Re: spyder 86 trouble

[CARIBOULH@domain.elided]

Regarding the troubles that Claudio Benvenuti is having with his 1986 Spyder; 
I had these EXACT SAME symptoms with my own 1986 Spider Veloce just over a 
year ago. Claudio describes them as: "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".

After months of not knowing whether my car would start or not, it finally 
quit for good at a convenience store about 4 blocks from work one night on 
the way home. Stopped in to get some soda, came out 2 minutes later and "no 
start". Called a tow truck to tow it back to work (all of 4 blocks... the 
world's shortest Alfa tow???) and parked it in the warehouse.

Started diagnosing it about 2 weeks later and went thru all the steps for all 
the components: fuel pump, ignition switch, battery, etc, etc. You know what 
it finally was??? The darn distributor rotor!!!!  The car had not been 
tuned-up in a while and the contact end of the rotor (where it sparks to the 
inside terminals of the distributor cap) had simply gotten so bad from 
oxidation and arcing it would not pass a spark or do so intermittently. 
Simply changed the rotor and the problem was solved!!! I noticed a bit of of 
increase in performance too. And yes, after I determined it was the rotor I 
changed the cap also. 

Best Wishes,

Ed at Caribou Imports, Inc.
NOW... the largest Fiat parts supplier in the Western U.S.
visit us on the Web at:
www.caribou.cc
NEW ADDITION to our Web site: check the Autotraders nationwide database of 
Alfas or other vehicles for sale OR list your own car for sale FREE. Courtesy 
of Caribou Imports!

------------------------------