58 replies to this topic

[BrAd2012]

My first mini, and infact my first car XD all thanks to a friend of mine, we talked about them for ages and how he got into minis, then later the next day he took me out in his, and then after that....i wanted one so...

A week later (13th May 2012), i bought mine own ...



A Few Problems

It currently idles fairly fast at around 1500 revs when its gets going, i dont really know why this is, i will upload a picture of the engine and most of under the bonnet at a later date, but i was adviced to top it up with oil (not engine oil but the multi prupose oil) and that has seemed to lower it a little but still faster than it should be (would like it to be at around 800 or so).

The front lights are now not working, aftering finding out, whilest driving in the dark :-( which was a little scary, i dont know y there arent working, but if i take off the white caps for the from lights, the indicators stop working as well, which is strange.

The horn doesnt work either, it did when i bought it, and now it doesnt, i think it may be related to the lights not working either but there are loads of wires going to loads of places that i dont really understant, which doesnt help the fact.

If anyone has any ideas about the above problems, please post as your help would be much obliged XD XD.


Current Status

It is now getting fixed, as i have to get a new near side CV joint, means i am going to be with out in for a week or so

Attached Files

•  Mini 4.jpg   82.85K   15 downloads
•  Mini 2.jpg   75.85K   14 downloads
•  Mini 3.jpg   70K   12 downloads

Edited by BrAd2012, 21 May 2012 - 09:33 PM.

[rob963]

Ah ha! Still can't believe I managed to convince you then a week later you got one...

Still, say hello to your new money pit
It won't be 'how much can I save?',
it'll be 'how much can I afford to spend on the Mini? '

Still the best decision you ever made

[oli8925]

Don't use anything other than 20W50 Mineral oil in the engine, others will hurt it. In the dash pot some people advise 3in1, I prefer to stick with whatever I stick in the engine and it works well. If it's idling fast, why don't you just turn down the idle adjustment?

First thing I always do when I get a new car is give it a service. Unless the oil level is low, there shouldn't be a need to top it up. If it's low or black and gloopy, drain and service it with new oil and filter.

I can't remember Mini wiring off the top of my head now, but if several electrical items go at once you can usually bet on it being a blown fuse. Check the fuse box on the bulkhead, if thats all ok, there'll be an inline fuse somewhere. Haynes might give you a vague idea. Ditto for the horn, it could be the same circuit. Mini wiring really is a funny old thing.

And finally, why is this in 'Other Projects'?

[BrAd2012]

Well u did take me out in urs, which never helped, and its cheap on insurance, so that never helped either.

Hello money pit
I am not looking at it 2 see if i can save money on peaces, i have saved enough money on the insurance, so i can actually afford to jeep it running nice and smooth

Oh yh, i will never argue that, as it is

[BrAd2012]

Ok i see, and i did put 3in1 in the dash pot, as i was told that the best for it. I didnt think you could do that, i will try and update if it helps.

Thats ture, i may do that when i have time, as that probz the best thing to do

Thats what i was told and what i throguh, but i through i better check, again i will look into that and update on the outcome.

I am planning on later on when i jave more free time to 2 re-wire the wholw mini, as thwre are loads of wires that need sorting

i didnt really know were else 2 put it if i am honeat, and i guess it is a little project :-

Thanks for you help

[oli8925]

3in1 should be fine, it's what Ive often been told too. But a good quality engine oil is just as good to use and as it's a bit thicker is supposed to give slightly better acceleration, unnoticeable in reality.

For idle speed adjustment, on the same corner of the carb as the throttle cable connection, there's a screw inset into the carb body. Turn it clockwise and it increases idle speed, anti-clockwise decreases speed. That's assuming you have the HS4 carb?

You can keep it here if you like, I would have thought you qualify for 'Mini-engined Projects' though. For maintenance questions it's probably better to post them in the technical section though as it'll get more views.

For some reason I think I recognise that car from past years on here. Very nice colour.

[rob963]

I agree this would have easily qualified as an 'engine project' that's where mine is and the only thing i have done to the engine is changed the thermostat...
I think this may be for projects other than Mini's but you can put it where you want to I guess

For idle speed adjustment, on the same corner of the carb as the throttle cable connection, there's a screw inset into the carb body. Turn it clockwise and it increases idle speed, anti-clockwise decreases speed. That's assuming you have the HS4 carb?

yeah it is a HS4 carb, but the fast idle screw wasn't even touching the mechanism, so the choke cable wasn't doing anything
Unless you mean the mixture screw, in which case it was incredibly stiff and almost impossible to turn whilst attached to the car

P.s. hopefully the quote works

EDIT: Woohoo, it did work!

Edited by rob963, 23 May 2012 - 09:33 AM.

[oli8925]

Yeah, I've always figured that section to mean 'project Minis with an A-series' rather than 'section for working on Mini engines', seeing as the other sections are about complete rebuilds and non a-series Minis. Nevermind.

Fast idle is an easy adjustment to make when the cars stone cold, just set it so that it idles right on choke. There's probably a technical way to do it with a feeler gauge in the Haynes.

Mixture screw shouldn't be that stiff, but no that's not what I'm talking about. Above the throttle lobe and mechanism where the throttle cable attaches, there's a sunken screw in the body of the carb to the right of the front-most dashpot screw.

You can kind of see it in this diagram, no. 2
http://www.mgexperie...s4-external.gif

But I can't find any better photos.

Edited by oli8925, 23 May 2012 - 05:35 PM.

[oli8925]

Or here it talks about setting the idle speed, reverse the image to show how your carb will look.
http://www.sucarb.co...tail.aspx?id=82

[rob963]

Ah right I see what you mean, I thought about trying to adjust that, (I should say that I have tried to get it to come back down)
But I didn't want to make it go too far the other way if you know what I mean.
But maybe we'll have a go next time I go up and try to help sort things

[oli8925]

I know what you mean but that's one of the things on the carb where there shouldn't be much risk in fiddling with it. With the engine fully warmed up just adjust it until you get 800rpm idle speed. Don't worry about something messing up or going too far, if it doesn't like idling at 800 increase the speed until it'll idle without dying, and then you know you have a problem elsewhere but that shouldn't happen.

[BrAd2012]

Now i have more problems with the eletrics, the indicaters dont work :-( and neither do the lights, but i can flash my lights, just not keep them on?? i think a whole mini rewire is needed... :-( :-(

[rob963]

well we have managed to sort the fast idleing, it was the throttle screw, thanks oli8925
we have also tightened the handbrake, which was more hassle than it should have been..
some berk had put the tightening nut back on the wrong way round at some point
and for some reason it took me ages to work it out
have got a couple of idea as to what is wrong with the lights on your car, and we'll have a check when I'm next over
But yes the wiring in yours is even worse than it was on mine
Although a full rewire would be expensive...

[BrAd2012]

Yes wr have, and thankyou rob for actually sorting it out :):) well when ur next over we can have a look and a nothing work on it :):)
Right ok, but a re-wire would mean i know what wires go were, i can decide on what i can do on what the money pit thinks lol :):):):)

[BrAd2012]

Just finished waxing the car, its looking pretty shinny :-D :-D