[Mgs] MGB not (re)starting

Tue Mar 10 14:37:19 MDT 2020

   When cold, the battery connectors will be tighter thanks to contraction
and of the metal. When hot an otherwise solid connection can become
resistive or even open.
   Next time it won't start, turn on the headlights first and observe them
when attempting a start. If the dim appreciable the batter or its
connectors are the cause.

On Tue, Mar 10, 2020, 3:28 PM Michael MacLean via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net>
wrote:

> Battery connections can "look" fine.  There is a corrosion that sets up
> with disuse and the battery tenders tend to foster this.  Just take off the
> battery connections and clean off the battery posts with a battery cleaning
> tool.  You know, the one with the stiff steel bristles you put over the
> post and turn back and forth.  Then do the same for the battery cable
> connections.  You would be surprised how many times it's the simple things
> like this that are the problem.
> Mike MacLean
> 69 MGB GT
>
> On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 1:21:59 PM PDT, Steve Shoyer via Mgs <
> mgs at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
>
> I actually look at the battery connections every time I drive, when I
> disconnect and then reconnect the battery tender clamps.  They seem clean
> and tight.
>
> If the battery (or battery connection) was bad, would there still be
> enough power to start the car when it was cold, and to run the starter for
> a long time after the car was warm but wouldn't start?  I can try
> disconnecting the battery tender to see how the battery reacts to only
> charging from the alternator.
>
> --Steve  (1980 MGB)
> On 3/10/2020 3:50 PM, Max Heim via Mgs wrote:
>
> Head? Coil? Now you’re grasping at straws. And carb doesn’t match the
> symptoms.
>
> I think Mike was right. Clean and tighten the battery connections. They
> are out of sight so are frequently neglected. Have you looked at them since
> you installed the battery?
>
>
> --
> Max Heim
> '66 MGB
>
> On Mar 10, 2020, at 12:44 PM, Steve Shoyer via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net>
> wrote:
>
> Thanks.  I don't think it's the battery.  The battery is about two years
> old, and it's been plugged into a battery tender over the winter.  I didn't
> have any trouble getting the starter to crank, and I was running the
> starter for a while without the battery appearing to run down.
>
> I'll have to test it by starting the car cold, driving it around my
> neighborhood for a while, then parking it back in my garage and trying to
> restart it after 20-30 minutes.  If it won't start I can pull the plugs and
> take a look, and also test the battery to see if it wasn't holding the
> charge.  I can also check compression at that point - maybe the head gets
> loose when it warms up?
>
> I also thought it might be the coil - I had read that sometimes after the
> coil gets warm it can cause intermittent problems.  If that was the case
> I'd think the car wouldn't run after being push started, but I'm far from
> an expert.  I was just guessing at the carb because I've never been good at
> tuning carbs, and it's the last thing I changed on the car.
>
> --Steve
> On 3/10/2020 3:17 PM, Michael MacLean via Mgs wrote:
>
> Check the battery connections, clean and replace.
> Mike MacLean
> 69 MGB GT
>
> On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 11:41:43 AM PDT, dave via Mgs
> <mgs at autox.team.net> <mgs at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
>
> What is the voltage on the battery?  See:
>
>
>
> https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r/advice/car-maintenance/car-battery-voltage-range
>
>
>
> *From:* Mgs <mgs-bounces at autox.team.net> <mgs-bounces at autox.team.net> *On
> Behalf Of *Max Heim via Mgs
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 10, 2020 12:59 PM
> *To:* MGs <mgs at autox.team.net> <mgs at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [Mgs] MGB not (re)starting
>
>
> What makes you think it was carb related? The fact that you could push
> start it makes me think it was more likely battery or starter related. It
> being the end of winter, I suspect a flat battery.
>
>
> --
>
> Max Heim
>
> '66 MGB
>
>
>
> On Mar 10, 2020, at 10:46 AM, Steve Shoyer via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net>
> wrote:
>
>
> It was in the 70's yesterday, so I took my 1980 MGB out for a ride.  My
> current carb is a Weber 38 DGES that I installed when I replaced the cam
> two years ago.  I drove around last year and it was running well, until one
> day when I stopped at a store for a few minutes and then couldn't get the
> car restarted.  After trying to get it going I wound up calling my daughter
> for help and we got it push-started.  Yesterday the same thing happened.
> After the push start the car ran fine, but I just drove it home rather than
> risk another problem.  I was trying some starter fluid to get it going
> yesterday, but that didn't work.  I thought that maybe the gas in the tank
> is old, but the car started up after a little cranking when I originally
> left the house.
>
>
> Any suggestions on where to look?  I didn't plumb the coolant line through
> the manifold to heat it, but I don't drive too much in cold weather so I
> didn't think it would be needed.  I thought that the problem last summer
> could have been vapor lock, but starter fluid should have worked if that
> was the issue.
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> --Steve (1980 MGB)
>
>
>
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