[Colin Day]

As requested....

Mini Automatic-new battery-new earth lead from battery to car body-new earth from engine block to body-new starter motor, starter solenoid and ignition coil. New ignition leads and some rewiring of suspect old wiring.

I can put a spanner over the solenoid terminal and the car starts up like a dream. But if I use the ignition as normal.... not even a click.

Help!!!!!!

[Simon@arenaclean]

has to be the ignition barrel, try shorting across the terminals. Simply sounds like its not connecting. Should be cheap enough to replace.

[Matt Lindus]

Do you get all the ignition lights on the dash?

[jasonl]

Could be a wire off the alternator  too

Colin have a look on my " how I roll" pics on my Facebook , my mini had a cooper head , goes like stink .

[Steve. Taylor]

Colin just get a few teenagers round with hoddies they will have it started in minutes and be gone
NOT HELPING MUCH AM I :

[markpowell]

alternator??
MArk

[M.Acorn]

Just check also that they removed the sleeve from the cable that connects to the battery terminals,this was the cause of hours of grief on the wife`s golf,they didn`t strip the cable,just tightened the screw up,which hardly pierced it.
Mine also used to go the the proverbial,built one when i lived opp north,the bonnet flew off one day on the A172 coming back from Stokesley,never did find it,brakes were useless,drums on the front and back,1100cc engine,with an 850 box and 10 inch wellers,twin carbs,straight thru exhaust,ported head,skimmed to the max, bucket seats,no heater

[Paul Heath]

You said its an automatic, they have a switch on the gearbox so you can't start car in drive etc, you will be overriding this when you short the solenoid out, it could this switch ??

[Paul Heath]

Inhibutor switch ....its age... it came to me eventually. If nothing else you have to eliminate this, be around the gearbox usaully close to the selectors where they enter the gearbox... Keep us all informed as its got us gripped...