3 Cylinder Elan?

[Candles]

Thanks Monty & Jason for the words of support - it is really annoying me as I want the car to tinker with, but when the weather is good, I want to drive it!<br><br>I've got it all wired up at the moment (CO, timing strobe, laptop for what it's worth!).  In computed mode, it runs ROUGH, but occasionally smooth.  In diagnostic mode it runs generally a lot smoother, sometime for a minute or so, until it creeps back in with a judder then goes mental.  Watching it with the timing strobe, the mark appears to move - How can this be in diagnostic mode?  I thought it was fixed.  I think this might be getting towards the root of the problem as the movements coincide with it rough running.<br><br>Surely, I can discount any physical/mechanical problem as the fault is intermittent?  And yes, plugs are new, leads aren't that old and worked fine before.  As soon as any revs kick in, accepting that it coughs rising from a rough idle, it runs completely smoothly.<br><br>Candles.

[niall]

Hi,<br>Presumably there is nothing amiss under the CAS cover.<br>When you first posted this problem I thought of the sort of problem which used to arise when the distributer shaft was 180 degrees out but since its intermittent, perhaps the CAS sensor is mobile.<br>Good luck with the diagnosis.<br>Niall

[Doug]

are you describing a woman, Candles . . . .  ;D

[Candles]

[quote author=Doug link=board=help;num=1116161215;start=60#62 date=06/20/05 at 14:03:10]are you describing a woman, Candles . . . .  ;D[/quote]<br><br><br>I might as well be - it is temperamental enough.<br><br>CAS:  I've got three sensors and I've tried all three, as well as checking the circuit from both detectors to all the places where they go.  It runs just the same.  I agree with the 180 degrees out thing, apart from running smoothly at revs, but I don't think you can as the drive on the camshaft is offset.

[Monty]

could it be that u`ve got a bent inlet valve  ??? and it`s stuck closed or something

[Mike Y]

Hi Candles

Sorry to here about all your problems. You might want to try some solutions that worked on my Pacific blue Elan after fitting a brand new S2 engine from Lotus.

Upon start up the car seemed to run on 2 cylinders after replacing a dodgy coil pack and sorting the earth straps out on the inlet manifold by PAS reservior it seemed to run on 2.5 cylinders by accident while trying to measure the current accross the dead cylinder's injector I accidently shorted the injector out against the inlet manifold the cylinder imediately burst into life. I repeated this accross all four injectors and the engine was sweet there after.

I think maybe you have a vacum pipe split, loose or missing from your inlet plenim?

It has got to be worth a look.

Regards Mike (Newcastle)

[Candles]

Actually got this sorted a while ago, the rest of the thread has gone.

It was a plenum earth!