Wanted: Engine advice
Discussion
Hi guys- I'm after your thoughts on a resent issue thats cropped up on my 95 400 HC.
Went out one night last week on (120 mile round trip) and it was freezing (even for a northener...)- anyway i noticed it was running cold- like just over 50. After about 40 miles it started to miss-fire/shunt. I've only had the car a month and this is the first time it missed a beat. I put it down to a cobination of needing new plugs (it had been about 7K i think) and extended cold running. In traffic it rose to just over 70 and the problem eased but while on the move it started again.
Changed the plugs this weekend and noticed the offside bank was nicely brown but the other side were all carbon black. Went for another long run- seemed fine at first but running cold and eventually started missing again, really bad under 3000rpm, but also under load at high rpm (but not so bad).
Checked cap and arm- look good, tidied up the leads and started her up on Sunday - thermostat seem to open early - like 65ish. I think i need to check it's not stuck or need replacing for one which opens later to cure the cold running problems. Anyway took it out, sat in a layby untill the temp reached 90 and then thrashed it to pieces - from a standing start and back several times. This time the engine ran perfectly - and I had a lot of fun (roof off and cold/damp roads - you know the crack)
Does anyone else suffer from cold running in the winter? Is it likley to be the thermostat (it looks like a pain to take out being horizontally mounted) What could cause one bank to run richer than the other? I've got a feeling the cold running is causing the miss, but i'm going to get a set of leads and a cap and arm - they'll be good for spares if anything. Where is the best place to buy them? Could i get them from one of the many Land Rover parts places or should i go to TVRparts?
Thanks
Went out one night last week on (120 mile round trip) and it was freezing (even for a northener...)- anyway i noticed it was running cold- like just over 50. After about 40 miles it started to miss-fire/shunt. I've only had the car a month and this is the first time it missed a beat. I put it down to a cobination of needing new plugs (it had been about 7K i think) and extended cold running. In traffic it rose to just over 70 and the problem eased but while on the move it started again.
Changed the plugs this weekend and noticed the offside bank was nicely brown but the other side were all carbon black. Went for another long run- seemed fine at first but running cold and eventually started missing again, really bad under 3000rpm, but also under load at high rpm (but not so bad).
Checked cap and arm- look good, tidied up the leads and started her up on Sunday - thermostat seem to open early - like 65ish. I think i need to check it's not stuck or need replacing for one which opens later to cure the cold running problems. Anyway took it out, sat in a layby untill the temp reached 90 and then thrashed it to pieces - from a standing start and back several times. This time the engine ran perfectly - and I had a lot of fun (roof off and cold/damp roads - you know the crack)
Does anyone else suffer from cold running in the winter? Is it likley to be the thermostat (it looks like a pain to take out being horizontally mounted) What could cause one bank to run richer than the other? I've got a feeling the cold running is causing the miss, but i'm going to get a set of leads and a cap and arm - they'll be good for spares if anything. Where is the best place to buy them? Could i get them from one of the many Land Rover parts places or should i go to TVRparts?
Thanks
Just make sure you get genuine lucas parts...as for the thermostat, i dont know where you are but if you fancy a dodge over to birtley i have got a thermostat on my shelf in the garage (i think, i shall have to go home tonight and double check) if you want to try it...20 minute job, if that to change it over.
Hi, I have sometimes noticed that the engine temp has dropped off when cruising on the motorway into a headwind. Also during winter months the heater temp drops off when cruising. These faults became more apparent after I replaced the radiator. I definitely think a faulty or missing thermostat is causing the engine temp to fluctuate on my car, not sure if this would affect the heater temp though?
Your problem with mis-firing could be that as the engine temp drops the engine management would richen up the fuel mixture(apply the choke)this would further assist the engine to run cool. With all this going on you could be "flooding" the engine causing your mis-firing.
I would concentrate on stabilizing your engines temperature with a new thermostat and then assess if you require further ignition parts.
I'm interested how you get on as it might motivate me into curing my own problems!
Your problem with mis-firing could be that as the engine temp drops the engine management would richen up the fuel mixture(apply the choke)this would further assist the engine to run cool. With all this going on you could be "flooding" the engine causing your mis-firing.
I would concentrate on stabilizing your engines temperature with a new thermostat and then assess if you require further ignition parts.
