FIXED: Help Please! Car won’t start after oil change.

[mark1gls]

I replaced mine the other week when messing around with the accumulator.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smudger28]

Your engine looks clean!

So some good news, we got the car started by using jump leads and now it seems to have an idling/timing issue. The rev counter has a mind of its own. It sits idling at 1000 then it would randomly spike.

When the engine started and ran there was quite a bit of smoke from the back of the rocker cover near the injectors. I think letting the two 19 year old boys do an oil change was probably not a good idea. They seem to have got oil everywhere but inside the engine.

Also I noticed a hole in the back of the engine where I believe oil has seeped into. Not sure what it is? Will post a picture.

https://flic.kr/p/2ok5FLt

I did take out the plunger and spring and they both appear to be brand new. Replaced an o ring as it perished then bolted it back on.

I’m going to see if I can post a couple of videos via YouTube.

https://youtu.be/8g7KzftbgC8

https://youtube.com/shorts/I94k4v5Rcis?feature=share

[Brian68]

I had a similar issue last year with idling and rev counter. It was the ignition module failing, which it did completely leaving me broken down a 1/2 mile from home.

[smudger28]

Thanks Brian. Something else to keep in mind. I’m sure it’s a mixture problem as it might be running rich.

[GT_II]

When the engine started and ran there was quite a bit of smoke from the back of the rocker cover near the injectors. I think letting the two 19 year old boys do an oil change was probably not a good idea. They seem to have got oil everywhere but inside the engine.

Also I noticed a hole in the back of the engine where I believe oil has seeped into. Not sure what it is? Will post a picture.

Is the leak definitely oil, not coolant, and is the smell of the smoke consistent with that? If it's oil, is the source the rocker cover, since the gasket has only just been changed?

[smudger28]

Hi GT

The oil is definitely from the rocker cover change/new oil change. It's still smoking from the rear of the engine but I expect that will burn off in time. Got white fumes coming out of the exhaust too and a bit of fuel.

I did notice that the oil filter housing is leaking slightly too. The boys changed the filter and gasket during the rocker cover gasket replacement along with the sump gasket. Probably wants nipping up a touch more.

[mark1gls]

Yes that looks like they missed when filling up with new oil, a funnel will help next time or hold the oil can sideways as it stops it glugging. It will burn off .

White smoke form exhaust when engine warming up is normal at this time of year, water in the exhaust burning off.

The hole in the inlet manifold is normal.

I guess the fuel mixture has changed, try increasing the idle speed (screw the idle screw at the back of the throttle body out) till the idle is around 1200 rpm and blip the throttle a few times then lower the idle speed to 1000 rpm it may help?

[mark1gls]

Rev counter.. does the rev counter needle drop when you switch on the headlights?

If so there is a brown lead lead going to the back of the rocker cover, right hand side with a thicker earth going to the coil bracket, if the thinner wire is missing or hanging on by a few threads it will affect the instrument cluster as it’s a earth for the cluster. (Only on cars with fuel injection and a MFA display.

[mark1gls]

Found a picture of the earth wire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smudger28]

Yes that looks like they missed when filling up with new oil, a funnel will help next time or hold the oil can sideways as it stops it glugging. It will burn off .

White smoke form exhaust when engine warming up is normal at this time of year, water in the exhaust burning off.

The hole in the inlet manifold is normal.

I guess the fuel mixture has changed, try increasing the idle speed (screw the idle screw at the back of the throttle body out) till the idle is around 1200 rpm and blip the throttle a few times then lower the idle speed to 1000 rpm it may help?

Is the idle screw the one next to the fuel distribution head and requires a long 3mm Allen key?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smudger28]

We only appear to have the brown earth to the rocker cover. Not sure where the coil earth is.. But that brown earth was detached when we first got the car as had all sorts of dash lighting issues. Cleaned it up and bolted it back on and that cured a number of issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smudger28]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Car starts every time now but if you just turn the key without any acceleration it starts then dies.

If you give it some revs it idles just under 1000 rpm.

Will try adjusting the idle screw to see if it will run smoother. Still quite a bit of fuel being vented out of the exhaust.

[mark1gls]

Yes mixture screw down the little hole on the metering head. it’s a bit of an art adjusting the mixture as you only need to turn it a little, probably 1/8 turn to for a little adjustment and try not to press down to much as that messes with the idle running as it pushes on the flap inside the metering head.
Any adjustment of the mixture may adjust the idle speed and that’s the 7mm screw at the back of the throttle body.

The brown earth wire on the rocker cover should be on the stud at the back of the engine.

[smudger28]

So it's looking like it's fixed fingers crossed. I adjusted the idle screw and it's sitting just above 1000 rpm now. The lad is going to drive it to work this week. Let's see how it goes then I'll close this thread off. Thanks Mark1gls, GT_II and Brian for all your input. Until the next time

Definitely missing that earth lead from the coil bracket to the rocker cover.

[mark1gls]

Fingers crossed for you fella…

Give it a week and a couple of good runs then have a look at the colour of the spark plugs as that should give you an idea of the fuel mixture.

I can measure the length of my earth lead if helpful then you can buy a genetic cable?