Starting Problems

1. You are on the right lines. The smaller lead from the starter switch on the floor goes off to the ign and other circuits, start checking for power from here on.
2. There is no starter relay, the button on the floor is a heavy duty switch.

1. You must just find the first point that is live then find where it is stops being live ! Likely points are : at the connection under the starter switch, at any joins, the ignition switch and especially its connections.

MrCheerful

Gawd, you're testing my memory now. The starter switch is purely mechanical, ie: pushing the button down pushes a fat piece of brass across the terminals of the positive lead. Could possibly be the negative lead because for several years in the 1960's no-one could make up their minds about polarity and they kept swapping the earth around. Pushing the button down and getting the starter to spin proves only that the battery has a charge and the starter works. It doesn't indicate that the coil is receiving any current. At the limits of my memory now- the main fuse is under the bonnet hidden behind the soundproof material by the wiper motor. It's a line fuse in a bullet type holder. When that fails you lose warning lights and power to the petrol pump and ignition. If that fuse is ok, suspect the ignition switch. To get you going, those engines are the easiest in the world to hot wire- just run a lead from a permanent live source to the low tension connection + on the coil. DaveK.

You original post is a bit self-contradictory in that you say that there is diddly squat when you turn the ignition key but later you say when you press the starter it spins fine but nothing happens. By 'nothing happens' I presume you mean the engine doesn't fire.

However, are you actually saying there is nothing AT ALL when you turn on the ignition except the starter works, or not?

If there is 'diddly squat' when you turn the key you need to look for a poor connection at the battery or at the other end of the battery lead/s either where one earths or the other attaches to the ign switch. But first please clarify your problem.

Rob Graham

Rob,

Correct, but I'm partly assuming this is 'cos there's no fuel pumping through. See, I run the floats dry every time I park it, then flick off the fuel pump switch so it can't be knicked....

That is right, anything connected thoe the ignition circuit is dead. No Indicatiors, no auxilary internal ights heater motor that kind of stuff.

HOpe I have EricR PS Rob, are you Rob Graham Ex- Daytona Karting?

Yes, you have. However, I don't think I can add anything to what Mr Cheerful and DaveK have said. There's a poor connection or a fuse blown somewhere. It's just a question of tracing from the last place where there's power to where there isn't.

No. I do have a namesake in Scotland who appears in NG uk.diy sometimes, but maybe the name is quite common.

I would check there is enough power in the battery, there might be enough power there to spin the starter but not enough to throw the starter gear on to the flywheel, also check to see if the inertia mechanism is not sticking, as was the case with this type of starter, Fitzy

All push button starter Minis were positive earth - unless it's been changed afterwards.

And makers didn't really swop back and forth, although positive earth was a post war thing for those who used it. All went back to negative earth when solid state electronics became the norm - mainly alternators. But positive earth alternators were also available just to confuse things.

IIRC, there is a fuse box with only two fuses, but these aren't used for the ignition, etc. However, one *is* fed off the ignition switch as it protects ignition controlled acessories (indicators, brake lights, heater etc). The other is permanently live as it protects those accessories which work with the ignition off, like horn, etc.

If there's no volts at the input to the 'ignition' fuse on this box with the ignition on, my first guess would be a faulty ignition switch.

Again, IIRC, there's only a wire from the pickup point on the starter switch to the ignition switch, so I'd also check that there are volts arriving at the ignition switch at all times. If there's not, a dirty or broken connection where the wire picks up from the starter switch would be next.

Hello Dave, How are you these days, Fitzy

Just remembered. There are 2 fuses in the fuse box. Remove one of the fuses and replaceit in between the two fuse positions. This should make the ignition circuits live. Try again to start the engine, if it does not start, then the problem would be in the ingition switch or it's wiring.

Keith PS, this was a trick we used in the motor trade to fire up the old Morris Minor if the keys were not available.

Totally agree, a coin works just as well, Fitzy

There should be two spare fuses in the holder - just use one of them.

Just about any car of the period with Lucas electrics.