Engine not running quite right
Discussion
I have a couple of minor problems with my S that I have been trying to resolve over the last few weeks and I'm not sure if they are related...
The first is that when my engine is cold and I start it up everything is fine for the first couple of minutes, after this and until the engine is properly warmed up I have to apply the accelerator slowly when pulling away otherwise the engine almost stalls and I end up kangarooing off down the road !. Once the engine is fully warmed up its fine and runs fantastic. I have noticed also that when its warming up and I just try to rev the engine it will almost stall before jumping back into life.
The other issue is that during the process of trying to work out the problem I have discovered that my engine is running lean when fully warmed up (may explain that a few times I have noticed it feels like its holding back on me for a few seconds). I have connected it a fault code reader to the ecu which is giving me this information.
I'm pretty sure that all the vacuum pipes around the engine are not in to great shape and I'm planning on replacing these shortly. I have recently replaced the air filter and the throttle pot also. I have tried cleaning the idle speed control valve but this has made no difference.
I have had the first problem since I have owned the car, Its only since I have started using the car more this time of year that the problems are starting to get annoying because it never seems to fully warm up !!.. (well the temperature gauge never gets to 90, unless I'm sat in traffic).
anyone have any ideas on what I should do next to try and resolve these problems ?
Thanks in advance
Trev
The first is that when my engine is cold and I start it up everything is fine for the first couple of minutes, after this and until the engine is properly warmed up I have to apply the accelerator slowly when pulling away otherwise the engine almost stalls and I end up kangarooing off down the road !. Once the engine is fully warmed up its fine and runs fantastic. I have noticed also that when its warming up and I just try to rev the engine it will almost stall before jumping back into life.
The other issue is that during the process of trying to work out the problem I have discovered that my engine is running lean when fully warmed up (may explain that a few times I have noticed it feels like its holding back on me for a few seconds). I have connected it a fault code reader to the ecu which is giving me this information.
I'm pretty sure that all the vacuum pipes around the engine are not in to great shape and I'm planning on replacing these shortly. I have recently replaced the air filter and the throttle pot also. I have tried cleaning the idle speed control valve but this has made no difference.
I have had the first problem since I have owned the car, Its only since I have started using the car more this time of year that the problems are starting to get annoying because it never seems to fully warm up !!.. (well the temperature gauge never gets to 90, unless I'm sat in traffic).
anyone have any ideas on what I should do next to try and resolve these problems ?
Thanks in advance
Trev
Trevor,
Sounds like your ECU mappings may be up the creek, check out Podie's article as his was running lean before it was fettled at Austec.
They just tweaked my last week, and have removed all the low revs lumpiness making it far better in town.
Can have a chat about it on Sunday at the Seven Stars...
Sounds like your ECU mappings may be up the creek, check out Podie's article as his was running lean before it was fettled at Austec.
They just tweaked my last week, and have removed all the low revs lumpiness making it far better in town.
Can have a chat about it on Sunday at the Seven Stars...
That sounds exactly like the two problems I've had with the car, again since I fisrt bought it. When starting, I get about a hundred yeards up the road then it hits a huge flat spot which slows the car right down. If I've warmed the car up a little idling it while I take the lid off this happens a good deal less. This never happens in the summer and is noticably worse when the weather is cold.
Other problem, is just a slight hesitancy when accelerating. I can drive around the missfire, but its seemingly always there. Just had a 12,000 service, replaced leads, plugs and so on but the car still behaves the same. Next move was to book it into someone to check the ecu, (and maybe piggyback the chip if it seems sensible to do it at the same time).
Other problem, is just a slight hesitancy when accelerating. I can drive around the missfire, but its seemingly always there. Just had a 12,000 service, replaced leads, plugs and so on but the car still behaves the same. Next move was to book it into someone to check the ecu, (and maybe piggyback the chip if it seems sensible to do it at the same time).
Sounds like the problem I used to have... A bit of an update ...
Having spoken to a number of people including Austec (who were very helpful), it was basically recommended to replace the temperature sensor unit for the ECU (also there only £12!).
So I popped down to my local ford garage and picked one up as well as some vacuum pipe.
Having changed the temperature sensor and the all the vacuum pipes around the top of the engine, I have resolved the problems by about 75%.... The biggest shock though is that the car know seems to warm up and stay warm. My temperature gauge went up to 90 and stayed there (before unless I was in a long traffic queue it would never reach 90 and if it did a quick blast of 50mph or over would send it straight back down again). I have know idea why it know seems to be working right, as I thought this was more controlled by the thermostat - but I'm not going to complain !!!
When its cold it does hold back a very small amount still but know where near as much as before and I don't seem to be getting the kangarooing effect.
According to the ECU though I'm still running lean on all cylinders. I think my next step is to service the car (as this is know due), replace the fuel filter and possible the fuel regulator and then see how its running.
If this does not work then I shall probably take up Austec's offer of a full diagnostic which they say will only take a couple of hours and they should then know what's at fault...
Trev.
Having spoken to a number of people including Austec (who were very helpful), it was basically recommended to replace the temperature sensor unit for the ECU (also there only £12!).
So I popped down to my local ford garage and picked one up as well as some vacuum pipe.
Having changed the temperature sensor and the all the vacuum pipes around the top of the engine, I have resolved the problems by about 75%.... The biggest shock though is that the car know seems to warm up and stay warm. My temperature gauge went up to 90 and stayed there (before unless I was in a long traffic queue it would never reach 90 and if it did a quick blast of 50mph or over would send it straight back down again). I have know idea why it know seems to be working right, as I thought this was more controlled by the thermostat - but I'm not going to complain !!!
When its cold it does hold back a very small amount still but know where near as much as before and I don't seem to be getting the kangarooing effect.
According to the ECU though I'm still running lean on all cylinders. I think my next step is to service the car (as this is know due), replace the fuel filter and possible the fuel regulator and then see how its running.
If this does not work then I shall probably take up Austec's offer of a full diagnostic which they say will only take a couple of hours and they should then know what's at fault...
Trev.
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