Need Help

[jara]

I had a previous thread about my car losing power and stalling, but now it's not even starting. Teddy was here and said it's not sparking.

I am really desperate to have someone look at it.

 

Is there anyone near Chermside able to come have give me a hand? It's my first car and I've got no experience.

I can pay for fuel and your time.

 

If I don't have this car running, I'll lose my job before I get a chance to even start it.

[jara]

just had a racq guy come around, he filed the points and it's running, hopefully fixed the idle problem too. Guess the wet and dry sandpaper wasnt enough on the points yesterday

 

I'll go take it for a tester now

Edited April 4, 2012 by jara

[altezzaclub]

Well, you will need a battery charger, unless its parked at the top of a hill! ..or another car to swap batteries with. There is no doubt that you will flatten the battery trying to start it over time.

 

So if the problem is in the electrics we have-

 

Wiring.. a broken or partly-broken wire anywhere from the key to the dizzy via the coil. Check the wires that you can see for weak spots or breaks where they join terminals. A multimeter would be good to see how much resistance there is getting from the coil to the battery negative.

 

Coil.. weak coil=weak spark. All you can do is swap it for another.

 

Ballast resistor, if you have one.. that may not be feeding enough voltag to the coil. Its meant to drop the 12v to 9v for running but go back to 12v for starting. You could cut it out of the circuit & try that.

 

Points.. no doubt checked and gapped. Don't forget to check the wiring inside the dizzy and that wire going into it carefully.

 

Condenser.. weak condenser=weak spark. Again, all you can do is swap it for another.

 

Dizzy cap.. cracks show up as black lnines where carbon and oil collects in them. A spray with brake cleaner and a scrub with a rag sorts it out. Then spray with WD40 or 556.

 

Plug leads.. including the one from the coil. Bad insulation shows as green sparks flaring around at night, especially a wet night. WD40 or CRC 556 usually fixes it temporarily.

Plugs.. the gap gets wider as they get older and the spark is harder to fire.

 

I'm sure Teddy checked most of that, but if you've missed anything go take a look.

[ke70dave]

It's my first car and I've got no experience.

 

 

experience is gained directly after it is needed!

 

Going on your last few threads....i think you had better buy a manual for the engine, and study it from one end to the other. Follow all diagnostic procedures, and learn a massive amount on your travels.

 

something like this

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TOYOTA-COROLLA-1300-WORKSHOP-MANUAL-1978-1981-/190662832244?pt=AU_Clothing_Merchandise_Media&hash=item2c6463f074

 

$30 delivered to your house. buy it right now.

 

If i don't see that disapear off ebay soon....well i wont actually do anything.

 

but... BUY IT!

[jara]

i've got one of those manuals, it has helped a lot, it is my first resort usually, thanks though. but it starts all good now.

 

i thought everything was fixed.... but it broke down 3 times just on a trip getting petrol.... it sounds like something was loose in there when i put the throttle on and it loses power, putts and dies! I had a look but nothing seems to be loose

 

Altezza, thanks, that's a lot of detail, but i mentioned that it sparks fine now. starts like it used to

 

also - i tried it parked with the bonnet up and when it made the putt noises and dies, smoke come out from and under the air filter.

 

could it be that the mixture and idle are causeing it to break down? i mentioned it to the racq guy and he gave them a fiddle.

Edited April 5, 2012 by jara

[altezzaclub]

could it be that the mixture and idle are causeing it to break down?

 

Most unlikely.. they supply fuel for the motor at idle and up to a couple of thousand rpm, when the main jet takes over. So if it idles for 10seconds it should idle forever.

 

The smoke coming out from the air filter sounds like a backfire into the carb, so the spark has arrived at the wrong time or an inlet valve is not sealed.. I assume that is just as it dies, it coughs and pops back up the carb and stops.

 

If the electrics are sorted it only leaves the carb. Have you stripped the carb and cleaned all the jets yet?? Do you have a partly blocked jet that is causing it to run lean, or an air leak, so when you accelerate it has no power and dies, or do you have a spot of fibre under the needle and seat so it fills the bowl up with petrol and floods it when its idling??

Edited April 5, 2012 by altezzaclub

[jara]

no jets have been cleaned, and no idea about the needle and seat thing. teddy did have a look into the carb i think. maybe something got in? i doubt it's a blocked jet cause it's such a sudden thing.

 

It was running beautifully, then the stalling for a couple days, then didnt start. but now that the points were filed, the idle and starting is better. so wouldnt it have to be something that has been touched?

[ke70dave]

mmm not sure.

 

i think it woudl be best to give the whole engine a once over.

 

clean the jets, check the needle and seat, there is an adjustment you can do on the needle float (look in that manual you have). carburettas are simple amazing contrtaptions, but one bit of dirt can stop the show.

