QuestionQUESTION: My midget was running like butter until New England rain had me park it for a few weeks. Now it won't start. It was time to fill the tank when I parked it, planning to fill it up the next day (and then the rain came). Now it'll turn a bit and then the engine will sort of 'zoom', but the step in between turning and revving, the whole 'engine starting' bit isn't kicking in. I've filled the tank with new gas, checked the spark plugs, replaced the fuel filter and checked the fuel pump (it works). Spark plugs are good, distributor cap is dry... tried adding some gas to the carburetor to get it to start (per my dad); no dice. No start. He's looked it over for loose hoses, etc., to no avail. He thinks it's something simple, but he can't think of what it might be. He can pretty much fix anything, so it looks like it's time to get it hauled to the mg shop for service. I thought perhaps some kind of switch might have been flipped if it thought it was out of gas before I put it up, but he nixed that. Just wondering if there's anything else I can or should check before waving the white flag and getting it towed. Any ideas would be great!
ANSWER: I have two suggestions.
1) Water in the distributor. Unclip the cap and look inside the lid. If there is ANY condensation, you must dry out the distributor thoroughly. Clean inside the cap with a dry cloth. Get a hair-dryer and blow hot air into the distributor. Clip it all together and it should run OK.
2) Water in the fuel. I see you have fitted a new in-line fuel filter. Can you see two fluids inside the new fuel filter (water and gas)? If so, there is water in the bottom of the gas tank and some of that water could also have got into the carburettor float chamber(s). Get your dad to open the float chamber lids and dry out the chambers with an absorbent cloth. Put it all back together and try to start the car. If it happens again, you must drain the gas tank because water is heavier than gas and will sit at the bottom of the tank, so you will keep sucking it up.
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QUESTION: I'm still striking out getting it started. I recorded the sound of it trying to start, to see if that might help. It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B65AqKLOTj0
Let me know if you have any more advice or things to try! Thanks very m uch,
Katie
AnswerI listened to the video clip. Sounds like the engine fires OK, but as soon as you release the ignition key it stops. I wonder if it is an electrical fault and we are getting hung up with the rain.
Could you do a simple test for me?
Attach a 12 volt bulb from the plain white wire on the coil via the bulb to earth. (A voltmeter would be even better than a bulb). Next turn the ignition key to the running position. Before you start the engine, does the bulb come on?
If you now hit the starter, the bulb should stay on (possibly a bit dimmer), and it should NOT go out when you release the starter.
