[Healeys] No start condition

[Earl Kagna]

Fred – glad you got it sorted out.

I doubt that the problem was the black/white wire at the battery switch.  The sole purpose of that wire is to ground the ignition when the switch is turned off thereby keeping the engine from possibly running on the generator. (thanks to our old friend Norman Nock for teaching me this bit of wisdom).

The other end of the wire goes to the ignition coil.  If the wire is disconnected and taped off, the engine still cranks and runs as normal.  If the wire breaks and disconnects in the trunk, it would have to short to ground continuously for the engine to stop, but everything else would still ‘light up’, including the starter solenoid.  If you still feel like messing with it, you could easily prove all this out to yourself.  In fact, a lot of people I know have intentionally disconnected this wire in order to avoid the possibility of the engine suddenly quitting from it shorting to ground anywhere from the switch to the coil inside the harness under the car. (I don’t recommend doing this).

Your problem was almost certainly a bit of corrosion on one or both of the battery posts.  I’ve had this happen to me – everything goes completely dark – nothing works.  everything looks clean, but servicing the posts and terminals gets it all happy again.  Makes a good argument for regular battery maintenance.

Hope this gets people thinking.

Cheers,

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BJ8, BT7 tri-carb

From: Fred Wescoe 
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2018 2:08 PM
To: healeys 
Subject: [Healeys] No start condition

Okay guys, lots of informed thoughts on my no start problem. 

I went to the battery cut off switch in the trunk and found that the white/black wire was actually broken at the very end of the insulation.  The wire looked as through it was connected but actually wasn`t.  I stripped the wire and inserted it into the switch connector and the car started!  I turned the car off and restarted it multiple times just to make sure.  The problem seems resolved.

While I was back there, I tightened all of the other switch connections and thoroughly cleaned the battery terminals.  So, my hope is the car will start properly.

The first person to suggest the white/black wire possibility was Don Day.  I didn't think that could be the problem but after Len Hartnett and Steve Byers also suggested the same wire, I checked and there it was.

So many thanks to the allmost 20 people on the list who responded, all with thoughtful recommendations, including cleaning the crap out of the terminals.

Thanks to everone, what a list!

Fred

66 BJ8


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