Help!! Engine problems

Arnold

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
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Hi Guys

I've got a bit of a problem with my engine. Today we fitted the Rocker cover bought from Micra Man earlier in the year, but after fitting and driving around, it was leaking oil everywhere, so decided to refit the one that was on there before.

Now when i start the car, it jumps to about 2000 revs as normal then dies. If i hold the throttle with my foot, the engine runs but doesnt run smoothly, and then if i remove my foot, it just dies again.

When i removed the rocker to clear up the oil, i removed the two HT leads furthest apart on the engine. I also noticed the accellerator cable had fallen out of the bit that secures it in place, near the carb.

I havent got a clue if its a lead, HT, Fuel or other fault but there's no oil leaking from the rocker anymore.

Anyone got any ideas what to check? If we up the idle on the carb, it goes to about 3000 which is quite high, but doesnt die. Any lower and she cuts out. The accellerator cable is resecured and apparently ok, and there doesnt appear to be any damage to vacuum hoses or anything.

Another thing, if the pipe from the top of the rocker cover to the inlet manifold is dirty or blocked, will that cause running problems?

Also, there's a small metal tapping sound we can hear but it's not constant and we can't put a finger on where it's coming from! :(

Cheers people
 
Could be a lot of things, but it sounds like a leak around the inlet manifold or you have disturbed one of the hoses on the inlet manifold. Quick way to check, set the revs so it stays running and spray around the inlet manifold area with wd40 or carb cleaner, you will hear the engine note or revs change if you spray over a leak. i can't think of much else you would have disturbed by just removing the rocker cover. The hose from the rocker is a breather, it should not be blocked, dirty won't cause a problem as long is there is no external dirt in it.
 
thanks for the replies guys. All the hoses are on, i've heard of that being a problem before so checked that. We couldnt put a finger on it so called the RAC (i'm at Ems at the moment and need to get home tomorrow!) and he it's something wrong with the carb, but didnt know what. He suggested i striped it down and cleaned it all up! Yeah right, i've got two spares awaiting me so will try one of those out! Not sure why it's gone wrong now, maybe dirt or something went inside when i had the air pan off but its impossible to tell at this stage.

First time despite my car's numerous running issues that the RAC have been involved! :(

They're gonna pick me up between half 3 and 4am tomorrow for the drive home!
 
Without my haynes to hand mate, can you tell me what i should be looking for to identify that! Im not too clued up on things like that lol
 
the big pipe coming off the top of the rocker cover that goes to the back of the inlet manifold, the part in the manifold that the rubber pipe pushes over is the valve, its screwed into the manifold so if you take it out to clean it make sure you put some plumbers tape on the threads or some type of sealer to make sure it wont leak
 
Cheers fordy, i thought it might have been that one. Its definitly on and isn't split, but not sure if any dirt got in when the rocker was off so will have a look later :)

I may change the carb too if it stops raining!

Had a nightmare journey home earlier. the RAC yesterday arranged for my relay to pick me up at half 3 this morning. the RAC ring me up at three earlier and said they'd be out at half 5! Half 5 came and he wasnt here and arrived and loaded me up about 6.

Because of new EU regulations, technicians arent allowed to drive outside a 60m radius of there base, so he could only take me as far as high wycombe (junction 4 - M40). He also wouldnt depart from Ems house until details of the relay change over had been given to him! The RAC were suppost to inform them of all this last night but they had no knowledge of it earlier! When we got to high wycombe, the change over took 20 mins and were on our way, catching all the m25 rush hour traffic.

I ended up getting home at half 9, and into work at half 10, and was due to start work at half 7! Ahh well.

It's a sad sight for the poor thing!

carontrailer1.jpg

carontrailer2.jpg


RTLkyuubi said:
is the metal valve in the air box connected up and if i remember correctly it should be open when cold.

Ryan.
Click to expand...

You mean the auto choke mate?
 
Because of new EU regulations, technicians arent allowed to drive outside a 60m radius of there base,
Click to expand...

That doest not sound right at all. I had my old renault recovered from cornwall about a month ago. The only think they are limited by is hours of driving. There is nothing to say how far they can go from their base!!
 
Yeah recovery drivers can drive 9 hours maximum, regardless of distance, but i had a technician pick me up earlier. Apparently they have different regulations, which is causing alot of people to quit the job :) (apparently)

Ed, any ideas what's up with my car from the description above?
 
I can't believe all the messing about since last night! They originally said 3.30-4am, then phoned up at 3.15 to say they couldn't take you all the way, and said they wouldn't be there till 5.10. And they didn't turn up till 5.45. U were loaded up by 6, but didn't leave till 20 past!!! And by that point i was just getting dressed to ask what you were playing at! LOL. But you'd gone before i finished :(

Glad you got back ok tho! Get a better car will you :p
 
Yeah i got your text as he was driving off! and dont you mean better CARB? :p
 
Write a letter to the RAC if your not happy, they do take it seriously.

Arnold cant say without looking. Won't be anything major.
 
Ok, well i'l go with the replacement carb option and take it from there :) Might be an ideal opportunity to fit my bike carbs too!
 
And yeah Ed he is going to complain. It took the pee!! Obviously not the drivers faults, but still.
 
I have no complaints with the companies that helped transport my car, its RAC telling me porkies about being able to pick me up at 4 and take me straight back! I'd rather they just said if i wanted to travel that early, they might not be able to meet the time exactly and they'd be contracting the relay out to another company, not two companies!!

