Am trying to convert a non-believer to the forum who has not yet seen the light, so a correct diagnosis of his car's problem would be very much appreciated...!
He tells me that on his drive to work in the morning, his 1.9 litre 405 Estate always loses power either momentarily or for a few yards at exactly the same spot, about 10 minutes into his journey. He refers to the problem as hunting.
The car also runs on after the ignition has been switched off, but he thinks that this is just the timing and, therefore, unconnected.
Any ideas?
Thank you very much.
Yours
Andy
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Andy,
Nothing is unconnected as far as tuning is concerned. I hate being brought a car with a tuning related fault and then being told to ignore the things the customer "knows" aren't the problem. Particularly if these "ignores" include the fact the thing hasn't been serviced for ages.
I assume this is the 1.9 petrol with twin choke carb and auto-choke (some are manual)?
It is quite likely this fault is related to the choke or some other warm-up factor.
However first I would want to know that the plugs were OK, so too the dist cap, rotor arm and leads. Timing needs to be correctly set for unleaded, also the carb mixture and slow running set spot on.
I wonder if ten minutes into the journey is a point where the choke should have come off but hasn't and therefore causes hunting?
Also I've known some evil problems on these engines related to ign coils breaking down when warm and intermittent faults with the ign module connections.
Knowing if it was manual or auto choke would help.
Oh yes is there a feature of the journey at the ten minute point that is important....hills, static in traffic etc.
David
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Andy
Running on is usually related to over advanced ignition, but it's also often related to carbon build up in the engine. This can produce a hot spot which allows running on, but this can only occur with non-injected engines that continue to fuel via the carburetor. Less of a problem these days with unleaded fuel, as most of the 'carbon' was actually deposits from the tetra ethyl lead etc compounds. Might also be wrong grade plugs. As David says seems odd that your friend happily admits that the ignition timing is probably wrong, 'but that can't be the problem'. What else might not be the problem?
regards
JS
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The other main problem with 406's is they make up about 35% of the idiots who drive with their front fog lights on (along with 306 and megane/scenic drivers)
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Maybe we should have a survey of which cars are most commonly driven with front fog lights on?
Its interesting to note that after the thick fog we had a couple of days ago, the number of cars driving around with front fog lights STILL on has increased dramatically. This morning, I counted at least twenty in less that 30 minutes (mostly Fords)
Andy
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I don't think that make has much to do with it, except as a reflection of what proportion of vehicles that make reflects. The worst offenders seem to be small and medium hatchbacks driven by youngsters, but there's a fair sprinkling of BMW's, Mondeos, Vectras, etc., all of whom seem to want to show off theri fogs, or plain intimidate you.
Any chance one of these drivers will have their say here, i.e. why they do it?
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I asked one of my students the other day why he left his fogs on, and he said it made the car look lower. As many youngsters seem to want to lower their cars so much, it was the first almost sensible answer I have had. Others I have asked have just shrugged, as they do. I've suggested to look really cool, perhaps they should put the wipers on when it's not raining!
Regards
Mike
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The stupid thing about my Focus fog lights is that it seems impossible to have the rear one on without the fronts, which is what I want to do 90% of the time.
(ie when vis is not bad enough to require the fronts, but one does NOT wish to be shunted from behind)
Stupid - the switch should, IMO, be t'other way around!
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Dave W
I once had a Fiesta that used to cut out going roundleft-hand bends but at no other time. This was so obviously centrifugally related but I couldn't see how until one day I was wiping around the horizontally mounted coil and noted some oil - a leak from the coil. All was then obvious - less oil in the coil and some sort of non-contact as the remainder sloshed to one side on left-hand bends - intriguing
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Equally daft, my Audi will let you put the front fogs on alone (which I don't bother to do) but the rear fog light switch also puts the fronts on, ie. you can't have the rear on alone.
Stu.
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How come a perfectly reasonable query about poor running on a 405 quickly becomes a thread about 406 drivers using their fog lights ??!!
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Andrew,
I'm as guilty as anyone of getting a thread onto tractors or coypu stew in a couple of posts. Having said that I did wonder if Andy's friend with the 405 would be a convert to the forum after this.
Looking for feedback Andy!
David
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