Stood on Brakes...Car Won't Start | 7MGTE

[FoolishOne]

Patient: 90 Turbo Auto; completely mod free

It's a Sunday driver, and well...let's just say we try to have enough fun to make up for 6 off days...

I was making my way back through my housing development at a cool 15-20mph. I see the house coming up on the right..I thought and decided it wasn't a terrible idea to pounce on the brakes to see how quick she could stop. She stopped alright...and then stalled.

Cycled the key and all I heard was a single, solid *thunk* and a lit Christmas tree on the dash. I tried to start again, with the same result. I ended up pushing into the driveway.

The next day, ready to tackle my *thunk*, I tried to start it again, and all I got was complete silence and the proverbial Christmas tree for a dash.

Can anyone tell me what I did?

 

[Grandavi]

Is your battery tied down?
Where did your thunk come from? front/middle/rear?

The only thing I can think of is if your battery wasn't connected properly. The rest of the car is all attached so shouldn't have any issue that I can think of from hitting the brakes. Just wondering what was loose to make the sound...

 

[FoolishOne]

Battery is fine. The battery holder 'fixture' had it in there rock solid; connections to the battery were all good.

Remember: it made the thunk while sitting completely stationary, so it wasn't anything in the trunk. The thunk came from the front.

I was hoping it was a ground issue, but where do I start? The other possibility would be that the starter component(s) that (should) retract when it's powered have locked themselves...but I would expect a clicking sound from the starter. I would almost be happy with a clicking sound at this point..maybe that leads me to the starter not getting the volts and amps it needs?

 

[Grandavi]

Tried to hand turn the engine (you need a 22 mm (I think) socket and a big bar on the crank bolt). The only time I heard a thunk was when the rod end cap fell off and the piston fell off the crank. You could turn the engine 1/2 turn either direction.

 

[supranewbie]

It may just be a coincidence. Could be the Bendix gear. Use a jack handle or something similar to give your starter a solid rap or two. Just watch that you don't get any wires when you do it.

 

[FoolishOne]

Alright! I got it started!

I took Grandavi's suggestion and turned the engine over by hand; probably dozen times in each direction. Well about 8-9 cycles in, I heard a sound equivalent to a bolt being dropped into an empty coffee can, with a bit thicker metal. Not from a great height, maybe just from the top of the can. It sounded like it hit twice and stopped. A very quick *dink* *dink*. Very similar to the sound you'd hear if you dropped a bolt onto the cross-member, minus the trailing profanities.

I have no idea where it came from, what is was, or where it went. I didn't hear the familiar sound of it hitting the concrete, and I didn't find anything on the ground, so I know it didn't fall through the bay. After stopping for a few minutes, I resumed turning it over a few more times...and after analyzing the risk of just firing it up...I put the key in the ignition and she started.

 

[Boosted MK3]

Sorry to be off topic, but there is another MK3 I didn't know about in bel air? Damn I'm mad at myself haha! Glad you got the issue sorted!

 

[FoolishOne]

Sorry to disappoint Boosted, but I've moved to Houston. Well, I moved to Michigan, then to Virginia, then to Houston. (Status is a little behind. I haven't logged in in a couple years.)

You don't have to shovel hot or humid.

I will say, I loved Bel Air. Loved the people, the climate, the quaintness. If I ever were to be be some sorta of heat bird, I would have a summer house in Bel Air. Close enough to the Atlantic, Baltimore, DC, and still enough in the country. I remember practically living off of Buontempo's. To date myself, my first time in the Green Turtle was its last day before it turned into the Dark Horse(?).

 

[Grandavi]

Sorry to be off topic, but there is another MK3 I didn't know about in bel air? Damn I'm mad at myself haha! Glad you got the issue sorted!

Or did he....

 

[FoolishOne]

Or did he....

..get it sorted? Not really...I just changed the failure mode. Until I open something and a bolt or nut falls out, I'm expecting to be cruising one day and all the sudden be thrown into a barrel roll and wrapping the car around a galvanized traffic signal pole.

 

[Grandavi]

Well, the starter wouldn't turn after it stalled and you got the clunk noise.

It's a mystery, so it's been on my mind... Lol.

It wasn't a rod issue so that's really good. I'm wondering if it's not a wrench in the engine bay (or socket) that when you did the hard stop, it moved and fell. That could have touched something electrical and shorted the starter circuit. When you were playing around, it may have fell again and moved off the wire it was shorting. (Could even be a nut or bolt)

I would inspect the intake side for something there, either close to the a alternator or starter.

 

[supraguy@aol]

Or a flywheel or clutch bolt?