Mini ran fine month ago now wont startup

it is probably flooded with fuel. Take the air filter off and lift the piston in the carb, get an assistant to spin it over with the accellerator pressed to the floor, this should blow through any excess fuel. the try to start it without choke. If all that fails then take the plugs out and give it a spin over, either warm all the plugs with a blow torch to dry them out or put new ones in, repeat starting. If it still doesn't go then you need to check for sparks.

Why did you try to prevent flooding immediately after doing your best to flood it?

Ian

Clean up the faces of the points with some sandpaper.

Is it getting a spark?

That's always my first test when any of my Minis fail to start. The electrics are very suspect. Although 20 years old is young for a Mini!

They are, as you rightly point out, prone to flooding. So, having ensured that you have a spark, the next technique (rarely fails, this) is to take the plugs out and burn the tips clean with a blowtorch, then put them back in while they are still hot.

They are simple cars to fix. I repaired my '67 Elf on the hard shoulder of the M180 near Scunny on Sunday; it died suddenly, so I took the dizzy cap off to check for a spark. No spark when manuallly opening the points, no spark when bridging the starter solenoid with a screwdriver. Check fuses, then spot that a wire has broken on the coil. Strip the end, trap it under the spade terminal, off we go!

Do everything that has been suggested. Also take off distributor cap , clean it and DRY it

Do everything that has been suggested. Also take off distributor cap ,

Many thanks to all. ( with the possible exception of 'Mr angry; doing your best to flood it'. what does he mean, I wonder?)

Have just taken the distributor cap off to check for wet and after putting it back the ignition light didn't come on. I jiggled (is that a technical term) all the low voltage wires around the distributor and the ignition light now comes on feintly. Life is not easy for a novice...sigh

"There was plenty of life in the battery, so we gave it a good hammering with the choke out": can /you/ think of a better way to flood it than giving it a good hammering with the choke out? Kids these days, all spoiled by fuel injection, don't know what a choke does, mutter mutter mutter ...

Coo. That's interesting. Because the "ignition" warning light doesn't have anything to do with the ignition circuit - it's actually controlled by the alternator. I am wondering if your engine earth is up the spout?

Ian

Have just cleaned the wire connections and the ignition light has now come on brightly. It wanted to fire up a couple of times making a big banging/farting noise. Still no joy though.

have you removed the plug leads? they must go back in the right order or it will make banging noises and not run

plug leads only taken off one at a time, so i dont think they could be muddled. there is a spark at the plug. clean and dried distributor cap. choke cable is connected. plenty of petrol in the tank.

when a RAC man got it going for us a long time ago, he took out an aerosol and squirted masses of it into the air intake. is it worth me getting such an aerosol whatsit ?

In message , johngood_____ writes

Probably WD40, can get cans of this at most garages and any car parts place

Probably "easy start". If it has been standing for a long time then the petrol may have gone off and be quite difficult to get started on, although once going and a bit warm it will burn it reasonably.

Is there petrol at the carb?

Chris

fine then, but now doesn't want to fire up.

Is there petrol at the carb?

When we took the plugs out they were wet and smelled of petrol. Hence i though enough petrol would be getting up there. Is that a fair assumption, or should i check further on the petrol front?

Engines can get addicted to Easy Start - a strange thing to say, but true. I wouldn't use it unless really essential. There must be some other problem.

Rob Graham

Plugs wet & smelling of petrol = flooded. You're getting petrol through. You have a spark. Have you tried heating the plugs as I suggested? Always works for me, and I have four Minis.