*Sigh

 So my starter motor not kicking in is definitely an electrical problem and it seems to be the wiring from my ignition switch, which I thought I has sorted out weeks ago. I know this because when I try to start and the starter motor just clicks, if I wiggle the wires from the ignition, the starter motor fires up fine.

So there is that and my hot-starting is still a problem - starter just churns away but nothing from the engine. Starts up first time when cold and also OK if I leave it 5 mins after a run but any longer and no joy until its been sat for at least 30 mins. 

Very annoying - research needed to find out what to do about it. 

Sadly, my Alps trip is off - looks like France won't be accepting tourists for a while. I've got a plan to have a little UK trip of my own in May/June instead - see how it goes. 

In other news, my 17 year old son passed his test just before Xmas and I had bought him a cheap, old Toyota Yaris which he loved - for 3 months. Then, he was given 2 extra days at work so he's been earning a vaguely decent amount of money and, obviously, he can't just save that money, oh no! So he started looking at better cars - long story short, he's bought himself (well, I bought it but he is paying me back) a 10 year old MX5. 

Yes, I'm a bad parent but it is SUCH an awesome car. For £3.2k, it feels like new, is beautiful to drive and my son is almost sleeping in it, he loves it so much. Weirdly, the insurance was £300 LESS than the 998cc Yaris? I just don't get it...

Today, with my help, my son changed the oil and filter - a surprisingly difficult job because we had to get the car up on my ramps to get to the sump and that was no mean feat. But he really enjoyed it - a future kit-car builder? Who knows... 

On the map

 I sent my map off to John Lamsley - he worked for Emerald for 15 years and has recently branched out on his own (Facebook group), so he knows his stuff.

He sent me back an updated map to try help with the hot-starting and it is better, although still not perfect - Zedster needs 2 or 3 cranking sessions to start when hot (but at least he does).

I have the feeling my starter motor is utter junk - it wasn't the cheapest to buy but not premium either. After much online reading about hot-starting issues (a common problem), an explanation for the lethargy of my starter motor became clear. When it is cold, it is ok but when it gets hot, it is a higher resistive load for the battery to turn, which is why it sounds half-dead when hot-starting. I guess that might be considered the battery (although it is new) or just the fact the starter motor is getting too susceptible to heat? There is an expensive brand of starter motor which has the condenser fitted internally, so it is supposed to be much less affected by heat.

Also, even when cold and it is spinning ok, just before the engine fires, the starter grinds to a halt. The engine then fires on the next crank. So the starter motor is being stopped by the engine compression or something?

I think I should cough up for  a decent starter motor...

Admittedly, none of this accounts for why the engine won't fire when hot. The map changes seem to have helped but they shouldn't be needed. Hot-start issues seem to mostly be an older-car issue where engine heat caused fuel to vaporise in the fuel lines (vapour lock). With an electric HP pump and swirl pot in the engine bay, subject to the heat, this could be my issue but why is it happening now, with the car 3 years old?

Another problem could be a leak, lowering fuel pressure but I cannot see or smell that. Maybe I should get a fuel pressure gauge installed and see if that is low? But then wouldn't that affect the engine running as well, not just starting?

Questions, questions....

Swings and roundabouts and stripes

 Fitted the new lambda sensor and Zedster back to idling nicely. Annoyed that the sensor was so short-lived - may have to keep a spare in the car in case it goes while I'm  on a road trip.

I went for a short blast; lovely it was. Ever since I fiddled around with the throttle cable, Zedster just feels faster and zipping around corners, after months rolling round them in my land yacht of a normal car, is intoxicating; I'm literally giggling to myself like a kid. 

However, I then stopped for petrol and Zedster wouldn't start after filling up. I'm coming round to the idea that it is simply a hot-starting problem; the starter motor was churning over (although a bit lethargically at times) but the engine just wouldn't fire. I sat there for about 20 minutes, pondering, tried one last time before the AA were called and - kazam, fired up first time.

I'm going to ask Emerald (again - they didn't reply before) if they can adjust my map to help the hot starting.

On my return, I washed Zedster (first time in a while) and stuck a stripe I bought on the bonnet. I'd love to have enough cash to get Zedster painted but I just can't justify £1000+ for the job, so a £30 sticker it is.

Sadly, it's nowhere near the right colour, which I knew but I hoped it would be darker. But I do like it at the moment - see how I get on with it: