TC2 Restauration Project - A complete beginner's experience

    Thank you for the advice, I found a few things and ordered. Should arrive next week. I’m still waiting for the fuel pump (should come on monday-tuesday) before i try to run it.


    I am moving on the 3rd but I will be returning here every month to so some errands so that removed a bit of stress when it comes to the fixing up.


    Otherwise I cleaned the seats and tomorrow I will start reassembling the car. Hopefully there will be no screws missing and I hope I remember how to put the side view mirrors back in 🤣🤣

    Today I started changing the wheels and general cleaning. It should have been done by now but… he he he


    The old owner drilled into the part where the bolts go in order to be flexible with Bolt patterns - so i can use 4x108 and 5x whatever. It has been a nightmare setting them. Taking a lunch brake and going to get some brake cleaner along other stuff.


    I also noticed a leak under the exhaust. I tracer this a bit up to the fuel lines where i took a finger of it and looks like its coolant. I forgot it used red coolant.


    Its leaking from the pipe that goes from the radiator to the plastic below the windshield.

    Sounds like before and, as miguel assumes like a battery that is almost dead ... If you recharged it to "fully loaded" I suspect an issue with the starter cables, starter motor or earth connections ...

    This car really wants to give you a hard time ...


    If life gives you lemons ... order Tequila ... :rolleyes

    If one of the 6 Cells inside the Battery is defective the Charger stops charging with the Info fully charged. Or every cell is sulfatized then you won’t get the needed current for cranking the motor even if the voltage shows a fully charged battery.

    Just spend 40 or 50€ for a new battery to get rid of one problem. Than chase for all the others.

    Problem is the new batteries Are 70-80€ for weak ones. After charging it was 12.9 on the multimeter. Just 20 minutes before i tested the fuel pump and it was cranking nicely without this sound. Possible some of the cables got loose when I was working at the car so going to check that again.


    I think soon enough I’m just gonna say “whoever can turn it on, gets it for free” 🤣

    All we can guess derives from your video and that sounds like not enough power at the starter motor. If this lack of power is because of a weak battery or of a faulty wiring is still to investigate.

    Do you have access to a multimeter? A cheap one ist good enough to check how the voltage drops directly at the battery poles during cranking. If the battery is ok and full it should not drop below 10 Volts. If this is true check the voltage between positive pole and positive bolt at the starter. During cranking there should be no voltage above 3 V.

    Zitat von Zanzibar

    After charging it was 12.9 on the multimeter.

    miguel

    Good point and helpful hints there ...
    The quote above makes me hope he has got a multimeter by now. Remote diagnostics are always a difficult thing and especially your proposal regarding the voltage drop on the starter's main power cable is very valuable.


    Zanzibar
    The voltage drop would show us at a glance whether the cables and ground connections are healthy!

    In the past I've frequently seen excessive voltage drop due to dirty, corroded cables / cable clamps or ground connections (bad connections sometimes get extremely hot when cranking the engine), worn out starter motor brushes and some more issues.
    At least the ignition switch and starter solenoid seem to be ok because the engine starts cranking instantly when turning the key ...

    Went in today, double checked all the connections. The screw in the starter where the thinner cable from battery + goes is a bit wobbly. First start - some loud whirring noise and no turning over.


    I set it again and screw it in better, second start. Cranks nicely for a second or two - multimeter goes to around 11.3 while cranking. All of a sudden BOOM and smoke everywhere with a familiar smell. Didn’t try cranking after that, just evacuated.

    Ooops ... :confused

    Did you see where the smoke came from (e.g. cable, starter motor, car battery, ...) or what may have been blocked / cracked / whatever ??

    Can you turn the engine by hand with a 19mm on the crankshaft pulley (only in standard, clockwise direction!) ?

    I was standing above the engine bay as it happened and the whole room got Full of smoke in a second, there really wasnt a specific place where the smoke came from or so it seemed. No visible damage whatsoever anywhere. The engine turns normally with the 19mm key on a pulley.


    The smell was familiar though, so I think it might be the starter as I had the same smoke and smell when my company vivaro starter failed.

    The best approach now is imho to completely remove the starter from the engine and examine all cables for melted isolation, burnt surfaces, and so on ...

    The starter should then be tested thoroughly with the help of the multimeter and a pair of jump start cables.


    What confuses me massively: What has caused the "BOOM" you described? Could you maybe try to desribe it a bit more fully? Was the engine stopped when "BOOM" occured? Was it a misfire?

    As im moving on monday i arranged a truck to get the car tomorrow morning and move her to the new home.


    I was cleaning up and putting the interior back together and decided to give her another crank while the garage landlord was with me.


    She cranked nicely and made two smaller booms, which both went out of the exhaust as he saw two big puffs of smoke.


    It went crank crank crank Boom crank crank Boom. I didn’t want to keep cranking but you get the message, might not be the starter after all.

    Zitat von Zanzibar

    ... might not be the starter after all.

    Good news ... obviously no damaged starter / cables ... great! But please please inspect the whole system very thoroughly once again for any issues because numerous threats may be caused by defective electrical components (fire, etc.).


    If everything ist ok next step will be adjustment of ignition timing, best by using a timing light.

    Also you should check the #1 TDC position and the firing order (clockwise 1-3-4-2) once more.

    (I am pretty convinced the ignition timing is actually a tad too late and / or the engine is running (or trying to run  :rolleyes ) a bit too rich ... But only change one variable at a time ... otherwise you will never know what exactly finally did the trick ...


    Good luck with moving house and with your car ... :thumbsup

    Easy to believe '/ understand ... Now she is living in the garage ... like my cars in mine ...

    Let us know when vacations get a little boring ...


    250€ for 400 kilometres? THAT was a real bargain !! Cogratulations ...

    Unfortunately some things changed in my life and I will have to sell the car. No more time due to work and it is not in my space anymore.


    I called a neighbour who knew a thing or two about cars and with his help we managed to get the car running. It was really lovely to hear it.


    Plenty of stuff you can do with it. Finish it up or use it as a donor as i have plenty spares. Car is in northern Croatia.


    Thank you for the help