Stalled - no restart - after 5 mins, short run time - SORTED

[Dave Eds]

Dave if you want to know the answer give Gerald a call - but if you want to work it out then don't!

[dapinky]

Dave if you want to know the answer give Gerald a call - but if you want to work it out then don't!

I have to admit, I have thought about it, but i have a moral dillemma.......

.... i don't want to use up his valuable time when i have not been (nor am ever likely to become) a paying customer of his.

If he were more local, i would have no hesitation in putting the car his way, but that is not the case.

[Dave Eds]

he's been taking gearbox calls from far less local people than you matey, all with no issue!

[GeoffSmith]

Never seen an IAC reading as high as that but no experience of IAC problems - seems to be a good place to start though. I guess you didn't manage to reset it by gently increasing revs to >2000RPM in service mode.

[dapinky]

I've now found that P62 of the Service Training Notes (engine) seems to think that 80 is the standard position for the IAC at rest (with ign off) - so I'm no further forward

[Specky]

Will the car run without the petrol cap on?

TTFN

[dapinky]

Will the car run without the petrol cap on?

TTFN

Don't know - I'll try it tomorrow.

Looking at the elanscans, i seem to have the correct air/fuel ratio only when the throttle is wide open, so I'm thinking severe overfueling??????

I think that I'll chuck a spare CTS in in the morning, and see what that does for me. (even though elanscan says it is a constant ambient temp, as i'd expect it to be.)

[GeoffSmith]

Figure EMK4.8 does say IAC is 80 after being left overnight, but I thought the reason for waiting ~2-3 secs when starting was to allow the IAC to move to the correct position.

Check out chart EMK4.3 (Engine cranks but will not start) in the engine management manual.

[Paul.P]

Dave if you want to know the answer give Gerald a call - but if you want to work it out then don't!

I have to admit, I have thought about it, but i have a moral dillemma.......

.... i don't want to use up his valuable time when i have not been (nor am ever likely to become) a paying customer of his.

If he were more local, i would have no hesitation in putting the car his way, but that is not the case.

Dave, just tell Gerald we told you to ring him, he will be fine & could save you hrs/days of pissing about 01638 661144

[dapinky]

Well, that was easy - you just need to look in the right place!

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions (even the ones which didn't help, which was probably most of the things i had tried).

After a late night reading the manuals, i had a plan (of sorts) for this morning. I pulled out the pump/sender unit from the tank - it was spotless (which has to be good, but i was hoping that it would be my problem).....

....i was still convinced that it was a fuel problem, but was leaning towards a duff sensor somewhere - but which one?

I finally admitted defeat, and took the only useful advise i had got (Thanks to Spud and Paul) and gave Gerald a ring.

As soon as i said who I was, he knew all about it - someone had been in and warned him of a potential phone call (Thank you, whoever it was )

We chatted through the symptoms and things that i had tried, and he agreed that it was likely to be a fuel problem, but having discussed all the bits i had swapped, it only really left the injectors. I don't have a proper tester for them, and haven't a clue how to test one - but Gerald had!

If you switch on the ignition and then go under the bonet, by operating the throttle buterfly (on the end of the cable) you will hear the injectors clicking as they open (I didn't know that). It is loud enough that you can hear it quite well, but i don't suppose it would be as clear at the side of a busy motorway, or under the flight path at Heathrow - Gerald suggests using a stethoscope. (or metal screwdriver to your ear).

There was no clicking, so i had found the problem, now i just needed the solution.

Earth leads at the back of the plenum looked okay, but i connected up a jump lead from the fuel rail to a good earth anyway - no change.

Now i knew it would be the firing signal at fault, but had ruled out the ECU so that only leaves the wiring.

Continuity tests were considered, but i was fed up with doing lots of unnecessary stuff! - so i waggled the multiplug under the expansion tank and then got a clicking sound when i operated the throttle

Turned the key and it fired up, ran then died

Checked again - no clicking!

Took the plug out, cleaned up the contacts, squirt of WD40, back together - lots of clicking again

Fired it up, gave it a bit of a run - no problems, tried to replicate the problem by waggling the wiring - no problems.

Now i'm hoping that the connector was the problem, but i carry a length of wire in the toolbox anyway for roadside 'get me home' repairs.

All in all, a simple fix to an anoying problem (are there any non-anoying ones?) - i just needed to know how to test things which ain't covered in the manual, which is where you can't beat experience and tips from an expert.

A big 'Thank You' to Gerald at GST (and everyone who had an input on this thread).

Top Tip - if it don't run - listen for the clicking!



(now i just have to fiddle with the tank sender unit to get it in the right place, as it only goes up to just over 1/4 even though there is 25 litres in it - i can cope with that one!)

Edit:-

Angie want's to make it clear that she didn't fill up with diesel or rainwater, despite that being a question (accusation?) that i had put to her

[Sy V]

We only have Angie's and your word for that!

Great news and a diagnostic trick that I didn't know about too!

[Dave Eds]

[Paul.P]

Well, that was easy - you just need to look in the right place!

Everythings easy when you know how Dave ?

A big 'Thank You' to Gerald at GST (and everyone who had an input on this thread).

New he would be a big help, glad you've got sorted Dave

[JIMBO]

[quote="dapinky"]Well, that was easy - you just need to look in the right place

As soon as i said who I was, he knew all about it - someone had been in and warned him of a potential phone call (Thank you, whoever it was )

Like George Washington, "I cannot tell a lie" it was me.

I was dropping off my Elan to have the LGM Turbo upgrade fitted, and an Everest chip and replacement shocks (thanks Paul)
and replacement front upper and lower wishbones. Oh , and Daves quick shift.
I did fit the ariel myself !! thanks Sy

Gerald really couldn't be more helpfull and is allways there for a Lotus owner.
Regards
Jim