Tuscan - power loss on accelearting

[cmdickinson]

HELP PLEASE ! I have recently aquired a 4 year old Tuscan (13K) and have experienced a power loss on accelerating hard (it also struggles a bit on tick over when cold 5-6rpm, 6-7 rpm when hot). When accelerating hard it can die momentariliy and then pick up again (several times)
I put it into TVR specialist Colin Blower racing and the guy changed the plugs, and put some octane boost in the fuel (I had been running it on 95RON which he felt was the probelm.) I am now running on 97 but after a trip down the motorway still have the same problem. Someone else suggested there is something that should be cleaned out on a service that is not always done that can improve the way the car runs (sorry for being so unspecific but I can't remember exactly what he said).
Have also noticed that on a couple of occasions the cooling fans don't seem to cut in despite temps of upto 110 ! Could the HT leads be cooked ?

[yi8tvr]

Take it back to the dealer, all you will get on here is speculation which is not good. If it is a 2000 tuscan who knows could be a 3 bob problem or a 3k problem.

It wont get fixed on here.....

[tuscan_thunder]

we had poor running which turned out to be a dodgy temperature sensor. it thought the car was always really cold so it dumped massive amounts of petrol into the engine. bit like running with the choke out all the time.

might be worth checking this?

[judas]

cmdickinson said:

When accelerating hard it can die momentariliy and then pick up again (several times)

Might be worn throttle bodies; it's a common problem and happened to my car at about 9k miles.

[PhilWattis]

Mine did it in the higher rev range, quite violently at times. Took it back and they adjusted the throttle bodies which seemed to do the trick, although it still does it occasionally, but not frequently enough that I could demonstrate it to the dealer.

I think the throttle bodies are prone to premature wear and will ultimately need replacing.

As has been said though - could be any number of things, get the dealer to sort it.

Phil.

[R666 TUS]

If it is severe and feels like hitting the rev
limiter it could just need the de-throttle chip
fitted that increases the fuel injector sample time
when on full throttle.........worked for me.

Col

[TUS 373]

Yes, all of the above. It could be any one of loads of things. I think that only an expert working systematically through things is the solution to this. Symptoms like that can possibly be helped by new HT leads, throttle pot balancing, dethrottle chip etc etc - but then again, could be something different!

[swilly]

My car is now hitting 28000 miles, I experience a similar acceleration hesitancy ,sometimes, but only during the initial 10 minute warming up period.

When the oil is upto 40-60 degrees the engine runs smooth, and acceleration is without fault.

Previously I had constant speed hesistancy on motorways at 70-80mph but a change of leads during service sorted that problem.

[Bob the Planner]

Tickover of 5-600 when cold sounds a bit low as well - IIRC it should be 7-800 cold 900 hot although I could be talking rubbish but thats what mine has been when I have got it back from service (all 3 times). However it has dropped back to 600 / 700 before the next service each time. Don't know how to fix it but it sounds like you need to go to a dealer to sort out whatever it is.

Bob

[J_S_G]

Mine would be like hitting a rev limiter at about 4500/5000 RPM, which was the throttle bodies... had those replaced with SFR's uprated ones, which stopped the top-end problem. I had other lumpy-running (misfire like) at lower revs, which it didn't cure.

When I started it (from cold), it also wouldn't rev past 1200RPM for the first 10 seconds or so.

It's now back at TVR Power having a rebuild for worn valve guides. So far my "daily driver" Tuscan has been off the road for 6 weeks out of the last eight. Ho hum. Think the next car's looking likely to be something more Teutonic...

As said by others, get it back to a garage, everything on here's just speculation.

[andyvdg]

cmdickinson said:

Have also noticed that on a couple of occasions the cooling fans don't seem to cut in despite temps of upto 110 ! Could the HT leads be cooked ?

Get this fixed first. The ECU is getting the wrong temperature reading for the engine and fuelling incorrectly which will cause your symptoms. Usually it's just a case of removing the sensor, drying out the water that's got into the sensor and then resealing.

Cheers,

Andy.

[Tusker]

Had exactly the same problem last month, no fans and jerky stop-start acceleration at top of range. Trucked back to Gorners who informed there was an air-lock in the system causing the temp sensors to malfunction and therefore not triggering the cooling fans, resulting in +115 degree water temps.

Whatever they did, seems to be fixed.