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Problems galore

Guys,

I hope someone can shed some light on problems that Im having with my J reg 214SLi.

It all started with the engine really struggling early in the morning. The engine would struggle, especially when the car was going slightly slowly for the gear it was in (instead of just gaining speed slowly when the gas pedal is pressed, it would struggle and 'bunny-hop'). This problem would not happen when a gear wasn't engaged (i.e. when it started bunny-hopping I would press the clutch as the engine would go back to normal). When the engine warmed up and has done a few miles, the problem was better, but it would occasionally misfire even when doing 80 in 5th gear. Today I managed to catch the gas pedal in a place such that the engine pretty much just stopped accelerating, and the revs dropped to idle speed, even though I was in second and has the gas pedal half pressed!

I took it to a garage and they said the head gasket had gone and water was getting into the cylinder causing misfires. I questioned this because this problem surely would: a) make the car difficult to start, which it isnt, b) dry out and not cause a problem at high speeds.

We discussed the problem with the mechanic and he thought that the head gasket was still a problem because I mentioned the engine ran hot a little bit, but nothing excessive (when it ran hot the last time I refilled the coolant and didn't notice a problem subsequently) and he said that the engine was loosing coolant. I took the car away and noticed that since they looked at it the engine really does run very hot (into the red very quickly). I opened the bonnet and noticed steam coming from a part labelled 'Coolant System Filler Neck' in my Haynes manual, and so I guess that's where the water is going. My question in this regard is: is this where the coolant is going, or is it just a pressure release (i.e. engine running hot, water boiling off and so engine runs even hotter). Could the mechanics have loosened this neck when testing the car and either forgotten to tighten it, and deliberately not tightened it so I think the engine is running hot and let them charge me £700 for gasket and cylinder head work?

We now think the problem with the misfire is in the HT coil, and I am getting this checked next week.

I would really appreciate any help with this, and any adivce on what to do because I really can't afford a) the £700 work, b) a new engine, c) a new car!

Many thanks,

Simon

Reply to
Simon Adams
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Without actually seeing the motor, all we can do is guess. A common failure with the earlier 214 was the rotor arm and distributor cap. If they've been on a while, it would be worth changing them.

Reply to
malc

Had 2 new distributor caps in 4 years. New one went on 1 month ago. I know its hard to know without playing with it, but any help would be appreciated.

Reply to
Simon Adams

Misfire at startup and cold running could be down to damp ignition components leaking HT voltage. Check the condition of the HT leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm and coil and maybe use a bit of WD40.

As you've found a particular spot on the throttle where the car losses it's power then check the Throttle Position Sensor as it could have a dead spot and be confusing the ECU with an erroneous signal.

Often water in the cylinder will make starting difficult and unless a lot of water is getting in the running should improve as the engine warms up.

You shouldn't have steam coming from here! The only pressure release on the cooling system is integral to the expansion tank cap. Check that the bung has been securely fastened onto the filler neck and check the hoses in the vicinty for any leaks or holes.

The engine shouldn't be running hot (it's a 'K' series, they don't like hot!) so you need to find out why it is. Could be a component failure in the cooling system, eg, radiator, coolant pump, thermostat, etc. If it continues to overheat (hitting the red portion of the temp guage is overheating) then HGF will surely occur if it hasn't already.

Without knowing the garage or mechanic personally I couldn't possibly comment.

Possible but usually HT coils break down under load so you would expect to see the problem more once the engine has warmed up. As I said above, check for dampness and leaking HT voltage.

d) Catch the bus? [joke] ;-)

Reply to
Michael Cotton

Just a long shot - but this sometimes happens when the Cat collapses in the exhaust. Is the Catalyst OK?

ken

Reply to
Ken Forrest

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