Can Anyone Tell Me (help Car Stranded!)

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Hi all,

 

I've just bought an XS after owning a couple of GTi's and it's in London. I attempted to drive it back to Brighton last night but there's two problems I can see..

 

a) It stinks of petrol and barely starts after 30secs of cranking. Seems to flood very easily.

 

The battery shows good voltage but runs flat very quickly when attempting to start with all those cranks. The alternator dosen't show good voltage on the readout.

 

When it finally starts I have to keep the revs up. If they drop below 2000rpm for too long it won't pick up again and dies. I then try to start it but there's only 30 secs worth of strong cranking before a flat battery - the voltage seems to drop off rapidly.

 

So I can see the carb is badly adjusted (?) being too rich, and the alternator isn't charging sufficiently.

 

There might be a chance I can trailer it back soon, but if this isn't possible and I were to get hold of an alternator & carb:-

 

a) Is changing both carb & alternator at the roadside easy enough to do? What tools will I need?

 

alternators are expensive, so which ones from other cars will be a guaranteed straight swap?

 

I have to get this car going very soon or I will have to scrap it as much as I don't want to.

Thanks, Rob

[maturin23 10]

Where in London?

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Near Shoreditch in Hackney. If anyone nearby can help, I'd be willing to pay for your time.

 

It's a sweet car apart from that, bit tatty round the edges but my plan was to sort it out and use it. I've had an XS before and it was such a laugh, perhaps moreso than my GTi's!

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

This is urgent

[welshpug 1,626]

join the AA/RAC!

[djinuk 2]

i wouldnt mess about with it at the road side, you sure the fuel filter (inline in teh engien bay) is tight, it could just be loose, hence the petrol smell, and lack of pressure to start the car etc, failing that take a cheap aa cover, and claim the car broke dwn ..

[Batfink 201]

I take it your car runs and starts ok when you attach some jump leads?

Sounds like the alternator to me

[AndyJ 1]

I'd agree either the alternator or the battery is knackered...dunno if every TU uses the same alternator, but you've got a good chance of finding one at any scrappy...if theres no 205s check ax/106/clio/saxos i imagine the injected ones will use the same alternator?

 

Its common to find massive vacuum leaks from perished breathers on those engines...check all the pipework around the carb, as thats probably your idle problem...could try winding the idle mixture all the way out to richen it up and get it running

[maturin23 10]

Way too far for me I'm afraid - if you'd been local I'd have done what I can, but I get worried for my safety when I go east of Highbury

 

Welshpug is spot on - join the AA and get it delivered home - cheaper than throwing parts at it in the hope one is faulty.

[BERTMAN 40 1 Cars]

it it reeks of petrol, then id assume either fuel filter, pump or associated pipes are loose/had it, and id replace the alternator by the sounds of it...

[nick 3]

Have you tried all the basics first? Plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor arm etc..... Try taking the air filter out, as a clogged one can make it run rich, especially on a carb motor.

 

Nick

[Guest Mallaby106]

Hiya m8, I'm pretty certain that an alternator off any old 106, saxo or ax (tu engines) will fit if it was me i would take an alternator a new inline filter, some tape incase any leaky vacum pipes and a few tols like screwdriver to play about with the carb i think it is 12mm and 10mm on the alternator but bring a 13mm just in case and a pair of pliers, if u still can't sort it then the aa may be the only way, but please don't scrap it as hat would be a real shame.

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Had to scrap as no tax or m.o.t. RAC/AA won't help unless car is taxed. Many thanks for all your inputs though! It was worth saving, I just couldn't risk it being impounded/clamped. I'd imagine they're red-hot on this in London..

 

Sorry guys, I know this car would have been saved by one of you! I know they're rare

[Jrod 7]

What scrap yard has it gone to?

 

Was the gearbox a XS one and any good?

Edited February 8, 2009 by Jrod

[Guest spanner87]

Jrod there is an xs at SRC in fontwell,i had a few bits off it, gearbox is still in it at the moment 2

[GLPoomobile 958]

Of all the places to get stranded, you don't want it to happen in London, especially with no tax! Surprised you didn't get slapped with a fine by one of the Nigerian parking Nazis within minutes.

 

You were only down the road from me too, but I've been up in Edinburgh unfortunately. Not that I know anything about carbs, mind.

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

Ah well I've just bought a low mileage K-plate TU engine'd 1.1 Trio. Want to fit my 1.9 Speedlines but the bolts are'nt long enough.. Do you guys know where I could find a set?

[GTI6BOY 29]

So you was driving the XS around with no tax and mot?...and also no insurance?

[Guest shiftyshuffle]

The idea was to move it to a non-permit zone, trailer it back and sort it out. Failing that I would have sold it for spares I excpect.