Discussion
Hi all
My first posting! hope someone might be able to offer some advise.
I have a 97 4.0L Chimaera with 20k on the clock.
So far i've taken the car out every weekend, the weekend before Christmas it was hesitating occasionally
when pulling off and when on low revs in third. Then Christmas weekend it would'nt start.
Engine turns but wont fire.
Have replaced in the last 6mths; spark leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm and stepper motor.
Can smell petrol and hear fuel pump priming.
Tried replacing coil.
Have tested two of the leads/spark plugs and get a spark from both.
checked connections to ECU and air flow meter and air intake pipework, cleaned stepper motor.
Replaced spark plugs due to old ones suffering from flooding.
last night tried the following:
Took out 5 of the easy to get to new spark plugs and warmed on gas hob.
Started engine with fuel pump relay removed to displace petrol and it seemd to try and fire, once there was no further signs of firing I replaced the relay and tried again but it did'nt even try to fire up.
Have recieved the following advise from indy garages:
Replace air flow meter, but others have said that this would not cause a non-start.
Replace ignition amp, which should be done with the coil at the same time, although there is a spark at
present it may be weak, therefore replace both items.
Any ideas?
My first posting! hope someone might be able to offer some advise.
I have a 97 4.0L Chimaera with 20k on the clock.
So far i've taken the car out every weekend, the weekend before Christmas it was hesitating occasionally
when pulling off and when on low revs in third. Then Christmas weekend it would'nt start.
Engine turns but wont fire.
Have replaced in the last 6mths; spark leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm and stepper motor.
Can smell petrol and hear fuel pump priming.
Tried replacing coil.
Have tested two of the leads/spark plugs and get a spark from both.
checked connections to ECU and air flow meter and air intake pipework, cleaned stepper motor.
Replaced spark plugs due to old ones suffering from flooding.
last night tried the following:
Took out 5 of the easy to get to new spark plugs and warmed on gas hob.
Started engine with fuel pump relay removed to displace petrol and it seemd to try and fire, once there was no further signs of firing I replaced the relay and tried again but it did'nt even try to fire up.
Have recieved the following advise from indy garages:
Replace air flow meter, but others have said that this would not cause a non-start.
Replace ignition amp, which should be done with the coil at the same time, although there is a spark at
present it may be weak, therefore replace both items.
Any ideas?
Hi welcome 
Just a couple of points worth checking, before you try and scare the bugger with a big hammer.
You said the engine was starting to hesitate etc. Have you checked the timing the dizzy bolt may of slackened slightly and allowed the dizzy to rotate. Also check the vacuum advance is bolted in properly. I was working on an RV8 engined racer this year that was all over the place with symptoms almost like running very very lean. It transpired that the two grub screws holding the vacuum advance on have come out and the timing was waving around at random.
Regards
Iain
>> Edited by chassis 33 on Thursday 5th January 11:38
Just a couple of points worth checking, before you try and scare the bugger with a big hammer.
You said the engine was starting to hesitate etc. Have you checked the timing the dizzy bolt may of slackened slightly and allowed the dizzy to rotate. Also check the vacuum advance is bolted in properly. I was working on an RV8 engined racer this year that was all over the place with symptoms almost like running very very lean. It transpired that the two grub screws holding the vacuum advance on have come out and the timing was waving around at random.
Regards
Iain
>> Edited by chassis 33 on Thursday 5th January 11:38
Thanks Iain
The car has always run with a low rev on idle, approx 600-750, to rectify, the garage i brought it from changed the stepper motor (Sept 2005) as well as change angle form 32 to 28 degrees, or the other way round i cant remember, so prehaps the bolt may have come lose. Unfortunatly i'm not able to test timing, lack of skill and equipment! I will check the fixings tonight.
What is your opinion on possible Air meter problem, would this cause a non-start?
If the air meter was duff would it cause over fueling, which i'm assuming might be the problem?
The car has always run with a low rev on idle, approx 600-750, to rectify, the garage i brought it from changed the stepper motor (Sept 2005) as well as change angle form 32 to 28 degrees, or the other way round i cant remember, so prehaps the bolt may have come lose. Unfortunatly i'm not able to test timing, lack of skill and equipment! I will check the fixings tonight.
What is your opinion on possible Air meter problem, would this cause a non-start?
If the air meter was duff would it cause over fueling, which i'm assuming might be the problem?
I can't remember if the the AFM needs to be connected to run, becasue the ECU also knows throttle angle so can make a rough guess at the amount of air going in.
I'll unplug the AFM on my disco tonight and see what the score is, the Chim is near as makes no difference in component parts so can't really test the Chim sorry, but there is very little difference between the Chim and Disco V8 setups anyway.
Regards
Iain
I'll unplug the AFM on my disco tonight and see what the score is, the Chim is near as makes no difference in component parts so can't really test the Chim sorry, but there is very little difference between the Chim and Disco V8 setups anyway.
Regards
Iain
with the engine running if you unplug the AFM it cuts out straight away...i had a similar problem with my car not starting and it turned out to be a faulty 'new' rotor arm...i was still getting a spark, but when i changed the rotor back to the original it fired up and was a happy bunny.
No, i had the rotor in for a few weeks and then one morning it just would not start...so after a week of changing plugs leads, checking timing etc i took the dizzy cap off, looked at the rotor arm and just decided to change it...turned the engine over and it fired up. Must admit the arm was a halfords one and the original that i put back in was a lucas one.
I am having a similar problem with a 3.9 Discovery and suspect the rotor. Had non-starting, misfiring etc.
Had a chat to some experts and was told the following: Use Lucas if you can get it (apparently they don't make them anymore), Bosche or Unipart are ok and CI for aftermarket.
I am just about to buy my third rotor in six weeks as the last one worked for two days.
I hope this helps
George
Had a chat to some experts and was told the following: Use Lucas if you can get it (apparently they don't make them anymore), Bosche or Unipart are ok and CI for aftermarket.
I am just about to buy my third rotor in six weeks as the last one worked for two days.
I hope this helps
George
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