My older daughter, Kristi yesterday obtained a Midget. She was
ecstatic early and hysteric later. Now this is the way you break some
one into LBC ownership.
She and her husband (yesterday was their 2nd Anniversary) went for a
ride. He and I had checked out the car, a nicely done body in Blaze
on a 74 RWA Midget, a while before and he had decided to get it for
her. So the ride ended up at the Midget's home. They negotiated the
deal and ran for plates. Well there were a few things not finished.
Some of the lights are flakey, the tie rods ends need replacing, the
mirrors are not mounted. Ya know detail work. Well they drove it to
his brothers shop for an inspection, well a pre-inspection,
inspection. Turns out the PO had not only not replaced the tie rod
ends (new ones in the boot), but neglected to put the Jesus Clips on
the rear brakes.
Well we knew there was some work to be done. So they went to get it
from the pre-inspection and now it won't start. So Kristi called me,
wanted to know if I could pick them up. So sure. "But will it push
start??" I asked. Well it did so off they went. A little while later
she calls again. It had stalled and she forgot the "push start"
procedure, well what gear anyway ;-)
So they got it started again and off they went, only to stall a bit
later. So I get there about 40 minutes later and grab the only handy
tool in my truck. The battery meter. No juice in the battery!!!, Well
there was, the red wire is on the neg terminal. So when I saw that I
tried again and 12+ volts. So it ain't the alternator. Grab a wrench
and jump the solenoid and off it fires. Sounds like sh*t, but it is
running. Find out the igition switch is bad. Just hardly turns the key.
So I tell them to head for home and I head off to MY anniversary
dinner with Theresa. Kristi's husband's dad is on the way to follow
them home, and I have a date. So a bit later I get a call. He showed
up and now the thing won't start at all. Call AAA and get a tow. They
finally got home about 10 PM. (Ain't AAA FAST!!!). So it took them 6+
hours to drive 8 miles from the inspection place to home. And then
they couldn't even drive it to get home. I think the non starting is
either the fuel pump, they said they couldn't hear it. Or it may be
electric. I think there is something badly wrong with the ignition
switch and perhaps not enough juice getting to the coil. (Just a SWAG).
We'll find out more later.
Larry
--
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bbl.med.upenn.edu
System Administrator/Manager
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 1015 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104
"Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions, they are a lot easier to
handle than dumb mistakes.
--
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support.
|