Will not start

[Boatbodz]

Hi. I am a newcomer to Austin Sevens and proudly possess a 1932 Tickford Cabriolet.

Drove it out of the garage after winter hibernation (me and it) no Problem but when I came to drive it back in there was no light on the ignition switch and engine turned over but with no sign of starting.

Before I start stumbling around trying to figure out what is wrong it occurred to me that someone might know exactly what the problem is likely to be or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Alan

[DaveT]

Hi. I am a newcomer to Austin Sevens and proudly possess a 1932 Tickford Cabriolet.

Drove it out of the garage after winter hibernation (me and it) no Problem but when I came to drive it back in there was no light on the ignition switch and engine turned over but with no sign of starting.

Before I start stumbling around trying to figure out what is wrong it occurred to me that someone might know exactly what the problem is likely to be or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Alan

I sometimes have the same problem with my '35 Ruby. I find that the ignition switch lever and / or the key need a bit of a wobble and then the light comes on, I would put it down to a dry connection inside the switch or just old age with the wiring. 

But don't be tempted to take the ignition switch apart as they tend to fall into many pieces   

Let everyone know what you find and what the outcome is.

Dave (wet and soggy in Cumbria)

[Bill Dixon]

Hi. I am a newcomer to Austin Sevens and proudly possess a 1932 Tickford Cabriolet.

Drove it out of the garage after winter hibernation (me and it) no Problem but when I came to drive it back in there was no light on the ignition switch and engine turned over but with no sign of starting.

Before I start stumbling around trying to figure out what is wrong it occurred to me that someone might know exactly what the problem is likely to be or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Alan

Hi,Boatbodz  as Dave T said it sounds like an ignition fault.If you look on the Cornwell A7C website under technical advice there is some good advice on fault finding. Bill.

[John Mason]

Hi Alan, I agree with what everybody previous has said but before you go into a lot of fault finding work check your battery connections particulary the earth connection. Also use a test bulb or meter connected to earth and battery to confirm the earth is good.
Also is your battery well charged it could be the starter is taking all the power leaving non to make a spark.

John Mason

[bob46320]

No ign light = no spark. The bulb just shows that the dynamo is not charging, so if the engine is not turning, and the bulb is out then you have a problem.
Check that the contacts in the distributer are clean and open and close when you crank the handle. If OK, then on the coil, one wire goes to the contact breaker, and the other to the ignition switch. Disconnect that wire and connect a wire (ign switch wire) and temporarily run a wire from the battery to the coil. If that works, then its time to investigate ign switch and wiring between coil and switch.

[Chris KC]

Dear Alan,

1. The starting handle is your friend. Now may not be the best time, but once it's sorted always use the handle in preference to the electric thing.
2. Don't over-think it - people have a tendency to look for complex causes and Austin Sevens are not that complex
3. If battery is charged, and fresh (Fresh) fuel in the tank, whip out the plugs and check petrol is getting to the cylinders (and has not fouled the plugs, in which case dry it all out for a bit before trying again).
4. In my experience 90% of poor starting / running is due to the contact breaker points. Clean or better replace them and re-gap them correctly. While you're in there make sure the distributor cap and internal parts are clean and dry, incl. the rotor arm, and all the acorn nuts are tight.
5. Start looking for other troubles when and only when the above have been properly exhausted!

[John Cornforth]

Hi Alan

The ignition warning light has one side connected to the +6V supply to the ignition coil (downstream of the ignition key switch) and the other side connected to the dynamo output.  When the engine is not turning (or only at cranking speed) the voltage from the dynamo is near zero, so the light has 6 volts across it and it lights up.

Once the engine starts and speeds up the dynamo voltage rises, the voltage across the light therefore diminishes and it wil go dimmer.  At sufficiently high engine speed (typically 1000 RPM) the cutout contacts close, the voltage across the light is then zero and it will go out completely.

The purpose of the light is to remind you not to leave the ignition switched on for too long without the engine running, as this can (eventually) overheat the coil and flatten the battery.

If the light isn't glowing with the ignition key switch on and the engine stopped or only at cranking speed, then you have a problem and the car will not start, so you need to fix this aspect before tackling anything else.

I suggest getting hold of a test meter (they are remarkably cheap these days) and checking the voltage between the SW (switch) side of the ignition coil and ground, you should see 6 volts with the ignition on.  Most likely cause of your trouble is wear in the ignition switch internals, so try jiggling the key or turning it off and on again.  As a work around it's possible to wire an external ignition switch in parallel with the original, leaving the rotary section of the switch to deal with only the lighting and charging tasks.

Cheers

John

P.S.  Shameless plug time - see my Ruby circuit diagram on the Dorset Austin Seven club website technical section, it's not that different to the 1932 era cars.

[Bob Culver]

Presumably can still buy very cheap small analogue multimeters. Although these can be easily damaged on the seldom used ohms or amps range, not completely reliant on batteries, not so confused by erratic contacts, spikes and spark radiation etc, and generally less confusing for amateur work on older autos. Too inaccurate for  setting voltage regulators  (and perhaps even for monitoring battery chargers) but we dont have regulators! 

Much can also be traced  with a small bulb on leads.

For Seven owners it is worth the effort to establish a full grasp of the ignition and charging circuits.

When messing about with the engine stopped, or possibly with a dud dynamo, it is important that the cutout is not brushed, bumped or prodded to close as it will lock and drain the battery and possibly cook the dyanamo. Can pull open or disconnect battery to release.

Igniton switches (like synchro hubs) should only be dismantled under a sheet in the middle of a large bare room with tight floorboards!

[Robert Leigh]

Hi. I am a newcomer to Austin Sevens and proudly possess a 1932 Tickford Cabriolet.

Drove it out of the garage after winter hibernation (me and it) no Problem but when I came to drive it back in there was no light on the ignition switch and engine turned over but with no sign of starting.

Before I start stumbling around trying to figure out what is wrong it occurred to me that someone might know exactly what the problem is likely to be or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Alan

First things first! You have lots of replies which may all be useful in the end. If the car does not start and the ignition light is not on the first thing to do is to try a wire direct from the battery to the sw terminal of the coil. You will likely get a small spark as you make the connection (so long as the points are closed in the distributor). If the car starts with this temporary connection you have proved that the problem lies in the ignition switch or the wiring associated with it.
Robert

Presumably can still buy very cheap small analogue multimeters. Although these can be easily damaged on the seldom used ohms or amps range, not completely reliant on batteries, not so confused by erratic contacts, spikes and spark radiation etc, and generally less confusing for amateur work on older autos. Too inaccurate for  setting voltage regulators  (and perhaps even for monitoring battery chargers) but we dont have regulators! 

Much can also be traced  with a small bulb on leads.

For Seven owners it is worth the effort to establish a full grasp of the ignition and charging circuits.

When messing about with the engine stopped, or possibly with a dud dynamo, it is important that the cutout is not brushed, bumped or prodded to close as it will lock and drain the battery and possibly cook the dyanamo. Can pull open or disconnect battery to release.

Igniton switches (like synchro hubs) should only be dismantled under a sheet in the middle of a large bare room with tight floorboards!