9 replies to this topic

[robbie-woods]

Okay went to start my car this morning and there was nothing not even the clicking from the starter motor had lights and fuel gauge was working fine to so cant be the battery. any ideas what it could be? Its a 1989 mini city automatic

[lrostoke]

Automatics have the inhibator switch , on the gear lever, may need adjusting, bad connection.

Other than that lights are no indication of a good battery. Could still be flat with enough power to run the lights.

[robbie-woods]

Okay thanks where can i find that switch and what does it look like?

[lrostoke]

Not sure on the later ones, my brother in laws 1970 screws into the casing of the gear lever

[MiniSprite93]

I had this probelm not long back. We narrowed it down to it either being the starter motor or solenoid, then poked around a bit and found it was the actualy motor itself. I had to get myself a new starter motor in the end. You're looking about £25 for one of those, or slightly less if it isn't a Pre-engaged type. Not sure when they started fitting those to the Mini's instead of the ones they originally used, but mine's 1993, and seems to use that type.

[MiniSprite93]

Also, check the water levels in the battery, if it hasn't got enough water in it, it may not be charging properly from the alternator.

Automatics have the inhibator switch , on the gear lever, may need adjusting, bad connection.

Other than that lights are no indication of a good battery. Could still be flat with enough power to run the lights.

And Irostoke is right about this, it takes so much more power to turn over an engine, than it does to power the headlights, so unofrtunately you can't determine if it is a good battery from this.

[robbie-woods]

Cheers everyone. the battery is pretty new so
the levels should be good. the misses dad was poking about in the engjne bay saturday and i hadnt tried gone out in it until today and it doesnt work so wondering if he has pulled a wire by mistake or something. will have a look tonight and will post back here when ive fixed it

[KeithMiniThirty]

Don't forget to check your earth's as well. in the boot and the strap on the engine

[robbie-woods]

Cheers everyone for there help forgot to heply on her got home tgat evening and found the misses hadnt checked it was in neutral which it wasnt and bang started straight away!! Trust a woman to not check the main thing

[lrostoke]

well it was sort of related to the inihibitor switch,