I was so tempted to just take the day off and try and fix it round Ems's!
 
the AA did this to me when my car broke down at santa pod :( its basically the lazy drivers not wanting to miss the donuts back at the depot.....

give us a bell later mate if you need any help diagnosing the fault sounds quite simple to fix
 
Agree with Matt,

the RAC subcontract out the work. So quite often it /is/ the subcontractors not RAC, that causes this to happen.
 
on a foot-note the best breakdown cover i've had was with greenflag, RAC and the AA have done nothing but let me down and try to charge me for things i dont ask for. but then lets face it there all just as bad as one another its just to a matter of what degree
 
Well i dunno, all i know is someone went wrong somewhere! I heard the depot over the drivers hands free and they sounded like they had no idea about the changeover, and it was the RAC who did say they'd pick me up at 4, then called back the following morning to say they'd be over at half 5. They should have at least confirmed this was ok before saying it was fine.

Anyway, that's all in the past now! I've got an ill car sitting outside my house that needs looking at. Gonna have a go at the carb myself, ive taken two off before so cant see why i'd struggle with it, the only thing i may have problems is where to go from here if she still doesnt run, but one step at a time :)

Gotta be sorted for JAE!!

Edit - On your note about greenflag, the first relay lorry that picked me up was a subcontractor for Greenflag :) it had Greenflag stickers all over the place :)
 
Yeah he kept saying that, i got to see her autograph! lol. Apparently she's 8 months pregnant and smoking as her car broke down. Then she broke down in tears! must have been hormones.. anyway, He was interested in my car too, said it looked nice and was gonna check out my website, which isn't working properley james
 
Na that's cheryl the agressive geordie :p - it was the blonde one, errr dunno who that is.

Edit - Sarah according to google :)
 
You broke it! And i've been busy all weekend, as Ed will vouch for. And i've been flat out at work all day.

By the way, it's down the to the recovery company how far they're allowed to take you, some adopt the new rules and some don't. When I got mine recovered from Bristol the first guy could only take me as far as the M4 services, then the next guy took me all the way back home.
 
James said:
You broke it! And i've been busy all weekend, as Ed will vouch for. And i've been flat out at work all day.

By the way, it's down the to the recovery company how far they're allowed to take you, some adopt the new rules and some don't. When I got mine recovered from Bristol the first guy could only take me as far as the M4 services, then the next guy took me all the way back home.
Click to expand...

If they're EU regulations then surely all of them must abide by them! They wouldn't be optional! As i wrote above, different people are covered by different regulations which is probably why one person drove you further than the other - you may have been in the same situation as me.

I'm aware i broke my website, but only because i gave up of waiting for you to update it as i paid for!! I just need that one file fixed, username, password and host - PM me it if you want, i'l try and do the rest.

Cheers
 
do not take the carb off! speak to me first and save yourself hours of wasted time! its probably nothing to do with the carb.
 
Lol, how can you be so sure young speedle! Any pointers of things to check before i ring you later? i wanna crack on with it when i get home from work.
 
how can i be sure? are you having a laugh! i still know alot more about k10 troubleshooting than you my young apprentice ive had plenty of problems like this on my white one, none of which were carb related. call me later mate and we can run through some diagnostics.

pfft how can i be sure! amatuer! :p
 
;p

I'l ring you around 6 / half past. My exhaust is gonna really wind up the neighbours so dont prat around with it too much! Carb change is the quieter option!! :p
 
lol with you nothing is a quick option! and who replaced the carb last time? uhhhh me i think you'll find i seem to remember cutting out the gasket for you :p
 
mine did this it was the connector to the left hand side of the air pan the one that controls the anti-dieseling (i think!!) solenoid,

revs perfectly nd everything but cuts out on idle...

superls
 
All the leads and obvious points were checked though, by a qualified mechanic. So, i'm going with him i'm afraid!! We'll see though, £10 says it's the carbs :)
 
Alan, im sure you and emma will sort it. ive sorted the P+P for the springs. cracking pics btw of the k10!

Speak soon.stu
 
I went to fit a replacement carb last night but realised it was an ECC one, with loads of extra wires and stuff coming off it so decided to give that a miss. I've got a mechanic coming out today to have some fun and i've said to him, just replace what ever needs changing lol. I'l probably have a new car when i get home :p

RTLkyuubi, I know what you mean now, i didnt think that was that important - as people rip there airpans off!

Also, the wiring on the side was checked, but the technician bloke who picked me up yesterday also said it sounded like the idle solenoid or whatever inside the carb. Weird thing is though it does idle when it's cold but not warm. Speedle reckons that's the Dizzy (same problem i had last time - goes wrong when its warm, and it is a high milage one too)

Cheers for the comment stu! its a shame you never got to see that one when i came round yours, but i had that other super s then :) Get your bum to JAE and we'l meet up. You can give me a burn in the Glanza - we could even swop cars ;)
 
Ok i believe it's fixed. Mechanic has been and gone but my mum couldnt read his hand writing on the bit of paper he left. I owe him £35 so nothing too major whatever it was.

Will post back later
 
Right, i still havent driven it but it's fixed. The bloke said one of the wires that connects to the side of the air pan (in those clips) had snapped, a few inches down from the carb and it controlled the autochoke. It was always on, even when hot and i guess just overflooded or something and killed it off.

Anyway, god knows how that happened, it's all covered up under tape etc but glad its ok! Im surprised the RAC bloke didnt spot it though, he was fiddling around in that area

Carb and everything else all the same as before :)
 

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