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MG MGF Technical - Starting mgs

Hello all

I wondered if any would could advise me whether i need to do anything special before i start my car 97 F which hasn't been used for a few months? I have charged the battery up and will put some fresh fuel in but do i need to remove the spark plugs first and put some fuel in there?
Or any other tips??

Thanks
NJ Rawlings

it should be just fine with a topped up battery, and fresh fuel.

Whatever you do don't put petrol in the bores, if you are worrided about the rings sticking you should use a few ml of oil, all petrol will do is strip any oils out and leave you with no lubrication on startup
Will Munns

Thanks Will i will be off to get some fresh petrol in a min and give it a go.

Thanks again
NJ Rawlings

Pull the HT lead of the dizzy and turn it over on the starter till the oil light goes out, then re-connect and fire up.
roy bridge

Thanks Roy

But as someone who doesn't know a great deal of the working of cars what will this do? And where will i find it in the engine bay.

Thanks again
NJ Rawlings

NJ it will make sure your oil has circulated round the engine covering any " dry" spots that may have developed while the car has been standing, before subjecting it to the loads and revs of it actually running.
I'm by no means an F expert, and there are two different types of coil/distributor set up,so perhaps one of the gurus could explain it better than I ever could. I would hate to give you wrong info. But basically it's just being able to turn the engine over without it actually starting.
roy bridge

Neil,

You will need to remove the engine bay cover hidden under the parcel shelf (see archives for how this is done)

Then if you are standing at the back looking forward the distributor is on the left hand side of the engine.

If you have the engine bay cover off you will see the top of the engine which has a plate with usually ROVER written on this. If you removed this you would be able to access the spark plugs and leads. You don't need to take this off but to the left you should see all 4 ht leads come out from under the cover and plug into the distributor. The 4 leads go into the 4 outside lugs and dead in the centre is another connection.

This is the supply which is then sent to the 4 leads by a rotor arm (under the distributor cover).

If you carefully pull out the centre lead this will remove the feed to the spark plugs.

Or you could remove the cover, or the rotor arm once you lift off the distributor cover.

The ide being you don't allow a spark to the plugs and allow the engine to fire.

Be careful that nothing "dangles" and gets caught as the engine turns.

Try robs page www.mgf.ultimatemg.com and lok for rotor arm and he has pictures that will help

Brian

Brian

Surly that’s a little OTT if the car has only been out of use for a few months, to be honest I'd probably just start it normally.
James King

I think so. Personally I would just start it and grimace for a few seconds while the tappets fill, but this should take no longer than it would if you left the car sitting for a week.

just don't start it and drive it straight out of the gate (in the first 30 seconds), but then no-one really does that do they?
Will Munns

Just leave your foot of the throttle turn the key and it should be fine, mine started first prod after 10 months in the garage (both the f and zt), I will try it again next time I'm home next year !
Mike
mike

Ott ?, it's something that I've always done, even at a routine oil change, I also prime the new filter with oil. Just a personal thing I suppose.
roy bridge

priming the oil filter (i.e. filling it with oil before you fit) makes a whole world of sense, else the top end will be as pre-oiled as any other warm start unless you use flushing oil, where it makes more sense to try to fill eveything without pressure, of course if you are serious about keeping the pressures low then you would crank the system over without plugs, given you are probebly changing them anyhows, but needlessly taking out the plugs is gauranteed to cause more dammage than cranking the engine sans oil.
Will Munns

Thanks for all the tips but the problem is now i can't get the car to start! i have put some fresh fuel in but when i turn the key it won't fire up just starter motor turning over. Any ideas???

Thanks
NJ Rawlings

Anyone???

I really want to drive my car!!!

Thanks
NJ Rawlings

It's probably either fuel or spark.

When you first turn on the ignition, you should hear the whirr of the fuel pump for a few seconds as it pressurises the system. If that's ok, remove a spark plug and you should smell unburned petrol.

Remove a plug and fix it between two pieces of wood with duck tape so you can hold it without getting a shock, then turn the engine over on the starter while shorting the plug to the block and look for a spark across the gap. Neither of these methods are 100% foolproof, but they'll point you in the right direction.

Good luck.

Chris
Chris

This thread was discussed between 20/08/2006 and 29/08/2006

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