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Q & A: Starting Problems

DEAR MR. TWIST,

MY WIFE AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1979 MIDGET. THE CAR HAD 47,750
MILES AND HAD BEEN PAINTED ONCE. THE PAINT JOB WASN'T THE BEST BUT
THERE IS ALMOST NO RUST. WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING BUYING THE CAR WE
HEARD THE NORMAL LINE OF QUESTIONING...BUT IT'S BRITISH, WON'T IT BREAK
DOWN?....HOW RELIABLE IS IT?....CAN YOU GET PARTS?....ISN'T IT EXPENSIVE
TO REPAIR? I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. MY FIRST CAR WAS A 1977
TRIUMPH TR7. THIS IS THE ONLY CAR THAT EVER MADE MY FATHER REALLY SWEAR
LIKE A SAILOR (AND HE HAD BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 30 YEARS). YES THE TR7
WAS A PILE OF CRAP BUT IT WAS A BLAST TO OWN AND BEING 17 I THOUGHT I
WAS KING OF THE WORLD. SINCE THEN I HAVE OWNED A NUMBER OF CARS BUT
HAVE NEVER LOST THE DESIRE TO OWN ANOTHER BRITISH SPORTS CAR. LUCKY FOR
ME MY WIFE CHRISSY FELT THE SAME WAY. WELL, I'M 30 NOW AND SUPPOSED TO
BE MORE PRACTICAL, BUT I BOUGHT THE MG ANYWAY. ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ASK
THE QUESTIONS PROBABLY HAVE NEVER OWNED A MG. THIS CAR IS A DELIGHT TO
OWN AND DRIVE EVEN IF IT BREAKS DOWN ONCE IN A WHILE. PEOPLE WHO DRIVE
TOYOTAS DON'T HAVE PEOPLE STOP AND SAY "HEY, GREAT LITTLE CAR...WHAT IS
IT ANYWAY?". I SAY THAT WE BOUGHT THIS CAR BUT MY WIFE HAS MAID IT
QUITE CLEAR THAT THIS IS HER CAR. WHICH IS OK, SHE LOOKS BETTER DRIVING
IT THAN I DO. ITS MY CAR WHEN IT DOESN'T RUN. AT THE TIME BEING THE
CAR HAPPENS TO BE ALL MINE, WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE REAL REASON FOR
DROPPING YOU A LINE. MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO WORK LAST WEEK AND IT
STARTED AND RAN JUST FINE. THE CAR SAT IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH
(SHE IS A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TEACHER) FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS. WHEN WE TRIED
TO START THE CAR IT WOULD NOT FIRE. A FRIEND LOOKED AT THE CAR AND HE
THOUGHT THAT THE DISTRIBUTOR WAS GETTING SPARK BUT THERE WAS NO SPARK AT
THE PLUGS. WHEN WE GOT THE CAR HOME I TESTED THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND
THERE SEEMED TO BE PLENTY OF SPARK AT THE PLUGS. THE CAR CRANKS GREAT
BUT WILL JUST NOT FIRE. CAN YOU OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I SHOULD
LOOK FOR?...CARBURETOR?...FUEL PUMP?...OTHER IGNITION PROBLEMS? I
CERTAINLY AM NOT THE EXPERT THAT YOU ARE SO ANY THING WOULD BE HELPFUL.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND A GREAT WEBSITE.
DARRIN J. GREEN

Darrin! Reading your letter, typed in all caps, is difficult on the eyes!

Remember that you have to have spark and you have to have fuel --
you don't have one. So, remove the plugs, ensure they are CLEAN and gappedread more