F**ked Black Rover 827 SLi - The Mistake Machine

[RichardK]

Engine earth strap, if no sparks even for the explosive gas option?

[Lankytim]

7 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Engine earth strap, if no sparks even for the explosive gas option?

There was a spark at the plug lead ends, looked a bit yellow but strong enough. 

[RichardK]

How frustrating. Wish I were a bit closer and could join in helping 😕

[barefoot]

18 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

strange that it wouldn't run on the Cosby-in-a-can

Sorry to be thick chaps, but what's this?

[JakeT]

Easy start, the main ingredient which is Ether.

[Noel Tidybeard]

cosby in a can

Ether/ starting fluid

Damn diesel won't start gotta give it some Cosby in a can to fire it up

[St.Jude]

There’s a lot to reply to here.

21 hours ago, Mr Pastry said:

Not intending to be critical of what you guys are doing btw. we all work different ways and I wasn't there.

I don’t think anyone here, especially me, has thought any different. Like @Matty said this place is full of top blokes and a lot of them are here.

I won’t be at the car this weekend, but next weekend I’ll go and provide a feed to the fuel pump. In the meantime I’m going to look at the diagrams etc and see if there is a secondary pump (probably isn’t) just in case.

I would like to check the strength of the spark too. We got a spark at the king lead and then at one of the plugs. But then I know @Lankytim commented that the spark was yellow in colour. So may be that the amplifier needs to be changed (which was mentioned by the exhaust people when it was cranking for them but not starting).

Once again thank you for all the help.

[Matty]

7 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

There’s a lot to reply to here.

I don’t think anyone here, especially me, has thought any different. Like @Matty said this place is full of top blokes and a lot of them are here.

I won’t be at the car this weekend, but next weekend I’ll go and provide a feed to the fuel pump. In the meantime I’m going to look at the diagrams etc and see if there is a secondary pump (probably isn’t) just in case.

I would like to check the strength of the spark too. We got a spark at the king lead and then at one of the plugs. But then I know @Lankytim commented that the spark was yellow in colour. So may be that the amplifier needs to be changed (which was mentioned by the exhaust people when it was cranking for them but not starting).

Once again thank you for all the help.

Can confirm @Mr Pastry knows his onions. Has pulled me out of the mire on more than one occasion! 😃

[Noel Tidybeard]

if the stars align you can use the power probe to prod the fule pump if that makes it easier/saferer 😁

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, barefoot said:

Sorry to be thick chaps, but what's this?

Yeabbut, what connects Ether with cosby?

[barefoot]

18 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Yeabbut, what connects Ether with cosby?

Fuck knows, that's why I asked.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i wondered if he'd used it to subdue his "friends"

[Bren]

Easy start is volatile. A yellow spark is a weak spark. Do these have an amplifier on the distributor?

[High Jetter]

Ether I know. Cosby, no- Bill's dead.

[St.Jude]

10 hours ago, Bren said:

Easy start is volatile. A yellow spark is a weak spark. Do these have an amplifier on the distributor?

Yeah it does, it’s perched near the wing above the fuse box.

[Bren]

19 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

Yeah it does, it’s perched near the wing above the fuse box.

I know when these failed on SD1's ( only 3.5's had them ) the car would die completely but then restart once everything had cooled.

[mercedade]

On 05/05/2024 at 17:33, Lankytim said:

....maybe the incorrect relay is fitted?

Now, I may well be remembering the wrong 'restoration' thread of the previous owner, but I definitely remember there being plenty of fuckabout with relays, trying to find other relays from other cars, etc and so on, and my impression was certainly that the approach taken could well be the kind that leads to relays being borrowed from other cars and/or random things that fit just being wedged in.

[N Dentressangle]

11 hours ago, Bren said:

I know when these failed on SD1's ( only 3.5's had them ) the car would die completely but then restart once everything had cooled.

They're fitted to RRC's too:

G

Go down totally randomly - will start one moment then nothing the next. Can be responsible for a very weak spark, fooling you into thinking it should start. But it won't.

Sound familiar?

[rovik88]

Hi there,

I didn’t read all replies since my last visit, so apologies if it’s already mentioned.

Did you already check the main relay (officially ‘EFI relay’ in the docs)? A known issue was that the solder was badly done and it develops cold joints that crack, giving erratic behavior. The main relay controls your fuel pump and is interfaced with the ECU. It is not your everyday, simple relay. It is a key element of the entire starting and running states of the car. The Legend got it too. Takes a little searching, but there are good explanations out there. Let me know if you need practical info on this part and I’ll try to find something usable in my archives.

If spark is weak, you could (after checking/replacing plug leads) take a look at the igniter module. It amplifies the ECU spark output before it goes to the ignition coil (it’s basically a power transistor as the ECU, which gets it’s signal from the ignition pick-up sensor, can’t drive the coil directly). It is in the (attached) wiring diagrams (aka fault finding manual) 

Edit: Please see attached also schematic of the main relay. There are multiple editions of wiring through the years. If you have VIN earlier than 276672 you must use images 0174 and higher attached. Else use the other schematics. You can find it usually somewhere up in the driver’s and/or passenger’s footwell where more relays are located. Be warned: It can be hard to find.

Edited May 12 by rovik88
Main relay