Van won’t start

An alchemy of sparks, copper wire and earth

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

sarahandthebear
Registered user
Posts: 426
Joined: 28 Mar 2017, 10:03
80-90 Mem No: 15882
Location: Warwick

Re: Van won’t start

Post by sarahandthebear »

A member of our family is absolutely convinced it's the coil, like obsessed with it being the coil
1984 1.9 dg petrol westfalia joker

300CE
Registered user
Posts: 2531
Joined: 16 Aug 2012, 13:05
80-90 Mem No: 12017
Location: Sidcup, Kent

Re: Van won’t start

Post by 300CE »

Deffo sounds like the sender - I had to call the AA out for mine after changing everything above that I had in spares - he put spark plug testers on the plugs and found that they were intermittently sparking which explained why sometimes it would start fine and then nothing.

To rule it out might be worth putting a message out to see if someone local can swap their dizzy over - if it starts and runs fine you’ve found the problem.

Coil breakdown is slightly different in that you will usually start getting flat spots when putting your foot down - that and it usually gets hot to touch.
'86 DG, Weber Carb

silverbullet
Trader
Posts: 16311
Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 09:51
80-90 Mem No: 6908
Location: Surrey Syncronaut #156
Contact:

Re: Van won’t start

Post by silverbullet »

sarahandthebear wrote:Then cut out again so he started looking at the wires. He spent ages moving the wires, sometimes the van would cut out if he moved them, sometimes it would cut out if he did nothing.

I would say from that statement ^^^ you need to replace the distributor wiring.

I had similar symptoms on my old bus, turned out to be an intermittent short that sometimes spiked the ecu, sometimes wouldn't start, sometimes ran for days.

Sent from my S60 using Tapatalk

sarahandthebear
Registered user
Posts: 426
Joined: 28 Mar 2017, 10:03
80-90 Mem No: 15882
Location: Warwick

Re: Van won’t start

Post by sarahandthebear »

Van still not starting. I replaced the ignition control module, I started the van and it ran for about a second then cut out. I then tried again and it turned over but would not start, we then had an almighty load bang as it backfired :rofl could it be the coil or like mentioned the hall sender. We have our mot in a week so I really want to get it running
1984 1.9 dg petrol westfalia joker

User avatar
T25Convert
Registered user
Posts: 402
Joined: 20 Jun 2009, 09:27
80-90 Mem No: 7819
Location: Chester

Re: Van won’t start

Post by T25Convert »

You need a time when its not starting so you can diagnose.

In order I would:

Check you have 12v at the coil - no 12v is dodgy wiring, or knackered ignition switch

Check the hall sender (as above, by earthing middle pin) - no spark is coil related, spark means the hall sensor knackered, or the wiring from it is.

Check resistance of coil - it might be knackered even if it measures fine. Coil might give misfires etc and make starting harder, but less likely to give you this on/off type issue.
RIP - George - 1.9DG '85 AutoSleeper Trident - rusted away

George Second - 1.9DG '89 Caravelle

User avatar
ajsimmo
Trader
Posts: 2698
Joined: 23 Mar 2009, 14:06
80-90 Mem No: 6542
Location: Isle of Arran
Contact:

Re: Van won’t start

Post by ajsimmo »

Is it running yet?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
The Campershack - (website paused)
WBX Rebuilds & Upgrades from the beautiful Isle of Arran

sarahandthebear
Registered user
Posts: 426
Joined: 28 Mar 2017, 10:03
80-90 Mem No: 15882
Location: Warwick

Re: Van won’t start

Post by sarahandthebear »

Van is running agin :ok I replaced the ignition moduel but it still would not start. We went to see our mecahnic and he said the timing was out so he set that. He then swapped over the dizzy cap and put on a new rotor arm, he said ours looked a bit worn. It started first try and has been running perfectly. He said the moduel was probably the original problem but because I had been messing with the dizzy I must have messed up the timing :rofl so basically I would never have got it to go. He did spend time showing me how to find TDC and only charged us for the new dizzy cap and arm and not for his time which was an hour and a half. Can't complain there
1984 1.9 dg petrol westfalia joker

300CE
Registered user
Posts: 2531
Joined: 16 Aug 2012, 13:05
80-90 Mem No: 12017
Location: Sidcup, Kent

Re: Van won’t start

Post by 300CE »

That's great news - always worth carrying rotor's and dizzy caps in your batch of spares.
'86 DG, Weber Carb

sarahandthebear
Registered user
Posts: 426
Joined: 28 Mar 2017, 10:03
80-90 Mem No: 15882
Location: Warwick

Re: Van won’t start

Post by sarahandthebear »

300CE wrote:That's great news - always worth carrying rotor's and dizzy caps in your batch of spares.

I orderd a spare dizzy cap and rotor arm :ok and a new moduel as it was only £18. So far we have had no problems
1984 1.9 dg petrol westfalia joker

spanishfly
Registered user
Posts: 305
Joined: 09 May 2013, 14:43
80-90 Mem No: 12044
Location: Launceston, Cornwall

Re: Van won’t start

Post by spanishfly »

I had the same last week and it was the rotor arm!
1987 Westy Joker 1.6TD
1987 Dehler Profi 2+2
1988 Syncro RHD panel
 

Jeff J
Registered user
Posts: 642
Joined: 02 Jul 2012, 07:12
80-90 Mem No: 13853
Location: Millom Cumbria

Re: Van won’t start

Post by Jeff J »

My 1.9 petrol engine seems to eat rotor arms. I suspect it is due to condensation forming in the distributor cap when not used much over winter.

adrianbutter
Registered user
Posts: 40
Joined: 24 Mar 2011, 17:30
80-90 Mem No: 1

Re: Van won’t start

Post by adrianbutter »

Having similar issues when hot / restarting when hot.

Can anyone describe what a worm out cap and rotor arm looks like? Or is it hard to tell good from old/worn?
Ade
T25 1985 DG 1.9 (early case)

User avatar
jrt
Registered user
Posts: 3396
Joined: 01 Oct 2011, 15:53
80-90 Mem No: 10288
Location: East Cheshire

Re: Van won’t start

Post by jrt »

Scorch marks, deposits on the inside of the cap can be cleaned up with some emery paper, check for cracks etc. For what they cost i would just replace them with new if you have suspicions. Take the old rotor off put a bit of oil on the felt pad in the dizzy and see if there’s an improvement. I had a limited rotor but have since swapped to the more basic one.
David.
the future is unwritten

Post Reply