My speedster suddenly stopped. It turns over when I turn the key but just doesn’t quite start. Also, when I turn the key I now don’t hear the noise of fuel being injected. Any thoughts on the issue?
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More info would help ,
Fuel injection motor ?
what kind of ignition ?
Simple things are wires falling off the ignition coil or back of ignition switch
or the wire falling off the 12v fuel pump if that is what you are using .
Good luck , its probably something simple
Thank you. I’m afraid I don’t know too much about, so hence I’m light on details. It’s a key ignition. When I turn the key on but not as far as turning the engine a noise can be heard (just not now). This noise is because the fuel is being injected into the carb. Normally I wait 20 secs anD then I can turn the engine over. I’ll check The back of the ignition switch again but it looked okay.
any help would be much appreciated.
Sorry to hear you're having troubles, @RobDom
I don't know how much you know of car engines so forgive me if I make this seem too simple. The noise you normally hear with key "on" is probably the electric fuel pump doing it's job, so if you don't hear that any longer, then you probably have a blown ignition fuse, so let's check on stuff:
1. Open the engine cover at the rear of the car.
Looking down at the engine, the distributor sits just left of center on the engine. It has five big (1/4" diameter) wires stuck into it, four around the edge and one in the middle. Make sure that the middle one is plugged in firmly. Follow the middle wire away from the distributor to where it plugs into the coil - usually a cylindrical can about 2" diameter and 6" long mounted nearby.
The coil, now that you found it, has that big 1/4" dia wire in the center of the cap - Make sure it is firmly pushed onto the coil. On the sides of the coil cap should be three more small wires, probably attached with push-on-pull-off connectors. Look at those closely to make sure everything is firmly connected. If one of those has come loose your engine will not run.
2. Check the back side of the ignition switch to make sure no wires have fallen off. Don't know what connections you have, but again, nothing should be loose or hanging.
3. Find the fuse panel - It's usually tucked up behind the dash on the driver's side, somewhere. There shouldn't be any loose wires there, either. If you have a car manual, check to see which is the ignition fuse(s) or just pop them out one-by-one to see if any are blown out. The visible fuse wire should look silver all the way across. If it is blown out there will be a gap and/or soot on the fuse. If one is blown, then look at the current rating on it and replace it with one of the same value (10 amps, 15 amps, etc) but buy an extra one 5 amps higher than what's in there for a safety replacement later on, if needed.
If all that doesn't get it running, it's time to call a mechanic to come and take a look or transport it to a nearby shop. If you get it running, it would be good for a mechanic to check it out, just to see why it died as it did and prevent it from happening in the future.
Good luck!
Might help if you can post a few pictures , fuse box , motor , fuel pump etc
where is the 12volt fuel pump located ? check the wires to it , and if you have a copy of the wiring harness paper see which fuse powers the fuel pump,
Every company does the wiring their own way ,
Get a 12v test light , one side goes to "Earth" and then you can check if you have 12Volt power by but touching the other side to the fuel pump wire .
Also one problem with fiberglass cars is everything needs an "earth" wire to the chassis since fiberglass does not conduct "earth" like a metal car ,
Its simple if your Speedster was already running 
This is perfect. So I don’t hear the noise of the fuel pump anymore. It used to make the noise but now it doesn't and that’s why I think its connected to the car stopping. I will checK everything you mentioned. Thank you for taking the time to respond with such clear instructions.
If you have any other ideas please do let me know.
Rob
Before you dive into the ignition I'd be awfully suspicious of your fuel pump. They can occasionally just die or perhaps a wire broke or came off. If you could hear it before and can't now, I'd say that's the most likely suspect. An easy test os to remove a fuel line in the engine compartment and put it in a jar or some other receptacle. Turn the ignition on for a few seconds - no need to crank, just on. If there is fuel in the jar, it's not the pump. No fuel means either bad fuel pump, clogged or collapsed line, or, ahem, you're out of gas. 
Good point, Lane.
Electric fuel pumps are often placed inboard of the passenger side front wheel on a small metal shelf or somewhere else near the gas tank under the front trunk.
