Just bought a Rover 25 with issues ~

[MGJohn]

Yes Ferg, some of us are proud to not only fly the flag, but, drive it as well.



My 220 Coupe I had about ten years ago ~ sold a while back and exported so now carries different plates.

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Edited by MGJohn on Sunday 14th November 15:19

[MGJohn]

Crafty_ said:

On many cars there is a way to read the engine codes, on older cars you connected two pins on the OBDII plug, switch the ignition on and then the EML light will flash sequences.
On my current car I hold clutch & brake to the floor, EML codes displayed on the odometer.

See if you can find the procedure, then you'll know what is causing the light. Given the car is driving okay its something that the ecu can use a default value for - lambda, knock etc. Its possible its MAF but that would show itself in other ways too (poor running / high fuel consumption etc).

ETA if it is Lambda sensor they can be "cleaned", may not work but you've got nothing to lose.

Thanks for that helpful information. A good clean of both O2 sensors is my first approach to solving this problem. Not checked the car yet but I believe on this later cars, there's a sensor both sides of the Cat. I have several Rover O2 sensors so if a clean up does not work, I'll do some swaps.
..
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[Crafty_]

If you can't find out a diag procedure look for a cheap code reader, it will tell you where the issue is (most of the time anyway).
For all we know it could be a dodgy throttle switch or something..

[MGJohn]

Some picturers of the final loose ends being tied on this car, first that filthy Coolant Expansion Bottle ( I've seen much worse ) ...



Needs a good clean :~



Bleed valve to allow the air out of that part of the system :~



Water now running through :~



Added the SPEEDflush ~ note filled slightly above MAX level to allow further settlement of the coolant level after a run :~



Took car for a six mile run to get the coolant and engine fully warmed ~ note the colour of the coolant ~ the SPEEDflush has done its work with chasing out any remaining oil-mix in the system :~



Allowed engine and coolant to cool and then drained it from bottom radiator hose. Note colour now of what was clear clean water and SPEEDflash which has done what it say on the tin :~



Then used the garden hose in the rad's top hose :~



... and back flushed too :~



.... and within seconds the water ran clear :~



I then filled with 50-50 OAT Coolant and again took car for a few miles run and topped up the coolant level as there was some settlement. Used the car for the next few days and the coolant level remained steady and was pleased at the heat from the heater was very warm ~ ideal in these frosty mornings of late.

Then turned my attention to the old Timing Belt. That 22mm CRANKshaft Pulley bolt was very tight. My 24 volt Cordless Impact Drivers could not budge it. With the car in 5th gear and my son's foot firmly on the footbrake, plus using my 3/4" breaker bar, I still could not budge that 22mm CRANKshaft Pulley Bolt. I then used a length of Scaffold Tube on the 3/4" breaker bar and that finally loosened the bolt witn a loud Crack! Why folks tighten them so much is puzzling ~ maybe even at the factory ~ because it is simply not necessary.

Here's the set up ~ note the use of an axle stand as a pivot for the breaker bar ~ it gives more control to allow you to use all your weight effectively.



Close up of the arrangement :~



Then removed the engine mount after supporting it under the sump. removed the timing belt covers ~ very fiddly job as access to the numerous 8mm bolts is difficult ~ helps to raise or lower the engine for better acccess ~ then relaxed the timing belt tensioner to the slackest setting and pulled away the old belt ~ which looks like the original :~



Then fitted the new Timing Belt ( which came in the black and silver MG-Rover box ) and adjusted the tensioner using the Allen Key Bar and 10mm spanner in these positions :~



Refitted the timing belt covers and engine mount.

Rotated the engine manually four or five complete revolutions and as all appeared well, reconected the battery and started the engine. Soon settled down to a nice idle.

Now done about 400 miles in the car since the cylinder head gasket replacement including one 80 mile round trip. Car is running very well.
..
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[MGJohn]

Quinny said:

Has the EML light sorted itself John??

No, that's still remains to be sorted... all in good time ... I've a few known good O2 sensors and if a clean up does not do the trick, a simple substitution may do. If that does not work, then I may buy a code reader ... Hate working under a car at the best of times but in these very cold conditions, even less so. The sensor looks easy enough to access oncve car is up on the drive on ramps .... later..;)
/

[jamiebae]

Very interesting thread.

You need to bet a cheap EOBD code reader (can be had for about £20) to scan for codes and that'll give you an idea of what is causing the MIL light to stay on. In the first instance just clear the codes to turn off the light and see if it comes back on again before you do anything else.

[Petrolhead_Rich]

to be honest I never liked the styling of the bubble, but had the old 214Sei and it still holds a pleasant place in my car history.

Those 1.4 K series are extremely powerful, I remember eating 2 gearboxes and three clutches

Sadly it died in the end due to oil starvation from cornering too fast and the centre two bearings failed.

Drove it home rattling, well banging, stripped it and decided it wasn't economical.

then it got stolen!

Bought a 306

Still tempted every time i see a good one for sale...


During Happier Times:





Fitting a Baffled Sump:


The Final Strip Down:

Oops!

Edited by Petrolhead_Rich on Saturday 20th November 09:33

[checkmate91]

MGJohn said:

Close up of the arrangement :~

Glad I'm not the only person to use scaffold poles for extra leverage. I have however broken a few breaker bars with them though...

