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Information in this section will help you locate and remedy problems that may appear.
Prev Topic Contents Next Topic| Symptoms | Possible Causes | Remedy |
| Engine will not Fire. | Battery discharged. Starter will not turn engine and lamps do not give good light. | Start engine by hand. Battery should be recharged by running car for a long period during daytime. Alternatively recharge from an independent electrical supply. |
| Controls not set correctly for starting. | See that ignition is switched on, mixture control correctly set and everything is in order for starting. | |
| Test if coil sparks by removing lead from centre distributor terminal and hold it about ¼ in. away from some metal part of the chassis while engine is turned over. If sparks jump gap regularly, the coil and distributor are functioning correctly. | Examine the sparking plugs, and if these are clean and the gaps correct, the trouble is due to carburetter, petrol supply, etc. | |
| If the coil does not spark, the trouble may be due to any of the causes below :— | ||
| Fault in low-tension wiring. Indicated by (1) No ammeter reading when engine is slowly turned and ignition switch is on, or (2) No spark occurs between the contact points when quickly separated by the fingers when the ignition switch. | Examine all cables in ignition circuit and see that all connections are tight. See that battery terminals are secure. | |
| Dirty or pitted contacts. | Clean with fine carborundum stone or fine emery cloth and afterwards with a cloth moistened with petrol. | |
| Contact breaker out of adjustment. Turn engine until contacts are fully opened and test gap with gauge. | Adjust gap to gauge. | |
| Engine misfires. | Dirty or pitted contacts. | Clean with fine carborundum stone or fine emery cloth and afterwards with a cloth moistened with petrol. |
| Contact breaker out of adjustment. Turn engine until contacts are fully opened and test gap with gauge. | Adjust gap to gauge. | |
| Remove each sparking plug in turn, rest it on the cylinder head and observe whether a spark occurs at the points when the engine is turned. Irregular sparking may be due to dirty plugs or defective high-tension cables. If sparking is regular at all plugs, the trouble is probably due to engine defects. | Clean plugs and adjust the gaps to between 20 and 22 thousandths of an inch. Replace any lead if the insulation shows signs of deterioration or cracking. Examine carburetter, petrol supply, etc. |
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| Symptoms | Possible Causes | Remedy |
| Battery in low state of charge, shown by lack of power when starting. (Hydrometer readings less than 1.200) | Dynamo not charging, indicated by warning light remaining on when running at about 30 m.p.h. with no
lights on. Due to :— Broken belt. Broken or loose connection in dynamo circuit, or regulator not functioning correctly. |
Replace belt. Examine charging and field circuit wiring. Tighten loose connection or replace broken lead. Particularly examine battery connections. Return regulator to Lucas Service Depot for attention. |
| Commutator greasy or dirty. | Clean with soft linen rag moistened in petrol. | |
| Dynamo giving low or intermittent output. Due to :— Loose or broken connections in dynamo circuit. |
Examine charging and field circuit wiring. Tighten loose connection or replace broken lead. Particularly examine battery connections. | |
| Commutator or brushes greasy. | Clean with suit linen rag moistened with petrol. | |
| Brushes worn or not fitted correctly. | Replace worn brushes. See that brushes "bed" correctly. | |
| Regulator not functioning correctly. | Have equipment examined by a Lucas Service Depot. | |
| Battery overcharged, shown by burnt-out bulbs and very frequent need for "topping up." (Hydrometer readings high.) | Dynamo giving high output. Due to :— Regulator not functioning correctly. |
Return regulator to Lucas Service Depot for attention. |
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| Symptoms | Possible Causes | Remedy |
| Motor sluggish or fails to move engine. | If engine cannot be turned by hand, then fault is due to a stiff engine. | Locate and remedy cause of stiffness. |
| If engine can be turned by hand, then trouble may be due to:— Battery discharged. |
Start by hand. Charge battery either by a long period of daytime running or from an independent electrical supply. | |
| Broken or loose connection in starter circuit. | See that connections to battery, starter and starter switch are tight, and that, cables connecting these units are in order. | |
| Starter commutator or brushes dirty. | Clean. | |
| Brushes worn or not fitted correctly. | Replace worn brushes. See that brushes "bed" correctly. | |
| Starter pinion jammed in mesh with flywheel. | Rotate squared end of starter shaft with spanner. (See page 56.) | |
| Starter operates but does not crank engine. | Pinion of starter drive does not engage with flywheel, due to dirt on screwed sleeve. | Clean sleeve with paraffin. |
| Starter pinion will not disengage from flywheel when engine is running. | Starter pinion jammed in mesh with flywheel. | Rotate squared end of starter shaft with spanner. ( page 56.) |
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| Symptoms | Possible Causes | Remedy |
| Lamps give insufficient illumination. | Battery discharged. | Charge battery either by a long period of daytime running or from an independent electrical supply. |
| Lamps out of alignment. | Align lamps. | |
| Bulbs discoloured through use. | Fit new bulbs, (See page 61.) | |
| Lamps light when switched on, but gradually fade out. | Battery discharged. | Charge battery either by a long period of daytime running or from an independent electrical supply. |
| Brilliance varies with speed of car. | Battery discharged. | As above. |
| Battery connection loose or broken. | Tighten connections, or replace faulty cable. | |
| Lights flicker. | Loose connection. | Locate loose connection and tighten. |
| Failure of lights. | Bulbs burnt out. | Fit new bulbs. |
| Battery discharged. | Charge battery either by a long period of daytime running or from an independent electrical supply. | |
| Faulty wiring in lighting circuit. | Check wiring for defective cables or connections. |
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