Causes and Remedies

Causes and Remedies

1. Battery discharged or defective. Try charging the battery or replace. Use slave battery to start the engine.
2. Contact breakers (if fitted) not working properly or fault in electronic ignition distributors. Clean old contact breakers or replace and check electronic ignition distributors.
3. Contact breakers connected to earth (conventional ignition). This could happen after replacement of the points.
4. Contact breaker arm spring too weak (conventional ignition). Check with spring scale.
5. Spark plugs need attention. Check condition of plug faces, clean plugs and adjust electrode gaps to specifications. Check when plugs have been replaced last time.
6. Incorrect spark plug gaps. See also under 5.
7. Wrong type of spark plugs fitted. Check with the specifications and install correct plugs.
8. Ignition timing not correctly adjusted. Check and re-time ignition if necessary, using a stroboscopic timing lamp if possible.
9. Coil and condensor defective. No repairs possible, replace, making sure that condensor with correct mfd value is fitted.
10. Loose connection in LT circuit (small lead at side of distributor for example). Check and correct.
11. Open circuit, short circuit to ground (earth) or centre lead of coil not fitted properly. Check all cables and make sure centre lead makes contact.
12. The same as 11, but fault is in the spark plug leads. Check for broken cables and proper connections.
13. Plug leads incorrectly connected. Fault only evident after distributor or spark plugs have been removed and leads incorrectly connected. Follow the wiring order and connect properly.
14. "Tracking" present. This means that HT voltage is creeping to ground (earth) due to dirt or dampness. Various products (damp start) are available to overcome the problem, mainly if caused by dampness (water spray, heavy rain, etc.).
15. Centrifugal advance not working properly. Check by removing distributor cap, turn rotor against tension of flyweight springs and release. Rotor should return to original position (not sticking).
16. Vacuum advance not operating. Pull off hose at distributor with engine running and then re-connect. Engine noise must change if engine speed is increased.