1989 Non Starter

[PaulBarrow]

I pulled into a gas station, filled up with gas, paid (of course) got in, fired the engine and ... after half an hour of checking the leads etc. and trying called the AAA and got carted home.

Battery is fully charged, RovercomLite is showing no faults (although it did show Idler stepper motor fault - whatever that is - once).

All help and suggestions welcome please!

Thanks

Paul

[phoenix]

what is the f'ing simptom, does it turn over?, do you have spark?, do you have fuel? tell more, it is difficult enough to read someones mind while infront of them even harder over the internet,.

[PaulBarrow]

Sorry - spins over great, just doesnt ignite, full gas tank.

Unfotunately it is impossible to see if there is a spark and crank the engine at the same time.

Is there an inertia fuel shut off that might have activated?

[phoenix]

yeah, there is an inertia switch under the drivers seat, but on older units it will kill fuel pump action only while on newer units it will kill ignition and set the 4 way flashers as well.
when was the last time you tuned that thing?

[PaulBarrow]

Pheonix
Thank you for your post.

2500 miles ago.

Mine is LHD NAS and under the driver's seat there are 2 large relays and a smaller one.

Under the Passenger (right hand seat) there are 3 relays at the back, the ECU, with a brown relay and another at the rear. I could not find an inertia reset switch.

I pushed on the top of all the relays to ensure they were set down correctly, and the big block connector is well attached at the front of the ECU.

Engine spins really freely ... but there is no 'fire in the hole'.

Paul

[phoenix]

under the pasenger seat sits the ecu, one of those relays controls the fuel pump,the other controls the ecu (both are metal on older rovers)
the brown relay more than likely is the service reminder.
tap on those metal relays while someone else cranks the engine, icannot say for sure which metal relay controls what, ithink one is mounted on a blue connector the other on a black connector.
the inertia switch will be located under the drivers seat at the rear right part of the mountings almost next to the tunnel hump.
if you turn the key you should hear those relays click just before and right after the engine starts. if they dont click, tap on them to force them to activate or try using a jumper wire from the terminal with power on with key to terminal "87".
if that gets you runing ,I think you can use a generic bosh 4 or 5 prung fog light relay as repalcement, if unable to use such relay contact the host.

[PaulBarrow]

Looking like a fuel pump that has gone south for now ... or so my local workshop says. Initially they were saying it was the ECU - but then realized they had put the relays back in the wrong place apparently!

Will confirm

[phoenix]

ok good luck, i have seen many come in to the shop but they negect to inform that before fuelling they had ran out of fuel and that is how the pump had gone bad.

[PaulBarrow]

Thank you Phoenix. Although I was born at night, it wasnt the night before last and I am not quite stupid enough to run completely out of gas especially in a pressurized fuel injection controlled car.

To close this thread down, it was indeed the fuel pump so thank you for your assistance, despite attempts to make me look dumb, I guess you probably didnt mean your comments to come across as such but I did find them just a touch condescending, and I am bold enough to use my name, not hide behind a pen name.

Happy and trouble free New Year to all RRC owners

Paul

[lwbblue]

paul


Had the same trouble in my 95 lwb, just last week. It has always run well, and started. Jumped in last Thursday morning; turned the key, engine cranked well, but no fire.

I hooked up one of those little spark viewers, onto the spark plug, and cranked again. I could see the spark. Onto fuel. Not much fuel smell from the plenum intake. checked out the inertia switch; all ok. Pulled the kick panel and put my hand on the fuel relays, one at a time and felt for the really to click when I turned on the ignition. Both felt looked and sounded fine. When to the back, pulled up the carpet and removed the access panel to the fuel pump; unhooked the connector and re-connected it. Turned the key to test again, started right up. Bad fuel pump connection. Left it open for a couple of days just in case; all seems fine.

try the steps above, maybe you can isolate the fault quicker.

gene

[phoenix]

Paul, Im sorry if my postings seemed to insult your intelligence they were not meant to do so, my refference to the stupidity of running out of fuel was due to custumers at my place of employment who try to claim their mistakes under warranty case in point... a custumer complaints that his "trip computer says he has 60 miles to empty while the car wont star/ idle
road service added 5 gallons of fuel vehicle started"...
or the customer who came in and said "I just attempted a panic stop to avoid running a light and my wheels chirped and did not leave a mark also smells of something burnt"
it turned out to be that he locked the brakes abs kicked in wheels chirped and the stop was so harsh that he overheated the brakes.. go figure.
as for the postings seeming some what childdish in attitude..
I dont know you, I do not know your mechanical ability or knowledge so rater than to give you info, that may leave you scratching your head by assuming that you are a person who is quite knowledgeable about cars I give you a start step by step instruction as if you were a total amateur.
as for my name....
I have been on these threads before they were what they are now, up until a year ago I had about 5,000 postings under "carlosz" then the host changed servers and I lost contact, by the time I located these new pages my former screen name had been taken so I used the name I gave to one of my trucks which I saved from a serious under carriage fire while off roading. "Phoenix" because it arose from the ashes just like the myhtical bird.
this is a perfect example as to why I had lost contact whith the host when they changed servers and service, there is always someone who starts an argument with out provocation and insults are flung one way or another it is at that point when I have and will allways say "forget it it it not worth my time to sit here and argue".
at that point I simply move to other page, close my browser or just turn off my computer.
I simply tried to help you get to the bottom of your problem with out you getting ripped off by someone unscroupulos who may have attemped to replace a million parts with out success. mind you I am not insulting your mechanic Iam merely stating a fact that many shops call themselfs ROVER SPECIALISTS and dont have a clue about special diagnostics equip needed to service rovers or the little quirks that make a rover a LAND ROVER.
CARLOS ZARAGOZA.... formerly "carlosz" on these pages