This 'K' Series 214 16v is puzzling me. (longish)

I have posted things elsewhere and not had a right lot of luck. My high mileage (133k) 214 is running a bit rough at low revs. I bought it with a blown head gasket (surprise, surprise) which my brother who is a mechanic of long years standing sorted for me. This repair lasted about 200 miles before I had lost all my water and the temp gauge hit the roof.

This was a combination of two things. The thermostat decided to expire and the head was also found to be cracked causing a massive airlock. :-(

With that fixed the car is now running and holding water and oil. :-)

One problem still remains. The car is very underpowered until at least

2,500rpm is up when cold. This diminishes to about 1750 to 2000 rpm when warm before it picks up. The idle speed is also taking a long time to come down from anywhere between 1250 and 2000 rpm when warm. It will eventually settle down to 800 - 900 but it takes a while.

The car smells strongly of petrol when started and the last tankful returned 23.9mpg. OUCH! My driving is probably 80% motorway and DC at 60

- 80mph.

I have checked the vacuum pipe from the manifold to the ECU and it is fine. I have checked the other pipe from the manifold to the air filter housing which had a small split at one end so this was replaced. The part of the air intake which connects to the exhaust manifold was broken so I bought someone ducting from Halfords and attached this. It unfortunately can't be made tight at the manifold side as it doesn't fit in the pipe and I have squashed it as best I can around the outside. This SEEMS to have improved things slightly. The fuel gauge doesn't seem to be falling quite so fast either. :-)

All things when driving it point to (to me anyway) either an air leak or the cold start circuit not switching off or intermittently switching on and off while hot or cold.

This is a single point injection model and I am considering replacing the entire air filter housing and associated pipework. Do you think this would help? Any advice appreciated.

Reply to
gazzafield
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"gazzafield" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@nospam.thankyou.says_I.ko...

Sounds like you are sucking in air at a point beyond the intake sensors and confusing the ECU. Go to a scrappys and obtain a complete replacement intake assembly. Then run it again but ten to one says the engine is shot due to abuse.

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

Fair enough, but if the engine is shot why would it pull normally higher up the rev range? That confuses me. BTW what is PDH?

Reply to
gazzafield

Paul Densil Hubbard ?

Andy

Reply to
Andy Cap

I'm a bit thick really.

Reply to
gazzafield

"gazzafield" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@nospam.thankyou.says_I.ko...

I was not going to say anything. :o)

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

"gazzafield" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@nospam.thankyou.says_I.ko...

Have you replaced the rotor arm, and other HT electrical.

I had a similar problem with my 414 many years ago and that was caused by the rotor arm breaking down.

Chilly

Reply to
chillypenguin

Yep, rotor arm, plugs, leads, all replaced as a matter of course.

Reply to
gazzafield

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