Still cutting out
Discussion
After i bodged the throttle cable again. burst a water hose-badly overheated and cut out on me. Fixed hose on roadside, police car passed me with lights flashing and caused accident with oncoming traffic oops!
Police got RAC to tow me home wwhich i thought was jolly decent of plod. Anyway, couldnt restart car when i got it back home, it finally started but cut out almost immediately (luckily not seized). Got garage to take it away to hospital the next day. I told them to fit new throttle cable and sort out cutting out problem,also asked them to fit new water temp sensor.
Got car back yesterday and was told damp in the distributor causing 2 cylinders not firing. Quite plausable due to steam after hose splitting. Guess what happened on the way home--Cut out twice!!!!
The new sensor hadnt arrived but im not convinced thats the problem anyway. Bought a 700 amp monster battery to replace poxy 300 amp jobby and still cutting out. Whats the easiest way to see if its a fuel or spark problem? sorry to bore you all but just had to get this tale off my chest.
Police got RAC to tow me home wwhich i thought was jolly decent of plod. Anyway, couldnt restart car when i got it back home, it finally started but cut out almost immediately (luckily not seized). Got garage to take it away to hospital the next day. I told them to fit new throttle cable and sort out cutting out problem,also asked them to fit new water temp sensor.
Got car back yesterday and was told damp in the distributor causing 2 cylinders not firing. Quite plausable due to steam after hose splitting. Guess what happened on the way home--Cut out twice!!!!
The new sensor hadnt arrived but im not convinced thats the problem anyway. Bought a 700 amp monster battery to replace poxy 300 amp jobby and still cutting out. Whats the easiest way to see if its a fuel or spark problem? sorry to bore you all but just had to get this tale off my chest.
I'm certainly no expert, and I'm sure cleverer people than me will tell you that it could be hundreds of things. But your story did bring to mind something I read on here recently...
If your airflow meter is the hotwire type, then the engine can be caused to cut out when the hotwire comes into contact with water.
It got me wondering the other night since mine had never done it before but after being parked in the open and subjected to driving drissle (you know the type)it played up a little.
It made me think that maybe I aught to block that hole in the air filter assembly left by a missing bolt
Good look anywayz!
Bob.
If your airflow meter is the hotwire type, then the engine can be caused to cut out when the hotwire comes into contact with water.
It got me wondering the other night since mine had never done it before but after being parked in the open and subjected to driving drissle (you know the type)it played up a little.
It made me think that maybe I aught to block that hole in the air filter assembly left by a missing bolt
Good look anywayz!
Bob.
After i bodged the throttle cable again. burst a water hose-badly overheated and cut out on me. Fixed hose on roadside, police car passed me with lights flashing and caused accident with oncoming traffic oops!
Police got RAC to tow me home wwhich i thought was jolly decent of plod. Anyway, couldnt restart car when i got it back home, it finally started but cut out almost immediately (luckily not seized). Got garage to take it away to hospital the next day. I told them to fit new throttle cable and sort out cutting out problem,also asked them to fit new water temp sensor.
Got car back yesterday and was told damp in the distributor causing 2 cylinders not firing. Quite plausable due to steam after hose splitting. Guess what happened on the way home--Cut out twice!!!!
The new sensor hadnt arrived but im not convinced thats the problem anyway. Bought a 700 amp monster battery to replace poxy 300 amp jobby and still cutting out. Whats the easiest way to see if its a fuel or spark problem? sorry to bore you all but just had to get this tale off my chest.
If you pull a plug out, generally it'll be wet if there's an ignition fault and dry if there's a fuel fault. Depending on the condition and spec of the engine, dirty or damp plugs could well be enough to stop it firing up. Usually, wirebrushing the plugs clean, drying them out over a gas ring and putting them back in hot will make it far easier to start the engine. But if there's some other problem eg a duff sensor making the ECU overfuel, it will foul the plugs again pretty quickly. So if you're having a good go getting it started it's worth checking the plugs quite often as you may have to clean them again after you fix the problem (whatever it was) before it'll finally start.
If the problam started when the hose went, water in any of the sensors or wiring would be a good suspect. Water dispersant spray eg WD40 or damp start is a good way to get rid of this. If all else fails, if you crank it over at night with the bonnet up you can often see sparks where the ignition is shorting out, this gives you a clue which bit needs drying out / cleaning up.
If this all sounds a bit heath robinson and you want to try the scientific approach, you can put a spark trace (passive strobe) in the HT king lead. If it flashes regularly and strongly when you crank it over, you have a spark. If not, you don't. Alternatively you can use the screwdriver-jammed-in-the-end-of-the-HT-lead approach to get a spark against any nearby metal object. Either way, this gives you a clue which half of the engine management system is failing.
Final thought, if there's been some sort of catastrophe under the bonnet, look out for broken/dislodged wires/pipes, distributor knocked round, that sort of thing. You would track it down in the end but the problem could be staring you in the face.
Hope this helps,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Agree the the most likely problem is water where it shouldnt be or a disturbed connection. Also check the electronic pack on top of the airflow meter - should be sealed but not uncommon for them not to be and if water got in there it would not help. Depending on the routing of your ECU wiring its not unknown for water to run down the wiring loom through the bulkhead and into the ECU - also not healthy!
An unlikely and pessemistic possibility is that if you have overheated badly you could have a badly warped head/blown headgasket..........hope thats not the case!
An unlikely and pessemistic possibility is that if you have overheated badly you could have a badly warped head/blown headgasket..........hope thats not the case!
GreenV8S said:
You would track it down in the end but the problem could be staring you in the face.
Hope this helps,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
I agree.
My 400 had all sorts of problems ... peninsula found a dodgy fuel pump .. replaced that .. still happening ... the problem was eventually traced by me to an injector earthing against teh fuel rail .. the insulation had rubbed off and it kept blowing fuel pump relay fuses... how did i find out ??? shocking !!!
bit of electrical tape .. job done
It would be extremely helpful if you told us which car and year of manufacture you are talking about...
I also hope that you measured the battery before buying it as some of the big current batteris are that lickle bit too wide to actually fit them into the space provided.
>> Edited by shpub on Tuesday 17th December 07:06
I also hope that you measured the battery before buying it as some of the big current batteris are that lickle bit too wide to actually fit them into the space provided.
>> Edited by shpub on Tuesday 17th December 07:06
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