Technical 1990 750L takes a loooong time to start..

[jeffcapeshop]

Hi - not unusual for it to be hard work for my somewhat neglected 750 to get started in winter, but the last couple weeks (6 drives) it's taken a really long time turning the engine over (multiple minutes) to get it going.

Nothing at all, to intermittent splutters and mind reading throttle from me, gradually building up to getting going. Once driving, it's fine, and stopping 10 minutes later it starts first time. Trying today i didn't get to the splutters.

I should add that i have noticed a petrol smell at recently, when pulling away from lights etc.

What should i be looking at?

thanks!

 

[Freebo]

Hi - not unusual for it to be hard work for my somewhat neglected 750 to get started in winter, but the last couple weeks (6 drives) it's taken a really long time turning the engine over (multiple minutes) to get it going.

Nothing at all, to intermittent splutters and mind reading throttle from me, gradually building up to getting going. Once driving, it's fine, and stopping 10 minutes later it starts first time. Trying today i didn't get to the splutters.

I should add that i have noticed a petrol smell at recently, when pulling away from lights etc.

What should i be looking at?

thanks!

No1 priority would be to check the fuel lines from the tank to the engine, if ones split and spewing petrol out you'll not have a panda for much longer if it combusts.

 

[jeffcapeshop]

so - finally warm and dry enough for me to look properly.. the fuel lines looked ok (no spewing!) though i replaced one section at the filter - but further inspection found a cheeky split in the back of the distributor vacuum thing line - i did that too and now it starts pretty nicely (sure this is partly to do with it being 15 degrees warmer mind)

 

[Freebo]

so - finally warm and dry enough for me to look properly.. the fuel lines looked ok (no spewing!) though i replaced one section at the filter - but further inspection found a cheeky split in the back of the distributor vacuum thing line - i did that too and now it starts pretty nicely (sure this is partly to do with it being 15 degrees warmer mind)

For the vac advance, its often the diaphragm splits, check to see if its still ok. If you pull the pipe off the back of the carb which goes to the vac advance unit and suck on it, you should be able to suck air through but should be very restricted, if you can suck air really easy this suggests the diaphragm has gone.

Though given you say its improved after fixing the pipe suggests its still doing something. Still worth a check!

 

[jeffcapeshop]

nice, thanks, i'll check. good to know anyway!

 

[Dragon Man]

theres also a possibility that the cam driven fuel pump could have failed.. pull the pipe off going to the carb, add a bit extra pipe and while cranking see how much comes out into a jug or cup.

sometimes you can get it where the fuel all drains back down to the tank this is normally due to a split pipe somewhere. one of the main suspect pipes is the one that goes from the pump to the carb.. its only short but it gets quite warm where it sits.
what ever you do, do not get fuel lines from ebay. they will last a month or two then split again. so many classics have caught fire because of these really bad fuel lines that claim to be fuel proof.