Hi all!
I am working out of the Bay area and have been trying to follow your =
discussion for a few weeks, hoping one day to add something intelligent. =
Sadly it has to be in the shape of a problem. I bought an MGB 77 =
roadster, 3 weeks ago. It is the first car that I have ever owned, and =
every morning, as I walk towards it, I tell myself that it is one of my =
best decisions. I had it checked up with a Jag specialist who also does =
MGs before buying it and he said it was in really good condition. He =
noticed a certain delay(very small) in starting it up and he suggested I =
have someone look at it.
Well, 3 weeks and 1000 miles later, I find myself on assignment in Napa, =
and what started out as a little delay is taking longer and longer. I =
turn the ignition and I hear a turning sound(sounds like the fans to =
me). The ignition light and seatbelt warning comes on fine. There is no =
sputtering sound. Just a smooth turning sound. After 2 tries (now it is =
2) and some pressure on the gas pedal, the engine reluctantly gurgles =
to life. After driving it for a while, and shutting down, it starts up =
immediately, without any pressure on the accelerator at all. But after a =
few hours, it's back to square 1. I went to a local mechanic to get the =
battery checked out, but he said that if the fans turn, it isn't the =
battery that is low on charge. Actually, he was a whimp and upon seeing =
the MG, did not want much to do with it cos "haven't worked on those for =
a while".=20
Another thing that might be related to this is that the engine backfires =
when I first start driving it. So, I slowly take the car from 1000 to =
3000 rpm in neutral every morning, and this stops the backfiring.=20
I read Clymer's troubleshooting tips and they say that it could be=20
a) stuck starter drive?
b) No charging taking place - check battery, fan belt tension, =
electrical connections etc
1) Does anyone have any advice to offer on what I should be checking. I =
am an absolute novice, so please be specific. Had to look up carburettor =
in the dictionary, but I am getting there!
2) Does anyone know any mechanics near/in Napa that I could see if I =
fail to repair it? There is no British Automotive around.
Cheers
PS: If you see someone driving on the Bay Bridge with the top down on a =
cold day and a smile on his face, it's me. =20
|