1.2 8v big problems.

[maxonova]

hi there i dont know if any1 can help me but my nova is to put it bluntly f..ked its been sitting for about 16yrs and has only coverd 24000 miles
some times i can get it to start but cant give it any gas or it will cut out. it will only run with the choke on or it wont start. ove had the carb apart and cleaned and still no success if there is any1 who lives in the medway area that thinks they caould get it running and drivable please let me know.
my number is 07983404509.

many thanks

max.

[AlexW]

If its cold it will just stall without the choke.

[maxonova]

it dont startwith out the choke on.

[Stuart]

thats normal in the cold... just need to get the car to a krypton tuner to get the fuelling setup and you should be good to go. It will need new oil/filter/good service if its been stood for so long etc. Then take it for a long gentle drive

[maxonova]

i know what you mean but wont run with the choke being on all the time and even when thats on as soon as i give it any gas its dead.

[Stuart]

are you being gentle with it? I found that with the choke on full bore and then decking the throttle would kill the engine.

Bet you tweaked the jets when you stripped the carb too... that will need sorting

[maxonova]

didnt touch the jet. it fires up but even the smallest of throttle and it cuts out even afthe its been running for bout20 mins

[mowgli]

there are so many things that could be wrong.....

the hydraulic lifters could be full of crap oil,
the carb will be clagged up with resin even in the tiniest places,
the fuel tank will be full of muck,
the fuel pump will be in a sorry state,
the distributor mechanisms could be seized,
the vacuum pipes may be blocked or perished.
the spark plugs will be corroded

I could go on further, but unfortunately it will be a long job to get it running right

[maxonova]

from the sounds of it it may be easier to get a new car wouldnt it

[Jack]

Car, no; Engine, perhaps yes.

I'm assuming you've drained the tank and put fresh petrol in...? 16 year old fuel will probably be not much better than weak coffee lol

[Ernie]

^^^^^ you beat me to it mate

[AlexW]

and i hope youve changed the oil. My nova was sitting for just 2years and the oil turned to sludge.

[Stuart]

pffft I ran mine for 2 years without changing the oil :D it LOVED the mistreatment lol

[Ernie]

you do like to treat things mean tho lol.

[burgo]

replace all the rubber fuel hosing. mine used to be a bitch to start in the morning until i did this. now it fires first flick

[ednovasr2]

air in the fuel pipes mine was sat in the warm garage for three years had simlar prob auto choke would not go over to normal ideal turned out had dripping fuel line (rubber & cloth covered one from fuel tank to hard lines under the car!) letting in air!

Once replaced with new plugs and a carb that was sat in carb cleaner for few days + put two bottle of meths in the fue tank (help break down the crap) she ran just as good as the day she was put to bed!

Old fuel in tank would really not help drain it and put fresh in too (I had spare engine just incase blew up with th eths in there!)!

good luck!

[Steve]

Unless your planning on keeping the 1200 then i'd just get another engine tbh. Not worth the hassle unless you want to keep it as a 1.2

[maxonova]

to all the privious comment thess have been done except for changing the hoses the privious owner done it bout 3 weeks before i bout the car

[Stuart]

sounds like it needs a trip to an emissions setup place... like Kryton etc. Look in the yellow pages for mechanics and find one that can do emissions setups.

[maxonova]

cheers amte will do.

[Copers]

i know what you mean but wont run with the choke being on all the time and even when thats on as soon as i give it any gas its dead.

may sound a bit stupid but have you tryed lowering the amount of choke after starting it up, to say like half way or a third, then revving it?

[burgo]

should only have to pull the choke out about 10mm to get it started anyway

[maxonova]

ive tried evrything

[meritlover]

have you tried fixing it?

[Stuart]

maybe 3rd time will be a charm...

TAKE IT TO AN EMISSIONS TUNING PLACE!!!!! OR goto halfords and get one of the £100 gunsons emissions tools and set the carb up yourself

[craig green]

My old 1200 carb used to start best by actually trying starting with no choke but pulling the choke out as it fired, about 2/3rds choke. Gradually feed the choke out & within minutes would be purring with no choke at all.

Those were the days!

[Andy]

spray easy start into the carb and if it starts then its fuel related.

[meritlover]

perhaps the timing is waaay out?
is it even firing properly on all cylinders?
pull the fuel return hose off while its running and see if anythings coming out, if its not, then theres a problem with your pump.
if it is then theres probably still a blocked jet or emulsion tube.

i dont really think theres much wrong with it.

[maxonova]

just bin and got a carb of a 1.2 merit from the scrappy, they only just got the car and it was in perfict condition apart from the red had faided. putit on and it basicly fires streight away. wasnt enough life in the battery to bring life into it so once thats charged i shall try to start it tomorow.

[meritlover]

iam happy for you and wish you well in the new morning

[kieran jackson]

we will just have to wait and see

[maxonova]

:confused: im lookin at a gsi lump atm but duno how to wire up the loom????

[meritlover]

oh i see.

[maxonova]

cant be botherd with a 1200 never had somethin that small other than me mini cooper and that was a 1300. me first car was a 1600 second was a 1600 so im goin to want the power again.

[kieran jackson]

if you get one make it carb

[kieran jackson]

you make me laugh mate

[maxonova]

yer but thats even more money. although..........

[Stuart]

so then the carb you took apart had its settings fcuked up by you messing about lol

[maxonova]

duno partly that and probly down to the lack of power in the battery. either way. i just know how to drive the things not repair them. lol

[Andy]

lmao.A more apt thread title.....-Help ive ballsed my carb up!

[maxonova]

or IM A DUMB **** THAT HASN'T GOT A CLUE WHAT IM DOIN!!!!!!! HELP

[Andy]

lol lol

[turbo-boy]

dead petrol in it? carbertor freeze?

[maxonova]

duno rearly new car seems to be fine.......ish

[kieran jackson]

other than the carb

[maxonova]

:confused: couldnt tell ya

[ednovasr2]

has new carb helped?

My 04 polo died after 38k (9 month old company car)in it's first year!

Then three jobs later my 07 merc 180 class broke down 16 times before I said f*** it I want the company pool car (a four year old 1.7TD astra) till the lease company change it/replace it!

Never having a merc again. After the fouth break down started to look at recovery trucks on roads & seems every other new car broken down was a merc under fiver years old! My guess too bloody complex!


**Just dont leave a car standing without starting it once a week!**

[Steve]

just bin and got a carb of a 1.2 merit from the scrappy, they only just got the car and it was in perfict condition apart from the red had faided. putit on and it basicly fires streight away. wasnt enough life in the battery to bring life into it so once thats charged i shall try to start it tomorow.
So is it running ok now? I think when dave had it he poured neat petrol in the carb and it fired up straight away.

[meritlover]

sounds like a primitive version of fuel injection.
did it make good power?

[maxonova]

duno yet got to get the battery fully charged up then im goin for anouther atempt. after that if it doesn't work im goin to stick a gsi lump in and hope for the best. if that still sont work then sod it. i will look for something else and hopefuly have more luck. :mad:

[meritlover]

its a carbed nova, theres only about 3 things it can be.
rather than fix one of those 3 things you'd rather change out the whole engine, loom and fuel system and start again?

[Stuart]

^^ Dont worry, Common Sense became unfashionable with the YOOF a good few years ago

[maxonova]

lol