Keith Cooper

Yes agreed, it’s because the multiplugs used in the back of the instrument clocks are not the correct ones for the clocks... it should be 2 X 12 pin multi plug that are sided so that they can only go in one way, what I actually have is 4 X 6 pin plugs that fit in any way.... so yes I will mark them in such a way that it can never be put in wrong again.... ideally I will try and find some original Ford multiplugs for the instrument clocks and re-wire them .... anyway I am certainly a lot more wiser with regards my RH....... BEST regards

Hi guys, Eureka ..... the 2nd hand clocks I ordered from eBay arrived so I took out the clocks ( which was a 2 hour nightmare) and swapped them over and the car started straight away...... I looked at the clocks in more detail and sure enough you can see where the circuit board behind has burnt out.... I have attached a picture (the break is next to the ford sticker). thankfully I was able to swap over all the clocks from the broken circuit board set and put them in the one that works so I have my original mileage back :)... thanks for all you support guys it was quite a few stressful days trying to work this out but at least I have learnt a lot of things about my car.... also the coil and fuel pump getting its power from my clocks..... who knew !!!!! i just need to secure the multi plugs in the back of the clocks a bit better than the person that installed them previously I also modified the clutch at the pedal end as per your suggestions and I have changed the short clutch cable that someone put in the car and the clutch is 100 times better.... so getting there

Hi Alan, ok thanks for that, I will let you know how I get on best Regards

Hi Alan, yes I think that makes sense, I think I will be better off wireing a new wire from the ignition to the coil via a new relay, that way the dash clocks will have no effect on my wireing. i have found a replacement set of clocks from eBay for £18, so I have ordered it to see if that makes a difference, I’ll let you know how I get on I'm certainly learning a lot more about the Robin Hood a bit more quickly than I had planned best Regards keith way

Hi guys.... I think I have made some progress: i ran a live wire directly from the battery to the live side of the coil and he presto I suddenly heard the whirring noise from the fuel pump... so I held the wire on the positive side and got my wife to start the car.... and believe it or not it started up perfectly .... when she turned off the ignition the car continued to run until I disconnected the live I had put on the coil .... is it possible that somehow the ignition live on this car has been wired through the dash ?, very strange but at least I am getting somewhere .... any thoughts ??? Regard Keith

Hi guys, I definitely have no spark, I have taken out the plug and checked, also I have no power going to the coil, I have put a multimeter on it and it has no power, there is a fuse below the coil and I have checked that but there is no power going to the fuse.. this is a bright green wire that appears to be going to the ECU.... it’s gets very difficult to see because it then goes behind the dash and visibility is very poor..., I may have to take out the dash.... all the indicators and lights work.... but I have no ignition lights at all.... the car does turn over just doesn’t start I'm convinced there is either a fuse I can’t find or the ECU has gone.... I have a friend popping over tonight who is a lorry mechanic so another pair of eyes may help What is strange is when the multi-plug came out of the back of the clocks, the car would not start, when I pushed it back the car started and this happened a few times, I was going to work out a more secure way of fixing them in when I put them in upside down and got the spark.... it doesn’t spark anymore which is why I think something has blown... Very confusing

Just found these wiring diagrams in amongst my paperwork, hopefully this should help me diagnose my electrical issues and why the car won’t start..

Thanks guys for all your advice and for taking the time to write down the wireing .... I will check all of these tomorrow. thankyou Keith

Hi Alan, yes I thought so to but the wires or the instrument panel definitely stops the car starting, the wires behind the clocks look a bit of a mess really, I guess it’s wired that way... I will get a multimeter and test the wires to see if there’s any power going to them

The car did same thing when then wires behind the instrument panel came out, it turned over but never started ,,, is it possible for something in the instrument panel has blown causing the car not to start....

Yes I have found all three relays, and there is a small bank of fuses next to two of the relays and they all ok... the fuel relay has a fuse on its its own and that seems ok as well... unless there is another fuse somewhere else under the dashboard I can’t see. the problem is definitely electronic because the car turns over but no spark to the plug, also no fuel pump noise when you first turn on the ignition. .... I know I’m missing something I just don’t know what ?

No I can’t hear anything when ignition is on, ... I will try and search for a relay thankyou

Hi, I have the super spec with Rover engine, it has what looks like ford Puma clocks and behind the clocks are two multi plugs into the clocks, whilst changing the stereo the plugs came out and at first I didn’t notice until I went to start the car, it wouldn’t start... I realised the plug had come out and plugged it back in.. the car started fine, the next day I went to Finish putting the stereo in so Double checked the plugs in the back of other clocks and because someone has modified the plug it was possible to put it in the wrong way round.... which unfortunately I did, there was a small spark as I put the plug in so I knew straight away the plug was upside down, but now the car will not start it just turns over. i have checked every fuse I can and all is ok , I can’t get to the ECU very easily , before I call a auto electrician in is there a fuse in the ECU I could have blown? is there anything obvious that I have missed ? thankyou Keith

Also can you tell me if this is the right clutch cable to buy

Yes your correct that is the clutch cable, it’s obviously been changed before and for some reason they have fitted a small cable and put some heat protective cover on it, it’s so short the cable cuts across and over the engine.... it doesn’t look great either, it’s very hard to push down and very short, so pulling away in traffic is more like having a switch for a clutch either on or off......, your diagram is brilliant and very useful,... thank you I will change the cooling pipe. believe it or not the car has only done 2500 miles, I have all the MOTs and history, it’s basically just been used as a show car some poor wiring behind the dash with various odd wires used in the past for other radios etc, I will need to tidy all of that up, the multi-plugs that go into the back of the clocks are also quite loose and vibrate out so I will also need to find. Way to hold them in better. lots of stuff to get into but I’m looking forward tinkering and making the car better this forum is super helpful for novices like me.... thank you