Weekend-before-last I was tinkering on the car, it started ok and ran for a while, then I turned her off to do something else and when I came to turn her back on I got a single click and nothing else. All the dashboard lights came up ok, the blowers blew and such, but no ignition. I thought to myself, I know this one, it's the battery. Spoke to my dad who kindly put his spare on charge over night and the following day he popped over. We swapped the battery – click, no joy. We connected jump leads to his car – click, no joy. He tapped my solenoid with the soft end of a Scottish Screwdriver. Vroom... smiles all round. He did say at the time it could last 2 days or 2 years and I was left with a to-do list.
Car ran fine all week, Thursday I got home from work and did a light check before turning off the ignition and going in for the night. Friday morning, going to work, got in the car, turned the key and got nothing. No lights on the dash, no click, not a sausage. Then I see the light switch still sat in the “on” position... D'oh! Put my battery on charge and took the wife's car to work.
Saturday. Put battery in, turned key, click... swore, hit solenoid, car starts ok. Warmed engine up, turned off, turned on, click, swear, hit, vroom... turn off, turn on, click, swear profusely, hit solenoid, car starts... Ok says I, lets not muck about, I've got a spare solenoid in the shed; lets swap them over. Got a few cables off the solenoid fitted to the car before I realised the unit fitted seemed to have different connectors to the one I have in the shed so thought buggrit, put the cables back on and thought to myself as I have the air-filter box off I'd change the filter and do the plugs and points; well, I had the bonnet up anyway and she's due a service so why not? Finished that little lot off, reconnected the battery and just out curiosity turned the ignition key. Vroom first time. Engine runs lovery. Warmed her up, turned her off, turned key, vroom first time. Did it again; vroom. Grinned a bit, fitted old LW/MW radio, turned key, vroom, grinned some more. Took car for a drive along Lincolnshire's sun-lit leafy lanes, windows down, listening to Radio Nottingham playing the story of “Band on the Run” (1974's biggest selling album, appropriate enough for my 1974 P6)... bliss. Got home, turned car off, turned car on again, vroom vroom, grinned a bit more.
Monday, sun is still shinning, car started first time no probs and drove to work grinning again.
I'm at a loss to explain why the solenoid wouldn't work without being tapped prior to my tinkering but seems to work fine after... and is the solenoid for a manual transmission different from that on an automatic? Could that be why the connectors are different?
Car ran fine all week, Thursday I got home from work and did a light check before turning off the ignition and going in for the night. Friday morning, going to work, got in the car, turned the key and got nothing. No lights on the dash, no click, not a sausage. Then I see the light switch still sat in the “on” position... D'oh! Put my battery on charge and took the wife's car to work.
Saturday. Put battery in, turned key, click... swore, hit solenoid, car starts ok. Warmed engine up, turned off, turned on, click, swear, hit, vroom... turn off, turn on, click, swear profusely, hit solenoid, car starts... Ok says I, lets not muck about, I've got a spare solenoid in the shed; lets swap them over. Got a few cables off the solenoid fitted to the car before I realised the unit fitted seemed to have different connectors to the one I have in the shed so thought buggrit, put the cables back on and thought to myself as I have the air-filter box off I'd change the filter and do the plugs and points; well, I had the bonnet up anyway and she's due a service so why not? Finished that little lot off, reconnected the battery and just out curiosity turned the ignition key. Vroom first time. Engine runs lovery. Warmed her up, turned her off, turned key, vroom first time. Did it again; vroom. Grinned a bit, fitted old LW/MW radio, turned key, vroom, grinned some more. Took car for a drive along Lincolnshire's sun-lit leafy lanes, windows down, listening to Radio Nottingham playing the story of “Band on the Run” (1974's biggest selling album, appropriate enough for my 1974 P6)... bliss. Got home, turned car off, turned car on again, vroom vroom, grinned a bit more.
Monday, sun is still shinning, car started first time no probs and drove to work grinning again.
I'm at a loss to explain why the solenoid wouldn't work without being tapped prior to my tinkering but seems to work fine after... and is the solenoid for a manual transmission different from that on an automatic? Could that be why the connectors are different?
)