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Section : Ignition and Distributers
Posted By : Andrew Bradbury, 02-Jun-2007,
05:23pm
Hello,
I have what might be a very simple problem. Let me explain...
I have a MKIV 1300 Spit that I dont get to use as much as I would like to. I recently took it out for a long spin and it ran just fine. At the end of the
run, just before getting home, I needed to fill it with fuel. As usual I put in a slug of additive the only difference being that this time I used castrol
valvemaster (with the octane boost) rather than the Redex lead replacement I normally use. Anyway, I then drove the short distance home and parked up just
fine. Then, I wasnt able to use the car for over four weeks and so it stood in the garage for that time. The next time I got in it started fine but I
immediately found it would not accelerate smoothly at all - it would hesitate, cough and splutter its way up the rev range. At the next few junctions I
also found it would not idle very well either. As things stand right now, I can start it ok and it will rev cleanly when stood still but whenever the
engine is under load it stuggles.
At the moment I am assuming that I have some sort of ignition problem and will be swapping in new points, leads etc but can the introduction of a new
additive be just a coincidence here? The actual fuel used was shell optimax which is what it has always had previously.
Does anyone have any ideas on this?
Cheers
Andy
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Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 02-Jun-2007,
05:37pm
Andrew,
Try a new condensor, the symptoms you describe are typical of one that has failed.
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Posted By : Andrew Bradbury, 02-Jun-2007,
06:19pm
Kevin,
Ok - I will swap that first and see what happens.
Thanks,
Andy
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Posted By : Brendan Delaney,
02-Jun-2007, 06:38pm
Or a failure of the distributor advance mechanism? Has the pipe come off or the weights siezed?
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Posted By : Leon Guyot,
02-Jun-2007, 08:51pm
Or another bad rotor arm?
L
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Posted By : Mark Astley,
04-Jun-2007, 01:32pm
Or a closing up of the points gap will give the very similar symptoms.
yours
mark
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Posted By : Steve Cureton,
04-Jun-2007, 02:29pm
Sound to me as if at least one spark plug might have failed.
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Posted By : John
Ticehurst, 04-Jun-2007, 05:13pm
if the plugs / ignition turns out not to be the problem - did your tank get very low before you filled up? I wonder whether you
have sucked some rust into the fuel pipe from the bottom of the tank? Perhaps a fuel line blow through would do the trick.
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Posted By : Brendan
Delaney, 04-Jun-2007, 06:33pm
wouldn't this just block the needle valves and cause flooding?
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Posted By : Adrian
Dean, 04-Jun-2007, 06:40pm
I ran out of fuel once, changed the whole sparking section from coil to plugs cos car wouldn't pull at higher revs.
Turned out to be clogged fuel filter.
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Posted By : Andrew Bradbury, 07-Jun-2007, 01:51pm
Blimey, that's a lot of possible causes...
Seriously though, thanks for the replies. I am just waiting for a service kit to be delivered so I can start
testing things out. I am starting to doubt that it is anything to do with the fuel - even though the car struggles
to get up to 70mph once it is there is runs pretty much ok. Does that not also rule out a spark plug issue? Just
for information, the rotor arm and dizzy cap look pretty much like new and the advance pipe appears correctly
connected. I am not sure about how to check the weights - any ideas?
I will update this thread when I have more info.
Thanks
Andy