The starter motor turns the engine, but no firing occurs. When jump leads where attached it turned slightly better and with a bit of gas sounded like it was juuust about to kick into life but never did. Is this a common problem with my 7 year old car with an easy solution?
Simon
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There could be any number of problems with your Rover ,but as a start why not try a new rotor arm as this has been a great source of starting problems with this engine.
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Simon,
David is right about the rotor arm, especially if it the original type with a metal sleeve internally - the latest spec is all-plastic adn insulation faults are less prevelant.
The other common starting problem with these is basically a lack of compression,and a cold compression test might be a good idea. The valves are quite prone to carbon build-up (there is now a modified "carbon-break" valve available with a notch cut into the stem to reduce carbon deposits, but this is obviuosly a head re-build job) and combined with the rich cold-start mixture this can result in poor seating. Hydraulic tappet "jack-up" can also occur, especially if oil changes are neglected or too heavy a grade of oil used - Rover spec is 10/40, I use a 10/30 or semi-synthetic 10/40 after using a flushing agent every oil change. If your's does have a valve seating problem you can sometimes overcome it by introducing a good 25-30ml of engine oil into each pot, refitting plugs and then cranking the engine briefly - the hydraulic effect of the oil pushed the valves shut. Then remove plugs, spin engine to evacuate cylinders of unburnt fuel & oil, fit new plugs and try again. essential to have good cranking rpm, so fully charge the battery. DON'T OVERDO THE OIL, AS A TOTAL HYDRAULIC LOCK WILL DAMAGE ENGINE - we are insured for this sort of thing, and it is a matter of skill and experience!!
Before embarking on all this you should consider the cost of a professional diagnosis, as it could save you in the long run.
Good luck, Adam
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