Intermitent Starting Problem 73 2.0

[edwardb33]

Car starts right up OR it just cranks. Seemed to be related to the relay board because if I messed with the relays and the 4 prong ground it would start right up. So. changed the relay board and have substituted all of the relays that I have (8) and with a bit of messing around I can get it to start every time. Relays for the injectors click and so does the fuel pump when I'm trying to get it to go. Any suggestions would be appreciated as this is a pain the the ass, not knowing if it will start.

Thanks

ed

[John Rogers]

Carefully open the big connectors at each end of the relay board and check for dirt and corrosion. Clean the pins and the ssockets with a very small brush to remove any corrosion. Reassemble and see if that helps. The black bakelite plastic is old and brittle but can be worked on. I had to do this on our 1974 2L car and several of the pins were really green.

[edwardb33]

Thanks John, I'll give that a try. Other than a new wiring harness from the brain to the relay board I'm not sure what's up.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

You can use a thin knife blade to open up the pins slightly so they are a tighter fit in the sockets in the relay board. If you look at the round pins, you'll see that there is an "X" in the end of each one. Those are gaps in between the four parts of the pin. Put a thin knife blade into each bar of the X and this will spread the pin apart slightly.

If all else fails, Jeff Bowlsby makes excellent replacement fuel injection harnesses for 1.7 and 2.0 cars. http://members.rennlist.com/914_wiring_harnesses

--DD