Hi all, question, What could be the cause of my issue........my brother in-lore borrowed my car on friday arvo to pick up my sister and friend from Penrith shops, And on the way back home the car stopped working. I put 10bucks worth of fuel in it and it still wouldn't start. I even jumped started my car and STILL!! :(...........Could it be the fuel pump, carby and battery? ( Hope to god it's only the fuel pump (: ) coz im planning to sell my car in the future as well....and i want to sell while it's alive and with rego and ctp.


Please any help would be appreciated.

Thumpa RA

could be numerous things... does the starter operate? Or does it sound weird? hope your timing chain hasn't spat itself.. it'd be checking that first of all, thats the worst scenario then check other things from there.. ignition, dizzy etc

give all the elecrical connetions in your engine bay a clean with contact cleaner and some Q tips (used for cleaning high end electrical products like computers,calculators etc etc , $12 from dick smiths).
my tp did the same thing . was working fine then the next day it wouldn't start (no nosie no nothing). So it was suggested that i clean out the dizzy plug with that cos they commonly get dirty or corrode .
Now when i looked at the dizzy plug it seemed fine ( looked clean) but i cleaned it anyway , the tp started first go:D it even runs and idles better after that.
So do that first then if no change id look at your dizzy (known to fail at random), then maybe the starter motor, fuel pump/filter clogged??
when u try to start it is there any noise like a clicking sound coming from the passenger side??

Bit hard to tell you what it is when u didn't describe it very well. Well apart from saying that it won't start you haven't told us what u have tried/ or heard. what condition is your car in?? how many klms. Do you service it regularly. Is it efi or carb/ manual or auto/ what model do you have.
the more info we get the better the chance of pointing you in the right direction.

give all the elecrical connetions in your engine bay a clean with contact cleaner and some Q tips (used for cleaning high end electrical products like computers,calculators etc etc , $12 from dick smiths).
my tp did the same thing . was working fine then the next day it wouldn't start (no nosie no nothing). So it was suggested that i clean out the dizzy plug with that cos they commonly get dirty or corrode .
Now when i looked at the dizzy plug it seemed fine ( looked clean) but i cleaned it anyway , the tp started first go:D it even runs and idles better after that.
So do that first then if no change id look at your dizzy (known to fail at random), then maybe the starter motor, fuel pump/filter clogged??
when u try to start it is there any noise like a clicking sound coming from the passenger side??

Bit hard to tell you what it is when u didn't describe it very well. Well apart from saying that it won't start you haven't told us what u have tried/ or heard. what condition is your car in?? how many klms. Do you service it regularly. Is it efi or carb/ manual or auto/ what model do you have.
the more info we get the better the chance of pointing you in the right direction.

The car is Carb,1986 TM magna and it's 4 speed auto (hence my signature :P). It's done 127xxxx on the clock, the sound it does it sort of sounds like it was strugelling..... hard to describe considering im not a full on mechanic. My dad had the similar car to mine years ago and he had the same problem but, he reckons it's just the fuel pump. coz I put in 10 bucks of fuel via a jerry can, tried to start it and it wont budge bit of smoke pooped up out from the carbie too thats when i removed the filter.

haha what an idiot i am. didn't even see your sig. Ok now clean all the connections anyway. The dizzy plug is very doodgy and is known to cause problems. for 12 bucks a can is cheap even if it dosen't get it started it will help the car run better. And it's the cheapest thing to do first.
also if your sure what it is why ask for advice??
but u still haven't told us if there's any noises when u try to start it. Thats why i asked about the clicking noise on the passenger side for the fuel pump relay. but u seem sure what it is so i won't add anymore.

The fuel pumps are very reliable. Although it is possible, I highly doubt it would be that. If the fuel tank was run dry, any junk in the bottom of it could have been sucked up into the fuel filter and may have clogged it.

Fuel filters on the carby model are cheap ($6 to $10) and only a 5 minute job to replace, so I would do that first. If you haven't replaced it recently, you probably need to anyway. It is a little round clear nylon cylinder mounted to the firewall on a clip.

Mine used to clog up often on my first Magna after I got a bad load of fuel - went through about ten filters before all the sludge was removed.

If it is not that, check the fuel pump relay before you start messing with the fuel pump itself.

It is common to backfire through the carby when the air filter is removed. Maybe you just flooded the engine trying to start it.

Are you getting good spark at the plugs? If yes, the problem is probably with the fuel system (fuel filter, fuel pump relay, fuel pump, carby, etc.) If not, it is probably electrical (distributor cap, rotor button, plug leads, plugs etc.)

The fuel pumps are very reliable. Although it is possible, I highly doubt it would be that. If the fuel tank was run dry, any junk in the bottom of it could have been sucked up into the fuel filter and may have clogged it.

