SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED TODAY.

[MAC5]

Hi all,

Can you throw some light on what might have happened?

Out for a blast today,then heard a strange noise or clunk from rear of car. Car then lost power and was running ruff for a couple of miles then gave up. Treid re starting but would'nt. Stuck my head under the bonnet.God knows why havn't got a clue what i was looking for. Got back in the car to call the good old AA. Then turned the key and car started and ran prefect for rest of journey.

Only thing i could think of was the fuel pump playing up.?

MAC

[hut49]

Sounds like you had a vacuum in the fuel tank and it popped in - this makes a clunk. Eventually the vacuum eases and petrol flows again. You've probably got a gummed up carbon cannister through which the fuel tank vents.

Hutch

[MAC5]

Thanks Hutch,

Anything I can do to stop this happening again.

MAC

[hut49]

Actually it could be either the canister is full of petrol (you can find the canister behind the front grill/valance) or perhaps it might be a blocked/nipped pipe that connects the fuel tank and the canister.

There's a bit more on the canister at

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=29372&f=13&h=0&hw=canister

Hope this fixes it - in the meantime you can open the fuel tank filler cap to relieve the vacuum and allow the fuel to reach the pump. I suppose keeping the fuel tank filled up might help.

Hutch