1.6 Cti Cutting Out On Left Hand Bends

[lagonda 42]

Sure I saw a topic a year or more ago along similar lines but can't remember outcome or find it now!!

 

Ca r been running fine, then started misfiring badly unless doing 70mph plus, & more so on left hand bends. That lasted a couple of days, now for the past 2 weeks it is just doing it on left hand bends at certain speeds, not at all when driving slowly, which is why I'm thinking it's some water in the tank being sloshed to one side/where the pick-up is. As soon as it's back on the straight or bearing right it runs fine, & idle is OK too.

 

Any ideas ... & if the concensus is that it is water, any quick ways of removing it or do I just keep driving until it's gone?!

[GTI6BOY 29]

If its water then you wanna get it out before it breaks your engine as water cant be compressed

[steve@cornwall 100]

I seem to remember a similar thread, too - seem to remember something about a perished pick up pipe within the fuel pump, may be worth a check.

[chrisj21 2]

Could it be fuel starvation? if i park my car at home with the pass side on the kirb the fuel gauge reads less than true.if the fuel pump is on the same side it could be struggling to pick up fuel.

[lagonda 42]

Hi,

 

If it is water it wouldn't come through in a large enough quantity to "hydraulic" the engine, it would just short the plugs out temporarily.

 

Fuel starvation ... think it would be happening all the time if it was that , also makes no difference even if tank is full.

 

Laurence

[jackherer 543]

I think its more likely to be loose wiring moving when the car turns or something. If you are convinced the fuel is contaminated disconnect the supply hose from the fuel rail and aim it into a suitable container then apply 12v to the fuel pump (either to the pump itself or bridge the fuel relay if its easily accessible) and just pump it all out then try some fresh fuel.

[richard 0]

I had this with a dodgy tachy relay,

 

Was fine most of the time but taking it quickly round right handers was a no no. Engine would just die, not something you want whilst on a bend. I'd be round the car checking for loose spark leads etc.

 

A day or so later the car wouldnt start and then i found out it was the relay. The relay on this car though wasnt secured in the normal place. But still worth a check.

[jeremy 70]

I had a similar problem it turned out to be the wiring between the cambelt cover and the inner wing. This was due to not tieing the cable to the side of the wing after doing a H/G. Over a period of time the insulation had warn away where the wire was chaffing on the inner wing. So ever time I turned left the wiring went right shorting on the inner wing.

[lagonda 42]

Loose wiring was my other thought, will check that & tachy relay out. Mind you, it rained really heavy here for a couple of hours, & the car ran like a pig for a day afterwards ... so perhaps water could be getting in via the filler cap? Have to say the cap & it's seal seem OK .... are there other ways water could get in the tank with a CTi?

Jackerer ... thought of that, but misfiring only occuring when centrifugal force is sloshing the water towards the pick-up. Under level/straight line conditions it's running fine.

[jeremy 70]

You seem fairly sure you have water in the fuel, have you considered ayphoning some out to have a look. Personally I go for an electrical fault.

[jackherer 543]

You seem fairly sure you have water in the fuel, have you considered ayphoning some out to have a look. Personally I go for an electrical fault.

 

Exactly what I said above and I stand by it, if you have water anywhere its shorting some electrics out IMO.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Isn't water heavier than petrol & if the pick up is gets fuel from the bottom of the tank then it'd either run bad quite often or maybe even not at all & you'd end up with a dead hydrauliced engine should it be water?

 

Have you checked the wiring to the shunt box, engine earth stud etc are all secure?

 

Graham.

[jackherer 543]

I wouldn't have thought it would hydraulic lock as no more water would be injected per cycle than fuel, it wouldn't burn but it would still go out the exhaust valve.

[lagonda 42]

The pick up wouldn't be sucking from the very bottom of the tank as a safety measure to stop clag settling there being sucked up. Could try syphoning once level is low I suppose.

Agree it could be electrical issue, but doesn't explain why it misfired after heavy rain, none of which would have reached underbonnet electrics.

THAT SAID, I do have a regular problem with the plug-socket in the wire leading from the dizzie to the coil/ignition amp, in that, roughly once a month, the car won't start, but once I've disconnected & re-connected the plug/socket, it'll start & run OK. Could it be that that cable is movong sufficiently under centrifugal force to break the weak contact temporarily? Has anyone else had that happen?!

 

Cheers

 

Laurence

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

If the dizzy fly lead plug is in bad condition I'd look at replacing that before suspecting anything else.

 

If it is bad enough they can cause all sorts of starting & running issues for no apparent reason at all.

 

GRaham.