Saturday 9 January 2021

We have ignition...

 Lockdown boredom finally overcame cold and drove me into the garage, although with a little electric heater going, it was fine.

The plan was to try get the engine firing, something I have been unable to do recently. The problems feel like it is my starter motor and I have had the new battery on the trickle charger for the last 2 weeks - so imagine my shock when I test the battery and it shows 12.2V, less than the 12.5V I left it at 2 weeks ago!! I can only assume my trickle charger (it is very old) is kaput - wonderful.

So after some advice from my Alps partner, Graham, I decided to disconnect the starter motor and clean all the contacts. I was planning on doing the same to the main engine earth connection but when I tested the voltage from the battery positive terminal and a point on the engine, I was getting 12.25V, slightly more than across the battery terminal itself! I THINK this means my earth is OK, no?

After cleaning the starter motor terminals, it seemed to make no difference to the starter motor BUT the engine fired into life immediately. Either there is some weird circuit linked to the starter motor which affects something else (ECU, coil pack?) or I knocked some other wire which was preventing the engine start before. The only wire nearby is the crank sensor - is the connection dodgy? I just don't know...

Anyway, took the opportunity to go for a short drive to get car bits moving and oiled, and to test out my new camera setup. That worked pretty well - the quality isn't great but good enough for me and it is nice and stable. Also good to see that Zedster can still get his tail out, although not too tricky with the wet,, greasy roads out there at the moment:


Will be interesting to see if Zedster starts next time I try...


2 comments:

  1. Standard/traditional car wiring uses the start motor +ve terminal as a general binding post for other take offs - battery, alternator, fusebox..
    So it would make sense clearning/re-installing that connection could have a knock on effect elsewhere.

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  2. Thanks Richard, good to know it isn't just witchcraft...

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