Intermittent starting problems!

[SysmicWave]

Hi folks,

My girlfriend has a P reg K11. I think it's a 1.0 litre.

Anyway 9 times out of 10 it starts great but recently, on some mornings, it hasn't. it also cut out on her when she was stationery at a set of lights.

The battery has been replaced and on turning the key it ticks over, it just won't fire. I've had to push her down the hill the last few times.

I had a search around and noticed that people had problems with flooding when the car had been running for less than a minute. Unfortunately this isn't the case here. She drives it too and from work, that's it.

I'm no mechanic but i'm willing to give anything a try.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[MrMigs08]

Time for maintenance? Filter change over, maybe the throttle body solder fix and some injector cleaner to help your mighty machine along its way .

 

[frank]

i would try a new set of plugs first, and 1/2 a turn on the idle screw (black plastic allen screw on the offside rear corner of the t/b)

 

[getawaycar]

If your good lady only drives to and from work chances are the car is never really being driven far at normal operating temperature.
As this causes carbon build up on the spark plugs and Lambda sensor.

Changing the spark plugs and maybe the air filter will certainly help but perhaps taking the car a blast up and down the motorway once a week will help stop it happening again.

While you are at it go for a full service, constant town driving causes the oil to absorb more oil thinning it down. Which means it isn't lubricating the engine as well as it should. Which in turn means the engine won't last as long. A decent service is far cheaper than a new engine!

 

[getawaycar]

LOL! Typo alert!

'...constant town driving causes the oil to absorb more petrol thinning it down!'

I knew what I meant! :laugh:

 

[SysmicWave]

Cheers, I'll do all of that. However, can someone tell me where to find the throttle body and what it looks like.

Cheers

 

[MrMigs08]

Throttlebody is under the airbox, but i'd seriously take franks advice first hehe, no need to tamper where it isn't due for definate!

 

[SysmicWave]

Ok, so I bought some spark plugs and went to change them.

However, the two outer spark plug "chambers" are full of oil.

Help!

 

[frank]

Ok, so I bought some spark plugs and went to change them.

However, the two outer spark plug "chambers" are full of oil.

Help!

that,ll probably just be the seals in the camcover (pretty straight forward to change)

 

[SysmicWave]

Cool, i'll have a bash at that. I'm guessing i just undo all the screws holding the cover on?

Where should I get the valve kit from? and what do I ask for?

Thanks for all your help

 

[frank]

yes 4 rubber seals that i guess are pressed into the underside
http://www.micra.org.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=17542&stc=1&d=1287160259
but i would soak up as much oil as you can, with tissue, and fit the new plugs for now