[DannyVTS]

Good write up as per usual John, makes a good read

[Pushrod-Power]

Impressive work.....but please tell me you replaced that plastic cam belt tensioner wheel whilst changing the belt

[MGJohn]

Pushrod-Power said:

Impressive work.....but please tell me you replaced that plastic cam belt tensioner wheel whilst changing the belt

No not yet ~ It appeared in good working order but will be replaced when time allows.

Whilst on this subject.

ATTENTIONE...ACHTUNG .....

It's been pointed out that in my picture of the Timing Belt Tensioner, the setting should be rotated 180 degrees Anti-Clockwise ~ not as in my picture:~

This is the incorrect setting:~



.... and I made the same mistake on my MG ZS when I renewed the Water Pump back in the spring :~



Two jobs to readjust those Tensioner Settings tomorrow ~ shouldn't take long.

The fact that it appears to work in both settings; the 0 and 180 degrees, is puzzling. I tried the 90 degree twist test on the longest run and that appears fine. The only difference I could detect is that in my incorrect setting, the run of the belt around the tensioner pulley is possibly a tad steeper which may not be good for the long term well being of the Timing Belt.

My thanks to ts autos and david.c over on MG-Rover.org for bringing this to my attention.

[MGJohn]

jamiebae said:

Very interesting thread.

You need to bet a cheap EOBD code reader (can be had for about £20) to scan for codes and that'll give you an idea of what is causing the MIL light to stay on. In the first instance just clear the codes to turn off the light and see if it comes back on again before you do anything else.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

One of the main reasons I put up threads like these over the years is the helpful feedback I get from other folks. That way we all can learn...

I did a quick ebay search for a EOBD Code Reader and the search produced 1,283 results...

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%...

Decisions, decisions...

Any recommendations here will be welcomed. We run about a dozen MG and Rovers in my family and circle of friends. I sometimes work on their cars too and things like this Code Reader could be very useful.

[RWD cossie wil]

It's a good feeling stripping an engine back to it's parts, then rebuilding it so it is perfect.

Regarding the engine management light, there is a ridiculous system on my dads MGTF. If you move the car with the ignition on, but the engine not running, it will bring the EML on permanantly, until it is reset.

Why it does this I have NO idea, but having seen the pics if the car being towed on an A frame, I would imagine the ignition was on, or the car might have been pushed at some point?

[MJK 24]

What did you do with the header tank to clean it up so well?

Couple of cycles in the dishwasher or something else?

[MGJohn]

RWD cossie wil said:

It's a good feeling stripping an engine back to it's parts, then rebuilding it so it is perfect.

Regarding the engine management light, there is a ridiculous system on my dads MGTF. If you move the car with the ignition on, but the engine not running, it will bring the EML on permanantly, until it is reset.

Why it does this I have NO idea, but having seen the pics if the car being towed on an A frame, I would imagine the ignition was on, or the car might have been pushed at some point?

That is interesting. You may have something there. Why the EML is lit on this particular car I have no idea. Have changed several head gaskets on K-Series ( including one on my MGZS bought new in 2003 which did not need doing ~ the lost coolant was due to a wearing water pump ) and no doubt moved them with engine switched off... Hmmmm ... I wonder.

[MGJohn]

MJK 24 said:

What did you do with the header tank to clean it up so well?

Couple of cycles in the dishwasher or something else?

Something else....

I use a small ball of cloth tied on the end of a Junior Hacksaw ~ with the blade removed of course. Squirt some fairy liquid into the bottle and chase that around with the Hacksaw to wipe up the muck inside. Long thin screwdrivers can chase around a ball of cloth and can reach just about all areas inside the bottle ~ with care and patience. It takes about half and hour to clean up a really filthy bottle but its worth it.

To make a really good clean up job, after the clean up, submerge and soak the whole bottle overnight in a weak bleach solution ~ comes up like new.
..
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[MGJohn]

EML RESET

Would this be suitable to identify and reset the EML ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-FAULT-SCANNER-CODE-READE...

There are many cheaper versions on Ebay ~ would those be able to reset the EML or, do I need to ask seller a question about the reset?

This ebay one linked above specifically mentions EML reset ability...

..

[blank]

Those Autel readers are good. I've used one (probably the next one up in the range) on stuff ranging from 10 year old cars to very expensive new metal. It's always been fine. It will only ever do engine related DTCs though.

[MGJohn]

I'm now awaiting delivery of that Code reader I bought off ebay.

Be nice to locate the reader port before it arrives. So, to avoid all that upside down in the driver's footwell on a cold November night mullarkey, can any kind soul tell me where to find the diagnostic port on a 2002 Rover 25 ? ... Hope it's somewhere easy to access ...

Thanks in advance.

Used the car more vigorously today ~ well over 400 miles since the repair ~ and it went very well indeed. good little cars these Rover 25s. My son James is 22 tomorrow ~ we'll arrange insurance for the car soon and the whole family will be individually mobile and I'll spend less time being the family's taxi driver...

Car space is really at a premium now...
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[AndrewW-G]

Socket locations for Rovers


http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:1mUb...