Car Keeps Cutting Out When Warm, Like Theres No Fuel?

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

This only happens when i get back into the car after its been stood for a few minutes after ive previously driven it if that makes sense. like i'll go to tesco, bit of shopping, then when i get drive home it will stall as soon as i stop at the first junction and wont fire up again. it feels like the fuel just cuts off? It starts up again after about 10-15mins and gets me back home or wherever. Its running on bike carbs which i have just has set up and i thought this might solve the problem but it hasnt, now i dont know much about cars but could there possibly be some sensor thats cutting off the fuel when i start the car when its warm? If anyone could help id appreciate it. cheers!

[Anthony 1,003]

Could be the tachymetric (fuel pump) relay that's beginning to fail assuming that you're still running an 8v loom and relay, although that's not usually their failure mode.

 

If you've got access to a multimeter then it should be easy enough to check, otherwise a thick piece of wire will bypass it to test and see if it eliminates the problem.

[Richie 32]

I had that happen to me before, and as Anthony said, it turned out to be the fuel pump relay. (1.9 8v)

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

I know it has a fuel pressure regulator so will it still have a fuel pump? Ive just bought the car so i dont know much about it

[Anthony 1,003]

Without seeing the car it's hard to be sure, but my guess would be that it'll still be running the in-tank injection fuel pump with a couple of regulators to cut the pressure down enough for the carbs, If it is still running the 8v wiring loom and relay, then it will probably be underneath the drivers side of the dash ('88 onwards cars) roughly above your right knee, and it's a black relay about 2" long.

[205kenny 7]

By the sounds of it your still using the standard fuel pump with a fuel pressure regulator?

 

When i first fitted carbs, i tried it that way but it was never any good. Took ages to start and didnt run right. I couldnt decide if the regulator was faulty or a problem with the fuel pump.

 

In the end i fitted a low pressure fuel pump, which i mounted under the bonnet and removed standard fuel pump and regulator. Havent had a problem since.

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

Right, after much searching i've found the relay i think, it's near the battery. Theres a few wires around the battery and some fuses that look like they arn't standard so i guess it's all been relocated for some reason. I can't see anything near the ECU though unless i take the dash out.

 

So how do i test if it's faulty or not?

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

What year is your car because the earlier 205 GTI's had the tachyrelay in a black box attched to the inner chassis leg next to the battery tray, up to around 87/88 E reg.

 

Only real way to test if its faulty is to either swap it for a known good one but you can bridge the terminals in the relay plug to bypass it temporarily to see if it still stalls in the same way, if not then its something else.

 

g

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

1990, i'll see if i can get a picture

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

Here's the relay and wiring i was talking about;

 

 

Also i've noticed on the fuel filter that the arrow points away from the carbs and towards the back of the engine bay, is this right?

 

 

Here's a pic of the beast

 

Edited February 22, 2012 by pug_ham
image filesizes, 160k max or use thumbnails as above

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I don't see a relay in that pic, the black box is the shunt box, main battery distribution block, under the flap you'll have a couple of fuses but no relay.

 

What side of the carbs is that fuel filter fitted, supply or return?

 

On your car the tachymetric relay should definately be by the ecu under the dash.

 

g

[205kenny 7]

If your using r1 carbs there wont be a petrol return. so id say the fuel filter is on the wrong way.

[Ash13 0 1 Cars]

An update, got a new fuel filter and fitted the correct way. That relay near the battery is infact for the driving lamps which have been wired to the headlights with a seperate cut off switch. I've located the fuel pump relay now which is near the ecu, just a bit of a struggle to find.

 

Most of the time when i fire the car up you can feel the fuel relay 'click', but when it cuts out it won't click. So yeah it's the fuel pump relay.