Engine wont start again

[mini2infiniti]

My mini is dead again

It drove home fine on sunday night, I just went to start it and it sounded like there was a sparking sound from the engine bay but wasnt actually turning over.

It did this before with the 998, but its had a new earth strap on it since then.

After a few turns of the key it doesnt even make the sparking sound anymore and the dashligths have gone really dim. The battery is fine as I tried jumping it off another car. The only thing I can see that is different from when I last looked in the engine bay is that my coil bracket has snapped on one side but I will fix that soon as but thats not the problem.

The starter relay is clicking on the turn of the key so its not that.

I think its the solenoid on the starter motor and I have a spare in bridgend so I have phoned the RAC to come and look at it and if they cant start it they are taking it back to bridgend.

Can anyone suggest anything else?

[welshjosh]

This is a totally random guess but the coil may have to be earthed?
So where the bracket had snapped it isnt earthed

Other than that loose connections maybe?

[mini2infiniti]

Coil earths via the dizzy.

Checked all the coil connections but the starter would still turn the engine over even if there was no coil present.


Forget to mention the dashlights have dimmed significantly too

[welshjosh]

the insulation on the main live has worn/perresused or wat ever and is making earth to the body somewhere? this causing the lose of power, because its basically a short circuit

Thats a random guess again

[mlswansea]

Sounds like you definitely have a bad earth, I experience those symptoms on the boats I work on all the time, won't take much to cause but it will more than likely be one of the main straps. Hope this helps

[mini2infiniti]

Its sorted now, it was just the battery was flat. I did try jumping it off another car but the RAC mans power box seemed to fix it as soon as it was plugged onto the battery.