One rotor this morning!

[RemarkLima]

Bit of an odd one, the car (FD) has been running absolutely fine since I picked it up, bit of a wee tune up but otherwise all good.

But this morning I started up the car and it sounded like it was running on one rotor, I gave it a minute or so before thinking I\'ll just go up the road and see how it does, and it cleared and has been running fine all day long...

I think it was just a coil / ignition bit getting a bit damp and not working and soon dried out and was OK again, does that sound about right?

Cheers,
Mark

[Martiny]

Yep, its a fouled plug. Probably time for new ones.

[RemarkLima]

Ah, that\'s no big drama\'s then, fortuneately! I\'ve got some spares, just need a suitable wrench to get them off, even the plugs have to be different eh!

[antnicuk]

if the car has been flooded or started and not warmed up before turning off the next time you start the car it sometime \'misses\' like its on one rotor where a tip sticks it will then clear it self, this will all be helped byt new plugs as above.

[RemarkLima]

I\'ve not flooded it and it was only then it started on one rotor, but then it had sat there since tuesday... But after it started firing on both I drove it quite a way to training, then afterwards it started absolutely fine, and again I drove to Ilford and back and it stated fine, and then to the pub in the evening... So it\'s not missed a beat since then... But I\'ll certainly change the plugs! I\'m driving to Brugge next week, so will give it new plugs, fresh oil again, and a replacement panel filter so it should all be good

Cheers for the info guys!

[Martiny]

on one rotor where a tip sticks it will then clear it self, .

This means a sparkplug tip (electrode), and not a Rotor tip (apex seal) !

[iaint]

Any water usage issues?  A sign of advanced seal failure will be increasing reluctance to start as more and more water seeps into the housing.  Mine did this and it got worse and worse until I had it rebuilt.

Hopefully just a plugs issue bhut keep an eyey on coolant usage going up...

[RemarkLima]

Well, you guys know how to worry someone

No water buzzer going off at all, and water level seems fine, no usage at all but will keep a keen eye on it! Hopefully it is just plugs!!! There no reluctance to start at all TBH, even when it started on one rotor it fired up as it usually does, so *touches wood* it\'s just plugs!!! Better make the AA aware I\'ll be on the continent next week! LOL!

[antnicuk]

This means a sparkplug tip (electrode), and not a Rotor tip (apex seal) !

I thought when they were flooded the Apex tips can stick in the rotor briefly and cause it to miss on that rotor.

I may be wrong though

[Martiny]

Sorry Antnicuk, that is wrong.

And if I ever meet the person who told you that I will ...............

[antnicuk]

so its the fouled plugs that cause it to miss if its been flooded or close to it then......  that would make sense

[Martiny]

Yes, if it doesnt start within a few pulses, the fuel sits on the sparkplugs. This prevents the plug from firing. Usually, we make a plug fire by forcing electricity to jump the gap. When the plug gets wet, the charge flows from the electrode, through the petrol, to earth and doesnt have to jump the gap. Therefore no spark.

Now, it IS possible for an Apex seal, or even a corner or side seal to stick. But this usually happens on a rebuilt engine where the gaps between the parts is just a tiny bit too small. Can also happen if an engine stands in one position for a long time.

I have a standing engine in the garage. Every few weeks, I give it a few turns!

[RemarkLima]

Well, that sounds good, I\'ve gone and got a 14mm sparkplug head, so will be swapping my plugs tonight which will hopefully help matters... That said, it started up on the button last night as well. So it was a bit weird that it happened.