MK2 Fiesta, few few problems

Hi all,

Got a Mk2 89 fiesta CVT auto here thats having a few issues...

When it's cold and on choke with the brakes on it idles fine when in park, neutral or reverse but if you put it in drive it stalls the engine, causes a heck of an issue at traffic lights :(

It's really "wobbly" when driving, can't think of a way to describe it other than the back end seems to steer as well as the front.... I've got a pair of radius arms on order in case it's the bushes, the tyres are fine and the wheels seem ok, the suspension at the front needs doing as it seems a bit weak......

Any ideas on both of the above?

Tim

Reply to
Tim Anderson
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Crusher. YKIMS.

Reply to
SteveH

Well reading on google groups it appears it's probably a dead clutch :( so does the box have a seperate clutch for reverse as thats fine?

Reply to
Tim Anderson

I'm starting to think so......

Reply to
Tim Anderson

at that year you may have a carburettor ? first thing is a good general service, especially things like valve clearances and breather systems, then set the fast idle correctly, iirc there are various extra gadgets like ign retard built in that should be checked and corrected if necessary.

wobbly steering is usually the steering coupling just before the rack.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Well, the rear steering thing is probably the panhard rod having separated from one of its ends. It's a rod connecting the rear axle to the underside of the body. The early ones were a U shaped section and could be fitted either way up, but if it was fitted upside down, ie with the U shape open end up, water would lie in it and rust it out, then the symptom you describe would appear.

HTH

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

This is a very common problem with Festers of that era, especially automatic ones, and my (now patented) cure is this:

Remove the air filter. Observe two or possibly three electrical connector plugs located beside the air intake. Seperate the two halves of each plug in turn and *really* clean them out with WD40, or similar, and cotton buds. Re-assemble. Before starting check spark plug gaps are correct. Start engine. Marvel at non-stallingness.

Are the wheel nuts all tight? Jack the back up and try to wobble the back wheels left to right and up and down (in/out, so to speak) to check for wheel bearing/bush movement. If there is movement get someone to wobble the wheel whilst you investigate underneath.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

Tried that but it didn't work unfortunately.... think this ones come up a few times over the last few months... I certainly remembered reading a your solution anyhow :)

Wheel nuts are all extremely tight, There is a bit of movement up/down on both back wheels, will get the helper (the missus) to wobble them while I watch....... erm, you know what I mean.

Reply to
Tim Anderson

*Blimey!* I might have to withdraw the patent application now. Air temp. sensor NFG then?

MPEG!! :)

Put it on stands - she really won't appreciate having a quarter of a Fester on her hand.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

Well, a mixture of your fix, increasing idle revs and cleaning out the carb (dismantle jobbie) and it's 99% back in buisiness :)

Unfortunately I forgot the video camera LOL... anyway, replaced the trailing arms and rear shocks, which made slight difference... I noticed that the panhard rod was slightly bent (like it had been used for a jacking point) so I straightened that out with a FB hammer and that sorted it :)

Changed the front shocks today and that really tightened things up :D

Reply to
Tim Anderson

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