1.8 petrol won't start without hairdryer

mbuckhurst · Jan 21, 2008

We've got a 1.8 petrol freelander, it's already had the gasket problem and been fixed, has been working fine for a few months, but we've got a problem that maybe someone on here who understands engines better might be able to help with.

Whenever it rains, the car simply won't start, the starter turns over, there's a smell of fuel out of the exhaust, but no start.

If we then use a hairdryer on the distributor for a couple of minutes, it starts fine without problem.

If the weather is dry, even freezing, the car starts without the problem.

Clearly the problem is heat/damp related, but I don't know if this indicates a problem with the distributor or something else.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

cheers

mike

Sirus · Jan 21, 2008

Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

Who would have thought a freelander needed starting wiv a hairdryer......we now see why hairdressers buy em

mbuckhurst · Jan 21, 2008

Sirus said:
Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

Who would have thought a freelander needed starting wiv a hairdryer......we now see why hairdressers buy em

Yeah it gets worse, we're trying a towel over the distributor, last night I got asked if I was planning on reading it a bedtime story.... after tucking it up for the night

I've no idea why I thought to try a hair dryer, but I did.

mike

Sirus · Jan 21, 2008

the only tools you had to hand???

Northern Irelander · Jan 21, 2008

What components have you checked on the engine?

ming · Jan 21, 2008

Sirus said:
Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha

Who would have thought a freelander needed starting wiv a hairdryer......we now see why hairdressers buy em

TITTER!!!! . . . .ER just an in house jest by sirus, reet. . . normally wiff petrol ignition system, when you get this type of problem its caused by water[damp] ingress seeping were leads go into distributer mostly ht leads, can then cause tracking inside distributer, years ago we used to dry it as much as possible then spray wiff a ht lacquer [not hair lacquer] this would then seal it fink halfords still sell this stuff but i fergets wot its called, if this fails then its a new distributer and even new leads. . . . .un best oh luck earthling

matts · Jan 21, 2008

just replaced the leads and distributor cap on mine as part of maintenance keeps the car sweet.

still i was havin this sort of problem on my mk1 astra many moons ago, goes to show the obvious is still the best route to look.

john t · Jan 21, 2008

get a can of WD40 and spray the inside and outside of the distributor cap/rotor, and ht leads,

but the cap or rotor shows signs of any tracking replace it with new

mbuckhurst · Jan 21, 2008

cheers, I'll try out the suggestions when it stops raining, sometime around March

mike

1.8 petrol won't start without hairdryer

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