I'm interested how you get on as it might motivate me into curing my own problems!
You might have a lower 74Deg stat fitted instead of i think an 82Deg one i run the lower temp one all year never given any probs but every cars different have you had the car long ? and not run it in the colder weather before ? Maybe the previous owner ran the 74 in the summer then swapped to the 82 in winter I know some people do off reading the forums on hear , best of luck .
Paul .
Paul .
Yeah - it's been a while, but i thought I’d update. Be prepared for a long and boring story....
Went to work - was planning on visiting Andy_W mid afternoon, was running cold again and after about 10 miles it became almost un-drivable - shunting, spluttering etc... used over a quarter of a tank over about 40 miles. Limped it back home and skipped work (was a Saturday anyway).
Ordered a load of stuff - leads, stat, cap, arm - read try the cheap stuff first. The plan was to change one thing at a time - but the weather was so crap over the next few weeks that i ended up changing the lot. Including a suspicious plug extender which had a scorch mark on it. The old thermostat had 82 stamped on the side - but i tested it in hot water and it defiantly opened around 65 - 70 degrees. I does look old so i figured it must just be age weakening it? New one is 82 degrees - also has 82 stamped on the side.
Messed about with the ECU and a tester using the bible as a guide because i was still uneasy about the lambda sensors/injectors- but couldn't get a reading from anything. My ECU plug is an enclosed plastic thing and talk of removing the 'shroud' to access the wires direct didn't seem possible, unless i'm missing something?
Anyway, i still hadn't driven it since i struggled back from work, and it the roads were dry and salt free so i went for trial run. Not really expecting it to run right but at least i'd know if it would run warmer (as it's always ran a bit cold since i got it, could be the leven grill and lowered number plate)
Result - completely changed - engine smooth, no shunting, no excessive fuel consumption and it runs at 70 degrees even in this colder weather. Perfect, was having so much fun that my bonnet popped open doing large leptons. I can confirm that it does lift nearly all the way up...
Unfortunately I also broke down, the nice new coil HT lead rubbed on the top pulley and it died. My fault for not securing it, still at least i had a spare one.
Interestingly, the new cap and arm doesn't have Lucus stamped on it - even though the supplier says they're Lucus parts. Old bits do have the stamp, but its running fine so i'm not bothered at the moment.
Also ran some injector cleaner through it (cat friendly) following some advice from a guy i know who works a lot with landie/Range Rover V8's.
Went to work - was planning on visiting Andy_W mid afternoon, was running cold again and after about 10 miles it became almost un-drivable - shunting, spluttering etc... used over a quarter of a tank over about 40 miles. Limped it back home and skipped work (was a Saturday anyway).
Ordered a load of stuff - leads, stat, cap, arm - read try the cheap stuff first. The plan was to change one thing at a time - but the weather was so crap over the next few weeks that i ended up changing the lot. Including a suspicious plug extender which had a scorch mark on it. The old thermostat had 82 stamped on the side - but i tested it in hot water and it defiantly opened around 65 - 70 degrees. I does look old so i figured it must just be age weakening it? New one is 82 degrees - also has 82 stamped on the side.
Messed about with the ECU and a tester using the bible as a guide because i was still uneasy about the lambda sensors/injectors- but couldn't get a reading from anything. My ECU plug is an enclosed plastic thing and talk of removing the 'shroud' to access the wires direct didn't seem possible, unless i'm missing something?
Anyway, i still hadn't driven it since i struggled back from work, and it the roads were dry and salt free so i went for trial run. Not really expecting it to run right but at least i'd know if it would run warmer (as it's always ran a bit cold since i got it, could be the leven grill and lowered number plate)
Result - completely changed - engine smooth, no shunting, no excessive fuel consumption and it runs at 70 degrees even in this colder weather. Perfect, was having so much fun that my bonnet popped open doing large leptons. I can confirm that it does lift nearly all the way up...
Unfortunately I also broke down, the nice new coil HT lead rubbed on the top pulley and it died. My fault for not securing it, still at least i had a spare one.
Interestingly, the new cap and arm doesn't have Lucus stamped on it - even though the supplier says they're Lucus parts. Old bits do have the stamp, but its running fine so i'm not bothered at the moment.
Also ran some injector cleaner through it (cat friendly) following some advice from a guy i know who works a lot with landie/Range Rover V8's.
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