Fuel filters on the carby model are cheap ($6 to $10) and only a 5 minute job to replace, so I would do that first. If you haven't replaced it recently, you probably need to anyway. It is a little round clear nylon cylinder mounted to the firewall on a clip.

Mine used to clog up often on my first Magna after I got a bad load of fuel - went through about ten filters before all the sludge was removed.

If it is not that, check the fuel pump relay before you start messing with the fuel pump itself.

It is common to backfire through the carby when the air filter is removed. Maybe you just flooded the engine trying to start it.

Are you getting good spark at the plugs? If yes, the problem is probably with the fuel system (fuel filter, fuel pump relay, fuel pump, carby, etc.) If not, it is probably electrical (distributor cap, rotor button, plug leads, plugs etc.)


All electricals have recently been replaced spark plugs, leads and dizzy. And they're brand new. Could you please list the parts of the fuel system as well as the ones you've just listed?

On the carby engine, there's not much else, other than the automatic choke. That usually results in too much fuel rather than too little. If the fuel filter is not the problem, the fuel pump relay would be the next thing to check. As smooth2 said, you should hear it click when you turn the ignition on. It is behind the plastic kick panel in the passenger side footwell. If it is not working, there will be no current getting to the fuel pump.

On the carby engine, there's not much else, other than the automatic choke. That usually results in too much fuel rather than too little. If the fuel filter is not the problem, the fuel pump relay would be the next thing to check. As smooth2 said, you should hear it click when you turn the ignition on. It is behind the plastic kick panel in the passenger side footwell. If it is not working, there will be no current getting to the fuel pump.

When I first came to the problem, we put $10 of fuel through the fuel tank that didn't help we even fed it through to the carby manualy and after trying to started, smoke came out from the carby it self it did the pop sound than smoke appeard, white smoke.

could be numerous things... does the starter operate? Or does it sound weird? hope your timing chain hasn't spat itself.. it'd be checking that first of all, thats the worst scenario then check other things from there.. ignition, dizzy etc

If the timimg chain was the problem how much would it cost to purchase a new one?

If it was the timing chain, you'd know about it. You would have heard big expensive crunching, grinding noises way too bad to ignore. Forget that. Your problem is probably simple and inexpensive. You just have to track it down logically.

From what you say, it seems to be turning over ok but just doesn't fire. The problem has to be either lack of spark, lack of fuel or lack of compression. Check the spark first. If the plugs are firing, chances are it is a fuel problem. I suspect the fuel filter, fuel pump relay or fuel pump itself, in that order. Just eliminate them one by one till you find the culprit, but check the spark first because if it isn't firing, you're not going anywhere no matter how much fuel there is.

If the timimg chain was the problem how much would it cost to purchase a new one?

From what coldamus said above, it may not be the chain it probably would have made a lot of noise.. however if it wasn't u that was driving the car, then who knows. I'm hoping it's something simpler, cos if it was the chain coming off, it would have bent valves and various things in the head which is very costly... throw_away_and_engine_swap costly. I've been quoted $1,100 just to replace a chain kit that's not snapped.

I used to have a R31 pintara 88 model and was highway driving when its timing belt gabe way.. the engine just stopped.. no warning, no noises.. and the start motor just made a totally different noise as it couldnt turn the engine over.

Fingers crossed its something else mate

failing everything else... collapsed cat/clogged exhaust

failing everything else... collapsed cat/clogged exhaust
I second that. And i should know. I've had too many to remember.

With a carby car, it tries and tries to start, then backfires through the carby (which would be the fuel you see)

Well today my friend and MR VRX..... (who is my brother in-lore) checked on my car today and it turned out to be a mechanical fuel pump and i got quoted $157 for it. reckon it's a good price?

And my major service plan is going to beging next month :D LIST:New CV shafts, New Brakes, Tranny service, Carby reco and new tyres :) coz at the end of the year i'm planning to sell my car and i want to make sure its 100% safe and reliable.

Sorry to get off topic but i just can't wait to fully repair my car.


Btw, thanks for your input guys....I really appreaciate it :)

i got a spare mechanical fuel pump. i converted to electric fuel pump.

this pump was new when i got my new motor too. give me $10 and postage and you can have it.

i got a spare mechanical fuel pump. i converted to electric fuel pump.

this pump was new when i got my new motor too. give me $10 and postage and you can have it.

Thanks for the offer dude but, :D my car is working now.....all my car had was a electric fuel pump and that was the cause of my fuel gone partially missing, and man there's a peformance difference. and next fortnight i'm getting new CV joints put in and a gearbox / tranny service :D soon my car will run like brand new.