Re: alfa-digest V7 #1310

[Nancy Barnes <naneb@domain.elided>]

>Subject: spyder 86 trouble
>
>Help please. I have a 1986 spyder veloce that seems to have a problem
>that my mechanic said is going to cost me a lot of money to fix it. Hope
>any of you have a better idea to what is wrong with my car.
>Here is the problem: Without any apparent reason the car does not start
>even if until that particular moment was running O.K. In other words, I
>may be driving to the grocery store, park the car and later be unable to
>restart it. It can happen at any time without any warning. When I turn
>the key to start the engine, the starter activates O.K., there is full
>power throughout the car (lights, radio, etc. everything works), but the
>car won't start. It may take few minutes or days, and at a different try
>it will start right off, just like you would normally expect. It seems
>obvious that there is some electrical problem, and my mechanic tested
>the flow to the fuel pump, as well as a series of other wires and
>connectors, without finding the problem. He said that he does not have
>any idea and that he has to check every wires and what have you that is
>electrical in the car to try to solve this problem. It will take him
>days.... Is any of you that can suggest to me (so that I can try on my
>own to solve this problem) where I can look and try to find the problem?
>
>Thank you very much of any help you can provide me,
>
>Claudio Benvenuti

I had a similar problem with my 88 spider. Has the mechanic checked the
valve compression? My spider had no compression on one valve and the
compression got progressively worse on the others. It ended up needing a
valve job and now starts great. We went all through checking ignition and
fuel system too. Ask him to check the compression and maybe that will be
the problem. It,s not cheap to fix either.
                                Nan Barnes
                                88 spider graduate

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