
Late afternoon I got a call saying the car was ready. Could James possibly have fixed both problems? Fingers crossed...
James had initially done what we'd agreed, and replaced all of the ignition kit with new. Still ran like a dog. So James started to think along other lines. He suspected the battery master switch because he's seen the contacts go before, and he noticed that mine didn't snap closed (it never has done, as it happens). Anyway, that got him checking for continuity from the switch, and there basically wasn't any to the starter. The chunky red live wire from the battery master to the starter only had about two strands of copper still connected. That'd do it. Lead replaced, the Seven starts like a dream (and has done now for nearly two weeks). I can't think why it would have caused the misfire, unless the open insulation was causing wires to short and leak to ground? And to think of all the hassle I've had with this over the years.
I'm a very happy bunny at the moment. The Seven's going great, and it's booked in for a service with James very soon (because I'm still not going to have time to work on it). The dry sump is still not fitted (mainly due to my Chief Mechanic, Steve, injuring his knee in a bizarre sailing accident), so I haven't done any track days yet this year, but hey; my engine's not dead! Woohoo!
This page is http://www.strangely.org/diary/200410/fixed.html. It was first published on Tuesday 26 October, 2004 and last updated on Tuesday 26 October, 2004.
