First "non start" issue

[georgeramos]

This morning my car would not start. At first it cranked like normal but it quickly seemed like the battery was drained. You all know the sound. It would turn over in a very tired way then fade away. But every now and then it would seem like a spark would "jump' to life and eventually it started. Then I decided to adjust my carb to try & get a better idle and it ended up cutting off. Went to fire it back up and the same thing happened. Seemed dead, tried a few times over about 10 minutes. As my wife was pulling her CRV up to the hood I tried it again and that "stray" spark fired it up again. Anyone experience this?

BTW, it was the chilliest morning Ive had it out of the garage since Ive owned it but it wasnt cold by any means.

Thanks

George

[fiat218]

This morning my car would not start. At first it cranked like normal but it quickly seemed like the battery was drained. You all know the sound. It would turn over in a very tired way then fade away. But every now and then it would seem like a spark would "jump' to life and eventually it started. Then I decided to adjust my carb to try & get a better idle and it ended up cutting off. Went to fire it back up and the same thing happened. Seemed dead, tried a few times over about 10 minutes. As my wife was pulling her CRV up to the hood I tried it again and that "stray" spark fired it up again. Anyone experience this?

BTW, it was the chilliest morning Ive had it out of the garage since Ive owned it but it wasnt cold by any means.

Thanks

George

Chilly? Where u at

[georgeramos]

Portland, OR and by chilly I mean maybe 50...but it warms to 80 by mid day. I dont think that would affect anything as my previous Spider ownership took place in Hoboken, NJ. We had a few chilly days there too.

[georgeramos]

The car started running really crappy again, especially at idle. This was the reason I decided to rebuild (which became a swap) my carb in the first place. Anyhow, checked the points and the gap had reduced down to nearly nothing. re-gapped them and it is running better than ever at the moment. There is a little bit of play in the distributor shaft but it doesnt seem excessive. There is a local shop that specializes in rebuilding dizzys so im gonna give them a call tomorrow to get a quote. i already bought the bushings from AutoRicambi. I am pretty excited about the progress,especially since our weather is PERFECT these days.

[maytag]

So, I'd suggest ding a couple of checks NOW, while it is running well.
First, check your charging system. Make sure you're getting a good charge. Also have your battery checked. And check all the cables.
that way, you can eliminate those things if your issue returns. (or take measurements to compare)

[georgeramos]

Thanks Maytag. One other item to note: occasionally when I start it up I get a big CLONK when I turn the key. It almost always turns over and starts the next try. Could this be a starter and/or solenoid symptom?

Oh, how do I check the charging system?

George

[majicwrench]

Clunk??? make sure starter bolted up tight.

[burlybryan]

George, when my battery was really drained after sitting for some time the first crank made a loud solenoid screech. Maybe this is what you heard. Whats the rest voltage on the battery?

[georgeramos]

looks like 13volts? its wierd but the sound seems like a clunk but doesnt seem like something loose (although i will check that the starter bolts are tight)

Its a rare occurrence but I will try to be really aware if it happens again.

thanks gang

George

[baltobernie]

Order a distributor seal, too. Yours is probably toast by now.
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10400

[georgeramos]

That's an awesome tutorial Bernie, thanks.