If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
'83 Spider won't start
I finally broke down and sold my 83 Spider to a friend of mine. He
came over to get it today and wouldn't you know the beast won't start. Three of us spent the better part of the day trying every trick in the book just to get the engine to kick over but we got nowhere. When I crank, the motor just turns at a constant rate. It never seems to catch at all. It doesn't stumble or speed up. It's like there is no power stroke. This makes no sense to me since I know it's getting fuel, air, and spark. The battery is fully charged. It's plugged to the wall with a charger. It turns over a little slow but it has always turned over slow. I've actually been using the starter motor to move the car in and out of the garage so I think it's cranking fine. The spark plugs are all firing. I've pulled every one and checked them against the block. There's a clean strong spark. I replaced them all with new Bosch plugs anyway. They are properly gapped and they all spark fine too. The rotor and cap were kind of old. There's evidence of arcing in the cap. I replaced both of them. It didn't help a bit. I crudely checked the timing by putting the number one cylinder to TDC compression and verified the rotor points to the number one point. The wires are in decent shape. There's no evidence of arcing from the wires. No spark flashes at night. It's been a bit rainy but the car is quite dry now. I'm in San Diego and the temperature reached about 65 today. I can hear the fuel pump run when I turn on the key. I pulled the fuel line, ran it to a jar and saw plenty of fuel come out when cranking. I sprayed starter fluid in the intake and even into the cylinders and it doesn't seem to react at all. I can feel air being pulled into the intake and exhaust coming out the pipe. There doesn't seem to be any vacuum leak. The timing chain isn't broken and I can see the valves move. I don't have a compression tester, timing light, or fuel pressure gauge. However, the fuel is certainly being delivered. The plugs are wet. The timing is electronic and roughly correct. I don't see how I could have suddenly lost compression on all four cylinders. I believe this all started because I ran it low on gas. I've since added two gallons of premium from a gas can. I don't drive the car much so I'm guessing it got some pretty cruddy fuel when it reached the bottom of the tank. However, I'd think that's well been cleared out by now. I'm still amazed that it doesn't respond to starter fluid. Anybody have any ideas? |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
child seat for an alfa spider veloce | hhatza | Alfa Romeo | 2 | August 30th 04 07:37 PM |
156 2.0TS hot start problem | edster | Alfa Romeo | 3 | August 8th 04 12:26 PM |
Workshop manual Spider series 4 | Alfaspider | Alfa Romeo | 0 | June 17th 04 10:27 PM |
1975 veloce spider top | matty | Alfa Romeo | 1 | May 25th 04 01:25 AM |
GT Spider?? | Alfistagj | Alfa Romeo | 10 | May 14th 04 10:22 PM |