 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / MINI / September 2003Uneven acceleration / performance
My mini went into a coma when I was on my way to London (from Liverpool) today. REally odd: The engine seems to be running fine up to a certain rev, then it becomes odd, the acceleration seems to become pulsating, and even on full gas, I couln't get the car to go any faster than 50-60 - bad news on the M6, in other words I pulled over, and waited for a bit, contemplating what to do. I decided to try and make it to a service station (3 mi), and suddenly the car was okay again, so I decided to continue driving. After 10 miles or so the same thing happened again. I now pulled off at a service station and picked the air filter-thingie apart, because I thought there might be something wrong with the fuel supply. Couldn't find anything wrong, and put the air filter back on. When I put it back together, a strange sound was introduced: Driving slowly (>30) while giving a lot of gas, the car had an additional growling-type sound, kind of like you hear from styled riceburners with large chrome exhaust pipes. Other than this, the car seemed all right again, and I went back on the motorway, only to have the same thing happen again 20 minutes later. In a moment of inspiration, I pulled the choke, and the engine suddenly ran perfectly again. I turned the car around and headed home again, not trusting it all the way to London. I managed to get it all the way to Liverpool without further incident (pulling the choke whenever the weird thing happened again). I don't know what the hell is going on. Any suggestions? HJ The Coil! Just go on the pill or use Japanese wrinkles. The Muffin Man > The Coil! I dont think they got the joke Muffy...but I did, I would have said to just say no! > Just go on the pill or use Japanese wrinkles. > > The Muffin Man > > > The Coil! Good advice. I will tell the kids at school what you have said and greatly improve their quality of life ;) The Muffin Man > I dont think they got the joke Muffy...but I did, I would have said to just > say no! [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > > > > The Coil! > The Coil! Coil? I can't pretend that I know what a coil is, or even where it is, but what does it do? And how can it sometimes work, and sometimes not? MiniChicago wrote:9/11/03 5:03 PM >> The Coil! > > Coil? > > I can't pretend that I know what a coil is, or even where it is, but what > does it do? And how can it sometimes work, and sometimes not? Works when cool, fails when hot. About 20 minutes. It is a cylinder shaped object in front of your engine with a lead going to the distributor. Can anyone tell me how to change my preferences to mix up(such as nospam) my email address? Thanks! > Can anyone tell me how to change my preferences to mix up(such as nospam) my > email address? You use Entourage for OS X - I used to as well, but damned if I can remember how to do it now. I am sure there is a "accounts" or a "newsgroups accounts" settings menu somewhere - possibly under preferences under the Entourage menu. Good luck! > Works when cool, fails when hot. About 20 minutes. It is a cylinder shaped > object in front of your engine with a lead going to the distributor. Aha. Yeah, I know the one. Is it a question of just replacing it? Is it difficult? Cheers, Haje MiniChicago wrote:9/11/03 8:14 PM >> Works when cool, fails when hot. About 20 minutes. It is a cylinder > shaped [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Haje Unclamp it and replace it and the wires attached. > The Coil! What intermittent failure of the coil would be fixed by a very rich mixture? MiniChicago wrote:9/11/03 9:53 PM >> The Coil! > > What intermittent failure of the coil would be fixed by a very rich > mixture? Do not get it. What do the coil and mixture have to do with each other? Although snipped by Minichicago, the original poster included this important clue: > >>> In a moment of inspiration, I pulled the choke, and the engine > >>> suddenly ran perfectly again." > > minichicago replied: > >> The Coil! > > What intermittent failure of the coil would be fixed by a very > > rich mixture? > Do not get it. What do the coil and mixture have to do with each > other? No no, I asked that question, you're supposed to answer it, not rephrase it and ask it again! 8-) So I should read the question a little closer. You can pull your briefs out from your crack now. MiniChicago wrote:9/12/03 1:03 AM > Although snipped by Minichicago, the original poster included this > important clue: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > No no, I asked that question, you're supposed to answer it, not rephrase > it and ask it again! 8-) > So I should read the question a little closer. You can pull your briefs out > from your crack now. Oh c'mon! misreading a question is hardly a crime! What might be a crime is the fact that I now have installed a brand new coil that didn't solve the problem, but that hardly matters ;) HJ MiniChicago wrote:9/12/03 8:55 AM >> So I should read the question a little closer. You can pull your briefs > out [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > HJ Oops! Reminded me of a problem I had. Owe you one. > Oops! Reminded me of a problem I had. Owe you one. Blah - a few extra new parts in the engine room won't do any harm, and it does seem to run a little bit more smoothly. Mind you, I did replace the spark plugs at the same time, so I dunno. HJ > > What intermittent failure of the coil would be fixed by a very rich > > mixture? > > Do not get it. What do the coil and mixture have to do with each other? The fact that my problem was solved by pulling the choke. HJ And H.J. Kamps was sitting next to Elvis in the spaceship, which I thought was kinda strange, but then they turned to me and said: > I turned the car around and headed home again, not trusting it all the way > to London. I managed to get it all the way to Liverpool without further > incident (pulling the choke whenever the weird thing happened again). > > I don't know what the hell is going on. Any suggestions? Definitely sounds like a fuel problem. Before you start looking at anything under the bonnet, check that the fuel tank breather is clear.  