Like the coil out back, just check the pump for loose connections.
Thank you Lane and Gordon.
... or said fuel pump, heavens to Murgatroid, could be placed in the back with the engine. Just sayin', as there are some heathens in the ranks.
So I’m thinking it might be the fuel pump. I’ve checked everything you have all kindly suggested and all Wires seem attached etc.
Ive attached a few photos, just in case. Any thoughts?
Attachments
Images (3)
Well, the third photo shows a "Facet" fuel pump. It is a very simple solenoid pump and when running it should make a continuous clatter, a "click-click-click-click....." sound. The good news is that they're easy to find and replace. The bad news is that they are not the most reliable pump on the planet, even though a lot of people run them.
First things first, though - If possible, you should check the voltage going to the pump when the key is on. No sense swapping out a good pump that simply isn't getting voltage. Either a 12 volt test light or a voltmeter with the leads placed across the red and black wire connections on the little connection block should show if you have voltage there or not - Plus to red, minus side to black. If you have proper voltage and no clicking from the pump, get a new pump with the same part number at a local auto parts store and put it in. If there's no voltage at the connection, we have more sleuthing to do.
Let us know what's happening so we can stay in the loop.
@El Frazoo posted:... or said fuel pump, heavens to Murgatroid, could be placed in the back with the engine. Just sayin', as there are some heathens in the ranks.
Please, just NO.
99% of these low pressure pumps are designed to push rather than suck.
Put it under the tank up front and let it do it's thing.
Pretty much anywhere you mount a fuel pump gets a gravity feed from the tank, and they all push against the needle and seat.
Front is better, but they work fine in back.
Remember that if you do replace the pump, it is gravity fed from the tank so the tank side hose will need to be stopped by applying a pair of vice grip pliers or a clamp to stop the gas flow while swapping pumps.
I had one of those Facet things, OEM from JPS. It failed. Found a much better one on the interweb, don't recall the brand right off. Believe it was a run of the mill thing made in the USA for Detroit iron. Needs to be low pressure depending on your carbs, Webers like 3.5 psig.
Thank you all!
The pump height is positioned at the base of the tank, so has some gravity helping it. Based on your advice (thanks @Gordon Nichols), I’ve bought 12v light test (arriving tomorrow) and if that’s faulty I’ll get a new pump. This is my first problem in 5 years of having the car and it super to get so much support from everyone.
I will let you know how it all goes!
If/when you decide that you need a new pump, you can go with another Facet just like what’s in there, and many on here are running the same thing. I found a direct replacement for your Facet pump here:
https://socalautoparts.com/pro...pump-electric-facet/
Many of us (me, included) have bought parts from SoCal with good service and good parts.
If you wish to go with a rotary pump, as many others on here have done, you can find that one here (also a 3psi pump), although be aware that it would require a little fabricating to secure the different mount:
https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/3193.htm
CB Performance has been a mainstay supplying parts to us for years and is also a great supplier.
You won’t go wrong with either pump.
It's the $71.95 (plus CBP's onerous freight) CB Performance pump for $43.78, delivered free.
Do what you want, but it's the exact same thing.
That's the one. Makes a whining sound instead of a clacky sound. Generally works for a decent interval.
Hi All,
I got a new fuel pump yesterday and replaced it - very straightforward thanks to all your advice. The car started straight away and seems to be working fine again.
Thank so much for your help resolving this. It’s a beautiful sunny day in my part of England so I’ll take it out for a run today.
Rob
"It’s a beautiful sunny day in my part of England"
Wow.... That's a bit unusual, isn't it? No overcast, no drizzle.
Oh, but wait! You must be in your two weeks of "Summer"!!! (Just like here in "New" England, near Boston).
I'm sorry that I gave you US part sources for a new pump - Didn't know that you were in the UK. Kind of wish I was traveling through Yorkshire about now.
Seriously though, @RobDom, I'm glad you found and cured your problem and that it was an easy fix for you and that you learned about your little car along the way.
Now, get out there and DRIVE it!