Fuel Starvation?

[Rob Thomson 6]

Hello chaps,

 

I've got an intermittent problem with the 205 that I hope you might be able to help with.

 

A couple of weeks ago I was backing it out of the garage when the engine died. I actually thought I'd stalled it, but when I went to turn the key - expecting a quick flick of the starter to restart it - it just cranked with no signs of life. As soon as I released the key and tried again it started more-or-less instantly. It's been fine ever since and I didn't think any more about it.

 

Anyway, I've got it at work today and this morning I needed to look at some exciting kerbs in a village not to far from here, so off I went. I got to my site, drove round for a bit, and then went for a bit of a thrash down some nice B-roads on the way back to the office. Probably fifteen miles in all. I got back to the building, turned into the car park and the little sod died, just cut out with barely a splutter. I tried to restart it several times. On a couple of ocassions it coughed a bit, and on a couple it started but died again after a couple of seconds and wouldn't respond to the throttle. It seemed to me like fuel starvation (I used to switch off the pump on my old 309 and would often forget to switch it back on with identical symptoms...), so I went to lift up the back seat to see whether I could feel the fuel pump running as I cranked it. Guess what, the first time I tried that the little sod started immediately and ran perfectly. I found a space and parked up.

 

My first thought it that the tachyometric relay is playing up (or its feed from the distributor,) as I can't see what else could create an intermittent problem like this. On the other hand maybe it could be the pump, filter, pressure reg or something else. Or, perhaps it isn't fuel starvation at all...

 

Does anyone have any ideas? Also, does anyone know whether the tachyometric relay's the same as on a Phase 1 309 GTi as I've got one of those lying around somewhere....?

 

With many thanks, Rob.

[welshpug 1,622]

does sounds like the Tachymetric relay as you say, my 205 was plagued with this kind of intermittent cutting out/failing to start fault, until I replaced the whole management and used a Double relay like the 2.0 Mi's and gti6's use.

 

yes the 309's relay should be the same

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

I've had a few problems like this, my 1.9 gti was leaking a tiny bit of oil onto the aux belt and it would take bloody ages to get her started once the oil warmed up. Soon after found out the reason why the head gasket had gone

[djinuk 2]

my car did exactly this, and would missfire somtimes aswell, turned out the coil was kaput,.

[Rob Thomson 6]

Thanks chaps.

 

Good to know you've had something similar, Welshpug. I'll try swapping the TR and see whether that helps.

 

I don't think it's anything like the headgasket, as it was running perfectly before and afterwards. I was worried about that a few weeks ago but am now satisfied that it's okay, as it should be with a new gasket and skimmed head...

[Rob Thomson 6]

my car did exactly this, and would missfire somtimes aswell, turned out the coil was kaput,.

Cars are a bastard, aren't they? Just when I'd convinced myself that it's fuel starvation someone goes and says it could be ignition!!

[nick 3]

Ign amp can cause all sorts of random stopping/starting issues. I'd look at swapping that with a known good one.

 

Nick

[TT205 42]

Just to add more awkwardness!

 

I had identical symptoms when my dizzy was going, it could even die half an hour down the motorway which was no fun. Not cutting out dead but power would go, revving it would keep it going a bit but as the revs dropped it would die all together

 

10 mins on hard shoulder and it would miraculously start again as if there was nothing wrong

Edited December 30, 2008 by TT205

[Rob Thomson 6]

Went to get in the little f***er tonight to drive home and there was no sign of life at all. I had to push it out of the office car park before they locked the gate for the night and then get it dragged home behind an AA van! Bugger.

 

Oh well, it should be easier to identify the problem now it's developed a stage further than 'intermittent'.

 

Thanks for all your help so far....

[Kartman205 0]

Had same problem with our race car at beginning of season, after 2 laps of practice it just stopped, towed back to the paddock and it started and ran no problem,2 laps into the race it stopped again at exactly the same place (Mallory hairpin), back in the paddock it started again.

I was told it was the distributor as the guy I bought it off had a similar problem with his new car and it turned out to be the brand new dizzy he`d fitted. I swapped ours with our spare and never had any more trouble all season.

I also changed the amplifier before I swapped the dizzy but it made no difference.

 

 

Paul