Zelda's sulking!

[bonzo]

I was happily squirting Zelda along some twisting country roads when suddenly it seemed that she was running on 5 cylinders, all rough like, but still driveable. Got home and the idle was lumpy and uneven. Checked the air hoses all ok. as far as I could see. Plugged in a code reader, but all I got was a no link reading. I was feeling a bit rough myself, getting over another bout of Man 'flu so I did no more. The next day I started her up, fine, running on all 6 smooth as silk. Got about 70 yards down the road and the fault returned. Started her up in the garage today, all ok for about 10 secs then back to the lumpy idle, but this time with a few brief periods of all 6 firing when revving before returning to the lumpy tick over.
Your thoughts and ideas to rectify please.

Thanks in anticipation,

Bonzo.

ps she was sulking because I had the top up because of the Man 'flu.

 

[Stormy_be]

open the engine cover. when the error occurs, try to wiggle the engine loom a bit.
This could well be one of the wires having a bad connection.
If wiggling the cables resolves the error temp, then you can search further to determine the broken cable.

Regards, Koen

 

[Aceman]

This sounds like a coil pack down just need to figure out which one.

 

[joey]

I had this on mine ,although she is only a 4 pot so different,a shot of STP and an italian tune up down the A3 in 3rd cured it ,that will sort it if its a clogged or dirty injector..or maybe you have a leaky injector that flooding the cylinder?..that may explain why it starts ok and then the fault occurs..

might be worth having the injectors ultrasonically cleaned and then replacement O rings will sort a leak..there is an asnu website that lists all the garages that will do it, I found a bloke in ascot that will do it same day...he also happens to be right by the wife's workplace..

otherwise, connections,plugs, and then +1 coil pack..

good luck, hope you get it sorted.

 

[TaffZee]

Spark Plug?, if it was me I would start with the plugs, sounds like you could have one breaking down.

 

[bonzo]

New NGK spark plus 2k miles ago!

 

[badman gee]

Plug lead fault?

 

[bonzo]

Yes, could be I suppose, but she is going in for some other bits and an MOT so I will let them sort it out as I'm quite busy at the moment. I thought retirement was going to be softer than it is at the moment! Grandson's birth was traumatic, mum kept in hospital with blood loss (out now) came home with chest infection! Father has tonsillitis, two other toddlers, one has bad cold, other bad teething, new baby snuffly and feeding at 2 hour intervals!! To cap it all Mrs Bonzo and myself have had probably the worst cold / chest / throat infections we have experienced for a long time! Apart from that, all is fine.

But we are blessed really.

Bonzo.

 

[FRANKIE]

I was happily squirting Zelda along some twisting country roads when suddenly it seemed that she was running on 5 cylinders, all rough like, but still driveable. Got home and the idle was lumpy and uneven. Checked the air hoses all ok. as far as I could see. Plugged in a code reader, but all I got was a no link reading. I was feeling a bit rough myself, getting over another bout of Man 'flu so I did no more. The next day I started her up, fine, running on all 6 smooth as silk. Got about 70 yards down the road and the fault returned. Started her up in the garage today, all ok for about 10 secs then back to the lumpy idle, but this time with a few brief periods of all 6 firing when revving before returning to the lumpy tick over.
Your thoughts and ideas to rectify please.

Thanks in anticipation,

Bonzo.

ps she was sulking because I had the top up because of the Man 'flu.

While I wouldn't rule out ignition problems, I feel that this is rather unlikely. Two things are occurring from the time that you run evenly to roughly. One is that your fuel mixture changes and two is that your engine heats up. Something goes bad when these things occur. If, when you first start up your mixture is richer and after it leans out, you don't fire evenly, then perhaps your injectors are clogged up. The other thing, although remote, is that you have a leak starting in your head gasket. Check your compression as a safeguard. I would loosen all the plug wires at the plug, just enough that they can still fire but can be pulled away to interrupt the firing of the cylinder. Start it up, and then remove each wire, one at a time to see any change in the rpm. If there is none, replace the wire so it fires the cylinder and go the next wire until you find the faulty cylinder. This is the one where there is no change in the rpm after removing the wire. If one cylinder is found to be faulty, then it is either a bad ignition leading to it, a bad or dirty injector, a leak in the head gasket, or very less likely, a valve problem. Compression testing will rule out the head gasket. Check your oil and water for contamination. Oil will start to turn a milky white, water will have blobs of oil in it. White exhaust out the tail pipe after the engine it completely warmed up is steam from a break in the head gasket.

 

[miller1098]

Disconnect one plug lead at a time ,same or worse will show the prob.

 

[TaffZee]

New NGK spark plus 2k miles ago!

That does not mean that they are good. Isolate the problem First. Find out which Cylinder is not firing as per FRANKIE & miller above, you will then find the fault

 

[TaffZee]

Yes, could be I suppose, but she is going in for some other bits and an MOT so I will let them sort it out as I'm quite busy at the moment. I thought retirement was going to be softer than it is at the moment! Grandson's birth was traumatic, mum kept in hospital with blood loss (out now) came home with chest infection! Father has tonsillitis, two other toddlers, one has bad cold, other bad teething, new baby snuffly and feeding at 2 hour intervals!! To cap it all Mrs Bonzo and myself have had probably the worst cold / chest / throat infections we have experienced for a long time! Apart from that, all is fine.

But we are blessed really.

Bonzo.

Aint life a bi***, glad you are all well now...

 

[Brian H]

I would try and get the code reader to connect and then read the codes, did you try connecting the code under the dash or under the bonnet?

 

[bonzo]

Under the bonnet. But like I said, it's going in for an MOT and some other work and I am going to let them sort it. Normally it's something I would enjoy trying to sort myself, but I am busy with family and business stuff. Also still suffering a bit and run down after the sinus and chest infections! Jees, you don't want to get something like that!

Thanks a lot for all the helpful suggestions guys. My first port of call anyway would have been to check coils and plugs, but it's always nice to hear what other folks think

 

[zedonist]

Banana in the ashtray.................try reading the codes again this issue should throw up a misfire code if it is electrical and to do with the ignition or associated cam and crank sensors, if it does not throw a code then you are looking at vacuum pipework etc.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'm going to go with coil-pack.

 

[zedonist]

I'm going to go with coil-pack.

Not the Banana?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Maybe the banana.

 

[bonzo]

What the hell is this banana thing? Where did that come from? Or have I led a sheltered life?

 

[zedonist]

Well every body was having a wild guess at your problem, so I thought what can you lose by saying it is caused by a Banana in the ash tray, but if you don't have one, it obviously rules it out as the cause of the problem, cantaloupe in your sun visor maybe?