Any mechanics Collier Row/Romford area?

[Tetleysmooth]

My daughter has a bubble shaped Rover 214. It's an R reg. I presume it's an 8 valve, because it definitely doesn't have the K series engine.

She had to park it up over Christmas for a couple of months. When parked, it was starting and running fine. Obviously, when she tried to start it last week, the battery was flat. I took a fully charged battery over there, but it still barely turned the engine over. I charged her old battery, which did indeed accept the charge, and tried that, but still barely cranked the engine. I put jump leads on it from my Grand Voyager, but it didn't make any difference. I also cleaned the battery to body strap, but no good either.

My money is on the starter motor. Can they fail while sitting idle?

Is there anyone in the Collier Row/Romford, Essex area that could take a look and if needed,fit a starter motor please?

Any advice or ideas gratefully received.

Thanks.

[Lacquer Peel]

It definitely does have a K series engine.

Is there any way you can tow start it?

[Spiny Norman]

Sometimes a battery left in a discharged state just dies, to such an extent that no amount of resuscitation will revive it. I'd try a fresh battery in it before I condemned anything else.

[Tetleysmooth]

I thought the K series engine had a wide flat cam cover.

This one has a narrow cam cover.

Can't tow it, daughter doesn't know how and will probably wreck my Voyager.

I tried 2 different batteries. The second one had definitely accepted the charge.

[Tetleysmooth]

This is the K series:

 

 

This looks very much like my daughter's engine:

 

[Shep Shepherd]

^

That's the 8-valve version of the K Series, which is less common than the 16-valve version

[Tetleysmooth]

Anyone? I'm not expecting this for free. Monetary remuneration is offered.

There is a good reason I can't do this myself.

[Tetleysmooth]

I'm bumping this up again.

I fitted the starter, and a bloomin' good battery, and it still just about turned over.

Went back again, took all the plugs out, tried it again and nope, still barely turning over.

I've come to the conclusion that this is fragged.

A tow would either kill or cure it, but can't tow the thing on my own.

My daughter swears it was fine when parked up and when she started it occasionally while not in use.

What could have happened to this engine chaps?

[messerschmitt owner]

Seized alternator perhaps. Disconnect the belt and see if it makes a difference.

[michael1703]

with the plugs out, put the car in gear and put your shoulder to it and see if you can turn the engine over by pushing it back n forth

 

starter motor coud be knackered,taking a lot of draw but not turning over quick enough

 

or put a socket on the crank pulley and try turning by hand

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 

or put a socket on the crank pulley and try turning by hand

 

Defo do this! It costs nowt and takes seconds. Find out if something is unnecessarily stiff or if the starter motor is just not man enough for some reason.

[simmo]

I've picked up two Rovers with 'immobiliser faults' that have both turned out to be knackered leads. The starter to battery lead on these comes apart, it is possible that it is still makes some contact but its not enough to crank properly. To check for this and the earth cable, If you have jump leads connect one (black) from the negative of battery to a good engine earth to negate any earth lead problems. Carefully attach the red to the starter main terminal and the other end to the positive on the battery. If the car cranks correctly but using the key the fault is with the leads if not its most likely the starter, assuming you are happy with the battery condition.

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks for all the advice people.

I'm happy with the battery, because it started my Previa!!!

The starter motor wasn't new when bought, but I was assured it was only a couple of months old

[Guest]

Contact Roy Gillard at Redwood RS. Roy will travel to you from Harrow, fix the car if he can, and charge you thirty quid an hour plus a small mileage charge for distances over ten miles. He turns up in a cool LHD 4WD early Espace, with a chest of pro tools in the back. Roy is the geezer. Tell him Gerard sent you.

 

http://www.matraclub.org.uk/redwood.html

[Joey spud]

Seized alternator perhaps. Disconnect the belt and see if it makes a difference.

 

 

I second this sugestion i have seen a fair few alternator seize up when left in this weather,just cut the belt off it and give it a go...

 

Rover 200,Smart Car,Proton gen2 and an 03 Transit spring to mind as recent non cranks i've had the pleasure of.

 

The Proton went again after lashing of WD and a well aimed 'twonk' with a hammer were administered..

 

Oh also check the condition of the battery to earth conections (gearbox area and slam panel) as high resistance here will scupper any chance of getting big amps to the starter.

[Tetleysmooth]

I'm going to try these suggestions, but then if it doesn't do the trick, I'll be looking out for an uber cheap runaround for her.

Don't think I'll be cutting the alt drivebelt off though, bit extreme

Thanks again for the ideas chaps.

[messerschmitt owner]

Don't think I'll be cutting the alt drivebelt off though, bit extreme

it isn't extreme if the issue is a seized alternator - which is more common than you think!

 

A new belt is a tenner tops and perhaps 20 mins to replace! And you'd be doing it with the new alternator anyway!

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks to the advice received on here, the Rover lives and breathes again.

It was the alternator. I took it off, freed it off, and away we go again.

I think it will need another alternator in the reasonably near future, but for now, it's all good again.

Thanks for your help people.

[messerschmitt owner]

yeah! result!

 

[Joey spud]

Good work...,it still suprises me that an alternator belt can grip on a crank pulley enough to stop the engine turning.

 

That said some modern 'stop/start' systems use a combined alternator/starter that restarts the engine using its drive belt.

 

(more shite to go wrong imo,had a DS3 with stop/start gob its belt tensioner off today).