My first on the road breakdown in 8 years
My first on the road breakdown in 8 years
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ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Came out of a roundabout, not particularly fast, two hundred yards further on she died. No drama, no noises, just nothing.... coasted to a serene but somewhat embarrassing stop. Not previous intermittent immobiliser fault as she still spun over like a goodun.... On the Norwich ring road, very busy at about 10:30 yesterday morning, Just wouldn't fire, just the odd hint of some ignition, but wouldn't run. Managed not to get run over, finally sussed it, found the cause, and off again....

Guesses on a postcard, I'll buy the winner a pint biggrin

And then it all went wrong today....

TBC..... (on the what did you do in the garage thread) biggrin

blaze_away

1,633 posts

235 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
You ran out of fuel....

ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
blaze_away said:
You ran out of fuel....
Nope smile

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

171 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Fuel pump or coil wire hanging off.
I dunno why I bother,, he’s in the pub already.
I’d say lack of maintenance and lack of use since the fat cat Aston turned up wink


ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Classic Chim said:
Fuel pump or coil wire hanging off.
I dunno why I bother,, he’s in the pub already.
I’d say lack of maintenance and lack of use since the fat cat Aston turned up wink
So, no it wasn't, no it wasn't, nor do I, no I'm not, no it isn't, and you're a cheeky git wink

Chim450

1,452 posts

283 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Earthing problem?

ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Chim450 said:
Earthing problem?
biggrin

Nope smile

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

171 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
ChilliWhizz said:
So, no it wasn't, no it wasn't, nor do I, no I'm not, no it isn't, and you're a cheeky git wink
biggrin

Battery connection, hmm you’ve just answered that one.


I dunno I give up and best to just call the AA hehe


QBee

22,067 posts

166 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Ok, so it turned over in a lively fashion....that rules out the battery or battery connections.
Some hint of ignition, which I take to mean the odd cough, but not firing properly......so ignition not immobilised, not just one or two loose plug caps

Leaves king lead loose, distributor cap come loose, or a fuel issue

Last one first. Fuel. I tripped the fuel cut out once, by entering a gravel trap at Mallory Park, fast and sideways. Reset is under the dash, passenger side. Car will turn over but won’t fire and catch. Could be that.
It died cleanly, which implies that the fuel pump wiring was not the problem.

So on balance I think it was electrical, and was either the king lead or the distributor cap come loose, ie no reliable spark to most or all of the cylinders...

ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Jeez A, I haven’t had a distributor since 2011... smile

gamefreaks

2,049 posts

209 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
My guess would be ECU fuel pump relay.

When that’s acting up, the car will cut out for no apparent reason.

When you try to restart, the pump will prime and the car will fire as normal then die as the relay that’s supposed to take over when the engine is running stays in bed.

phazed

22,440 posts

226 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
It’s too warm to mess about with all these guessing games ! Come on, spill the beans. .

ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
gamefreaks said:
My guess would be ECU fuel pump relay.

When that’s acting up, the car will cut out for no apparent reason.

When you try to restart, the pump will prime and the car will fire as normal then die as the relay that’s supposed to take over when the engine is running stays in bed.
This..... thumbup

Passenger footwell... smile

Although, it didn't actually prime.......... at all....

QBee

22,067 posts

166 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
ChilliWhizz said:
gamefreaks said:
My guess would be ECU fuel pump relay.

When that’s acting up, the car will cut out for no apparent reason.

When you try to restart, the pump will prime and the car will fire as normal then die as the relay that’s supposed to take over when the engine is running stays in bed.
This..... thumbup

Passenger footwell... smile

Although, it didn't actually prime.......... at all....
....it didn't need to Richard - you're in your prime. whistle

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

171 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Have you replaced the relay or just wiggled it into life.

I’ve had one break down,,, no two yikes in the last 8 years of constant driving.
1 fuel pump,wire off
2 coil wiring loose.
Both cases I’d been working on the car in those areas,,, doh!
So the car only failed through my incompetence hehe

Both cases I sussed it and was on my way in seconds.

Bugger me,,, a third!!

I’d not long owned the car and the heater control played up( bad connection) so at a junction noticed it had stopped working and tried knocking the dash top which usually got it going again but instead the fuel pump cut switch activated and that was that. It took an AA MAN to find the switch and re set it.
I decided to learn about the car from then on.
A bit like this thread, reminds me to check such things as breaking down ain’t good for the image wink

QBee

22,067 posts

166 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Oddly, I don't seem to get these electrical faults.

Yes, I did trip the fuel cut off, but sideways into a gravel trap - that's what it's there for. Quick call to Mat Smith from the gravel trap - "I'm in the gravel trap and it's turning over but not firing". "You have tripped the roll over fuel cut off".

My non-starts, if not duff battery related, seem to be mainly immobiliser related.

Stalled at a roundabout and couldn't restart it - lock and unlock sorted that (after calling Mat for advice).

Wouldn't start 20 minutes before setting off to Burghley, no amount of locking and unlocking helped.
Quick call to Mat Smith, seemed that my immobiliser had got out of sync with the key.
Immobiliser light was flashing on the dash and I hadn't twigged.
Little two pronged thingy on the key ring - first time I had ever used it - job sorted and car burst back into life.

Everyone should have a Mat on the end of the phone.

If only for those blonde moments.loser

ChilliWhizz

Original Poster:

12,287 posts

183 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Classic Chim said:
Have you replaced the relay or just wiggled it into life.
Wiggle only job Al smile