Signature(-AD-) <uniqueid 'at' lineone.net> http://website.lineone.net/~uniqueid/ This is your brain -> @ This is your brain on USENET -> . This is also typical of a failing fuel pump or a clogged fuel filter. I've also seen similar symptoms from a loose connection on the coil or ignition switch. Cheers, Kelley >And H.J. Kamps was sitting next to Elvis in the spaceship, which I thought >was kinda strange, but then they turned to me and said: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Before you start looking at anything under the bonnet, check that the fuel >tank breather is clear. >The engine seems to be running fine up to a certain rev, then it becomes >odd, the acceleration seems to become pulsating, and even on full gas, I [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >again, so I decided to continue driving. After 10 miles or so the same thing >happened again....etc Sounds like carburettor icing to me. Do you have something like a cone-type air filter. These aren't really up to constant speed motorway driving. You need to go back to a standard filter box with a high-performance insert. Regards, David Betts davidb@minilist.org The Mini Gallery: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=64635537103&n=1366070334 > Sounds like carburettor icing to me. Do you have something like a > cone-type air filter. Not sure about cone-shaped. the air filter itself is quite large and circular. Mind you, it does look quite filthy, so I'll replace it. Thanks for the tip! HJ >> Sounds like carburettor icing to me. Do you have something like a >> cone-type air filter. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Thanks for the tip! It's not a matter of whether the filter is dirty or not, but whether it is providing enough protection for the intake against airflow at constant high speed. Your symptoms definitely sound like carburettor icing. If you are going to drive on motorways for any distance, you probably want a different type of filter. I'd start be reinstalling the standard airbox and see if that solves the problem. (Surprised nobody else has mentioned carburettor icing. It is, after all, a very common problem if you leave the carburettor exposed.) Regards, David Betts davidb@minilist.org The Mini Gallery: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=64635537103&n=1366070334 > I'd start be reinstalling the standard airbox and see if that solves > the problem. - From the photo's on his site it looks like he's got the standard filterbox / filter etc... so possibly not the carb icing up... given that it's summer/autumn over there too!? :) >> I'd start be reinstalling the standard airbox and see if that solves >> the problem. > >- From the photo's on his site it looks like he's got the standard >filterbox / filter etc... so possibly not the carb icing up... given that >it's summer/autumn over there too!? Weather conditions have nothing to do with it. I've experienced carburettor icing on a hot summer's day after a few minutes running at around 70 mph...admittedly with an open inlet sticking straight out through the bonnet. Agree it's unlikely if he's got the standard air intake, but then we didn't know that, did we :-)>? The symptoms are spot on. Regards, David Betts davidb@minilist.org The Mini Gallery: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=64635537103&n=1366070334 > (Surprised nobody else has mentioned carburettor icing. It is, after > all, a very common problem if you leave the carburettor exposed.) It was mentioned in some post or another, but I do have a standard-fitted carb, and there was no ice on it (not in the summer, and not with the temperature in *my* engine room, i'll tell you...) I am going to fix a few small things on the car this afternoon, and then take it for a spin again to see if the problem persists. HJ > > (Surprised nobody else has mentioned carburettor icing. It is, after > > all, a very common problem if you leave the carburettor exposed.) [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Hi, Wify had a similar problem on her '66 Woody. After lots of frustration, much replacing of parts, and a good deal,of swearing, we found that there was a collection of fine hairs which had come through the fuel pump and collected above the float needle valve in the carb. once this was cleaned out the car was perfect. Keith Tried to send off a reply to you earlier but it obviously vanished into cyberspace - havent seen it since. Try changing the condenser and points in the distributor. Might be worn. I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. marc from sydney > My mini went into a coma when I was on my way to London (from Liverpool) > today. REally odd: [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > HJ > > In a moment of inspiration, I pulled the choke, and the engine > > suddenly ran perfectly again. > Tried to send off a reply to you earlier but it obviously vanished > into cyberspace - havent seen it since. > Try changing the condenser and points in the distributor. Might be > worn. I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. Deja vu. What intermittent failure of the condenser or points would be fixed by a very rich mixture? > > > In a moment of inspiration, I pulled the choke, and the engine > > > suddenly ran perfectly again. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > What intermittent failure of the condenser or points would be fixed by a > very rich mixture? When running at cruise, the mixture is quite lean which needs a good strong spark to ignite it. With a bit more fuel, the mixture is more easily ignited, hence will pick up again....I think! > My mini went into a coma when I was on my way to London (from Liverpool) > today. REally odd: [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > I don't know what the hell is going on. Any suggestions? Get it tuned up - The air/fuel mixture is out...... TTFN, Dave |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.