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Author: Subject: Fabulous drive out today - well not quite
Mark Allanson

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:13 PM Reply With Quote
Fabulous drive out today - well not quite

The first decent day in weeks weather wise, so I decided to have a full day out in the car.

SWIMBO and me went from Crowlas along the north coast - Gwithain, Portreath, Porthtowan, Portreath, Newquay, Padstow and on to Port Issac where Doc Martin was filmed.

Just short of Padstow, climbing a short hill, all the power disappeared, engine stumbling and an enormous back fire and we drifted to a halt. I checked all the obvious things but nothing worked. Then it just started, ran on tickover for a while until I touched the throttle and she died again.

Then the RAC turned up (coincidence) and said if I joined, he would tow me to a garage, so I signed up and he loaded the car onto the sliding deck and took me to St Merryn garage, he called out roadside recovery who said it was the coil, drove me 8 miles to the local factor for a coil. Back at the car and it made no difference. To be fair the fault (no spark) was intermittent and it seems that the ignition module is at fault, which would make sense. The fuel side all checked out fine, injectors switching, good pressure, pump fine, filters clear.

The system is basically standard 2.0i sierra, has anyone got any other theories?

My car is now 50 miles from home, I am going to bring it home on a rigid bar tomorrow morning.

It started off as a nice day..........................





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jacko

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:32 PM Reply With Quote
Hi could the cam belt jump a tooth or two and put the timing out ?
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Mark Allanson

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:35 PM Reply With Quote
I did consider that, but the engine when it did run was sounding fine, my initial diagnosis from the drivers seat was that the belt had snapped, the 2.0 pinto is a not destructive break.





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gazza285

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:46 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
Hi could the cam belt jump a tooth or two and put the timing out ?


I keep seeing this as a cause of many problems, but I must ask why it would happen? Unless the belt is slack from being fitted, which would show itself straight away, or completely knackered, in which case it usually rips off more than one tooth, why would it jump only one tooth?

Nobody in the motor industry I know has ever seen a belt only jump one tooth for no reason.,





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gazza285

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:49 PM Reply With Quote
Enormous backfire sounds like you lost ignition but still had fuel........





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adithorp

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:51 PM Reply With Quote
Symptoms for an ignition module fault; Packs up, won't go, no spark, then starts up fine while your trying to trace it only to stop again later without warning and so it goes on. Usually runs fine when anywhere near a mechanic or garage!

Adrian

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adithorp

posted on 7/7/07 at 08:54 PM Reply With Quote
"Nobody in the motor industry I know has ever seen a belt only jump one tooth for no reason."

I've seen them jump a tooth (incorrect tention though) but they don't jump back again.

Adrian

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gazza285

posted on 7/7/07 at 09:00 PM Reply With Quote
That would be the "Unless the belt is slack from being fitted" bit then, it's not something that happens indescriminately without reason.





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gazza285

posted on 7/7/07 at 09:02 PM Reply With Quote
Hall effect sensor perhaps?





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adithorp

posted on 7/7/07 at 09:37 PM Reply With Quote
Sorry Gazza, wasn't meant to sound like that. Thought (missread) that he said it was running again. In which case it would have to jump back.

Adrian

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Mark Allanson

posted on 7/7/07 at 09:39 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
Symptoms for an ignition module fault; Packs up, won't go, no spark, then starts up fine while your trying to trace it only to stop again later without warning and so it goes on. Usually runs fine when anywhere near a mechanic or garage!

Adrian


Makes a lot of sense, an intermittent spark, which breaks down under throttle. Just need a module to double check. There must be loads on this site who have converted a 2.0 to twin 45's who have modules and ecu's going begging - u2u me - beer tokens waiting





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JoelP

posted on 7/7/07 at 10:06 PM Reply With Quote
my mate's freelander jumped a tooth whilst plugging through a rough field, leading to the immortal line 'its meant to be an offroader', 'aye, it is off road now' from the mechanic
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Ratters

posted on 8/7/07 at 05:54 PM Reply With Quote
I've just posted the same on another thread about warm running troubles.

I would say the module on the dizzy too. I had the same recently on the x-flow. Intermittent cutting out, then wouldn't start for buggery for a while then all of a sudden start, run & drive fine. I tried various things until I narrowed it down the the dizzy/module or the +ve coil feed. Swapped dizzy for a points one I had lying around & problem has dissapeared. Been fine for over a week now

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Mark Allanson

posted on 8/7/07 at 06:47 PM Reply With Quote
My module is on the bulkhead and not on the dizzy, thats just the injection version though.

I am waiting delivery of a module from ebay to confirm though.





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Mark Allanson

posted on 11/7/07 at 12:28 PM Reply With Quote
Well, I have eventually found the fault, a stupid one as usual, and a lesson to be learnt.

I bought a new ignition module from ebay which did not cure the problem, after the initial depression, I went into diagnostic mode, I got my spark plug tell tales and turned the engine over, no sparks, but what I did notice was a tiny puff of smoke around the coil. I leant over and turned the ignition on again, another tiny puff of smoke, from the most minute wear point in the octane wire for the coil.

I moved the wire, and the car started and ran well. It proves that you need to fully secure all wiring, the smallest of movement caused my wires to wear themselves over a period of 2 years and 8000 miles.#

I am just relieved to be running again Rescued attachment Stupid Fault.JPG
Rescued attachment Stupid Fault.JPG






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