My dad has just recently bought a 1994 Mondeo Estate 2.0 ghia. It ran perfectly for the last month or so, but it has developed a problem.
Intermittently the engine dies, then comes back, it does not seem to be at a set time, speed or rev. It started as soon as he changed from tesco unleaded to a promotion on safeway unleaded, is this just coincidence or has this happened to other people? Has anyone got any other ideas what it could be. We are thinking that it may be the engine management or the fuel supply. Can anyone shed a light on this?
Thanks, Kev
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I'd guess that the cheap petrol lacks sufficient detergent content and is gumming up the valve stems. Try adding a bottle of fuel system cleaner to the tank before filling up, and stop buying cheap and nasty petrol. Use Shell or Texaco.
HJ
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Just to unerline HJ's comment Ihave a neighbour, an engineer, who proved to a well known supermarket that their petrol coked up his capri engine. a car he had from new and serviced himself. The petrol put heavy sulphur deposits on the plugs. The supermarket, after an awful lot of hard work on his part paid for a de coke.
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Would the sulphur deposits look yellow? I had not realised sulphur would coke up the combustion area.
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On the subject of filling stations. I had my oil burning boiler serviced this week (central heating not car) and was having a chat with the engineer about the merits of running a diesel car on central heating oil and aviation fuel etc etc (purely interest you understand!) What he did tell me was that you should never fill up a diesel straight after a fuel delivery and there it should be allowed to settle for an hour before being retailed. He had personal knowledge of an engine being wrecked as a result of filling immediatly after delivery. Another interesting point being involved in aviation myself is that fuel delivered to aircraft is checked on a daily basis for water and particles and it is surprising how much moisture can detected from the sample drains at the bottom of the bowser. Of course there are no such checks at retail outlets. So really you do not know the quality of what goes in your tank.
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HJ
Why Shell & Texaco? What about BP, Esso, Total and other "branded" petrol?
Curious
Jon user of BP
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Also, I'm a bit suspicious of this alleged difference between petrols. As HJ revealed during the petrol crisis, the oil companies swap it all about anyway to meet temporary gluts/shortfalls in particular areas. Is there really any guarantee that the more expensive petrol actually has these extra ingredients?
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Personally I don't differenciate between individual high street brands of fuel (Shell, Texaco, BP, Esso etc.), but as an engine specialist I see loads of cars
(especially modern small multi-valve motors) suffering from fouled injectors and sticky valves, and in a very high percentage of cases the owners admit to buying supermarket fuel. One classic case involved a 16valve Astra which was virtually on two cylinders, having run on S.......ys fuel for 18 months. After cleaning the injectors and using Forte Gas Treatment (to clean up the valve seats etc.), and transferring to local BP garage, all was well after about 1500 miles, and on-going for around 18 months. Car was then sold, new owner reverted to T...o fuel and called me in a few weeks later because the car was back to running very poorly. Recognising the car I repeated the previous work, gave the same advise again, and that engine has been as sweet as a nut for the last two years.
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Thanks to everyone who replied, so now, what is the best fuel cleaner to use?
And secondly we had a sierra before which we ran on Esso, and it was great, we tried the Mondeo on it, and it was terrible, it was slow and a heavy drinker, the same with texaco, shell and other premium brands. We then switched to tesco (where i work, thanks Adam) and it ran perfectly. Which should we then use? Are there other signs of the valves being clogged up?
Thanks, Kev
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KEV,
In my experience both PRO-TEC and FORTE fuel system cleaners are good, providing cleaning for injectors, pumps, pressure valves, and metering units. Forte also do a GAS TREATMENT which is a carbon dispersant that does not actually burn in the cylinder, and thus provides a cleaning action to the exhaust as well as the inlet valves. The two Forte products can be used together in on tankfull of fuel. These products are not readilly available on the high street - you will need to go to a trade outlet.
Regards. Adam.
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Can you give the name of a good stokist in the Bristol area
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Dave,
Sorry for delay, haven't been checking the older threads properly !!
Can't say for sure which product he uses, but try my Tune-Up colleague Cyril Barnes on 01594-516624.
Good Luck, Adam.
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