1200cc engine

[GeoffSmith]

This morning, 3 cylinders were the order of the day. Start-stop-start-rev-wait but still only 3. I didn't even bother getting it out the garage as it was raining and I didn't fancy getting stranded. Oh and I'd washed and leathered it yesterday.

This evening, after sorting out a problem with my bodged ALDL plug replacement, it ran perfectly.

F1Lotus had this problem before but it cleared after a throttle-shut deceleration.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas what the problem is?

Geoff

[Gary]

coil ?

[John_W]

Geoff,

I've noticed that the Elan doesn't take kindly to any sudden stick-the-key-in-the-ignition-turn-it-on-and-drive-off treatment. It likes to be woken up gently, with a pause at ignition-on until the fuel pump has primed. (It's got nothing to do with the fuel pump but probably more to do with the IAC position.)

If I rush things, it has a tendency to run rough, fire on three cylinders and sounds like a bag of bolts. It's cured by switching off and doing it gently next time.

Do you use the softly-softly technique?

John

[GeoffSmith]

coil ?

Yes and she still got pregnant but that's another story!

I immediate suspicion was electrical Gary, and I was thinking possible plug/lead breakdown (had a Mini so know all about that). Thinking out loud, if it was the coil, wouldn't I have lost two cylinders (wasted spark)? Maybe I had, because it was pretty lumpy.

Do you use the softly-softly technique?

Certainly do John. Always used to wait (sub?)consciously for fuel pump stopping before turning the Scirocco over and began doing the same with the Elan. Having read info on LEC, I now religously wait until the warning light has gone out. The IAC theory seems to makes sense, I guess even more so if you've shut off straight after blipping the throttle (but that is something I try not to do either).


Thanks for the thoughts - fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Geoff

[GeoffSmith]

Full 1600 today - and the sun shone. Deep joy!

[F1 LOTUS]

Geoff,

I've noticed that the Elan doesn't take kindly to any sudden stick-the-key-in-the-ignition-turn-it-on-and-drive-off treatment. It likes to be woken up gently, with a pause at ignition-on until the fuel pump has primed. (It's got nothing to do with the fuel pump but probably more to do with the IAC position.)

If I rush things, it has a tendency to run rough, fire on three cylinders and sounds like a bag of bolts. It's cured by switching off and doing it gently next time.

Do you use the softly-softly technique?

John

That's the ticket!
It's one of those situations where you 'know' it's going to happen because your zen is slightly out of kilter but you carry on anyway - et voila un sac de bolts!

[Kevin]

my elan has the same problem.
Yesterday and today i had the problem, i parkt it in the sun next to the warehouse where i work. When i wanted to go home at 2 pm, it misfired.
tryed it again and he started after 5 seconds.
Only running on 3 legs.
After trying it a coppel of times he started normal.
Could the head of the last days be the problem?

Sorry for the bad english.

[clemo]

so what was it then???
did the heat effect the car?
did the water get in the engine bay?
did you get any "paper clip test" codes?
did the 20-1 at newton abbot fall at the 3rd?

[Doug]

must be a virus going around

[Kevin]

today it was a littel bit cooler outside.
Started perfect, must be the heat

[RatHead]

mine did this today as well. after sitting in the garage for a 3 days i went to go out in it and started it - but it was only running on 3 cylinders. tried revving it a bit and restarting but to no joy. so left it an hour, went back to it and it was as right as rain. i always wait for the lights to go out before i start it. i will have a look at the leads and plugs at the weekend.

[GeoffSmith]

I had a repeat of this last week but forgot to post. No spare cars this time so I had to give it a try. By the time I got to the end of the drive, shazam, all 4 cylinders and no problems since.

[RatHead]

very odd..have you checked the leads and plugs?

[GeoffSmith]

I haven't (and will probably live to regret it). This is only the second time it's happened and both times it has been damp so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a lead or plug breaking down.

[nickb]

Mine did exactly the same thing last week, bright sunny day parked in a car park all day and when I came to start it it ran like an absolute pig, had to drive it to get home and after about 2 miles it began to run like normal???? on this occasion the car was very hard to start.

Ever since the car has run like a dream, I took it for a bit of a run on the weekend and no problems.


Nick