 

Attack the entire carby with carburetta cleaner, don't be shy, go nuts, its awesome stuff (buy it in a can from repco). give it a few good sqirts while the engine is running too (air filter out). you might have to keep the engine running while spraying that cleaner in, but it cleans good. oh yeah and it wont start easily if you just spray it in with the engine off, but it will eventually.

 

I don't like the sound of filing points, they are only $10 to replace.

[jara]

I'll buy some new point, give the carby a clean with that stuff. attempt that needle float thing if it doesnt look too difficult. but I wouldnt know about the jets. sounds like a plan. I'll come back with the results

[altezzaclub]

Jets are easy once you take the carb top off. I use a syringe full of petrol to squirt down them.

 

When you buy points, buy a condensor too, and feeler gauges or a dwell meter if you don't have them.

 

When you fit them be careful abot how the terminals carry power to them from the coil, as nothing must earth out around the insulated screw. When you've finished fitting them and set the gap, turn the key on and touch a screwdriver across the open points. You should get a spark and an audible !zap! sound. If you don't there will be a short somewhere.

[jara]

1. well i bought some carb cleaner. do i just take the air filter off and spray into where i can see?

 

2. I went into the servo up the road to see if they had any points on hand, they didnt, and either did supercheap. I have feeler gauges, and know the gap needs to be 0.45mm. the guy also had a quick look and said that carby cleaner was shit and he lowered my idle down a shit tonne. don't know if i should trust his techniques. should I?

 

I'll go out tomorrow or tonight for the points and think i'll get a new rotor too.

 

3. and in the cap underneath, the bit in the middle is flat with the cap, is that meant to be pushing out?

 

4. what's the condensor? is it important that i get a new one?

 

and 5. do i have to have the timing done when new points are put in?

 

also, 6. when i was at supercheap, the book had different parts for 4k and 4kc. does it matter? cause my thing says 4kc but everyone calls it just a 4k?

 

haha, thanks for your never ending help man

Edited April 5, 2012 by jara

[altezzaclub]

1. Well, it doesn't do much just spraying it in. The top of the carb unscrews, the accelerator pump pulls off and the action parts are in the middle section of the carb. The bottom 1/3 is where the throttle butterflies are. The float, the needle valve and the seat are all in the top part.

 

2.. So long as it runs quietly.. mine idles at 1000rpm, which is quicker than the stock 750rpm, but the twin carbs and the cam do that.

 

3. Yep- that is the contact that presses against the rotor and takes high voltage from the coil lead to the rotor so it can distribute it to each plug lead. It is just carbon and wears away slowly, making a mess of everything and causing short circuits.

 

4. Google image it. It is a capacitor that charges while the points are open and discharges when they close to give a good current through the coil and make a fat spark. If it leaks the power away through the insulation the spark is weak. They last for years but slowly degrade, so its a good idea to replace them when you replace points.

 

5. Yep- you can do it without a light, just set the crankshaft on the 8deg timing mark and turn the ignition on. Take the dizzy cap off & loosen the clamp a little, and rotate it first backwards a whisker then forwards. As the points open you will see a spark and hear a 'crack'. Do it a few times to get it just where the spark occurs, and that means it will fire at 8deg BTDC.

 

I think the only difference is in the anti-pollution gear on the 4K-C, but look it up. Just Google it and Wiki or someone will have it.

 

I hope you have watched all of these

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mJHc3YjwPQ&feature=related

Edited April 5, 2012 by altezzaclub

[ke70dave]

altezza has answered most.

 

the strategy that has worked for me with carby cleaning,

 

spray some in the top of carby, get it as clean as you can, leave it for 10mins, start engine, it will be a struggle.

 

then once the engine is running, spray more in, but also put your hand over most of the carby throat so you get some EPIC vacuum in the carby, helps pull all the crap through into the engine. thats my theory anyway. Becareful not to get your hand sucked in....no I'm not joking!

 

you will have to keep up the throttle to keep the engine going, the carby cleaner tends to kill it.

 

and like carbonboy sais...its nasty stuff, be careful.

 

but yeah follow that video, thats the best way. my way is cheap and dodgy, but has worked in the past.

 

condensor is a funny thing, i had one die once, took me days to dianose, and it cost less than 8 bucks to replace. damn condensor.

Edited April 5, 2012 by ke70dave

[carbonboy]

1. well i bought some carb cleaner. do i just take the air filter off and spray into where i can see?

 

Please, for me, wear some safety glasses or even a pair of sunglasses when using this stuff (minimum - keep your face the heck out of the way!). It hurts enough getting it in a cut on your hand, nevermind the potential for loss of sight.

 

Edit: Thanks for that video link altezzaclub, I'll be watching that before attacking BT's carby. :D

Edited April 5, 2012 by carbonboy

[B.L.Z.BUB]

There are Nippon Denso and Bosch dizzy parts both are completely different. Make sure you get the right ones