Cars died. Won't fire properly and when it actually does, it sounds like 3 cylinders and was putting thick black smoke out the exhaust and under the bonnet was "smoky" unless it was blown under the car by wind. Plugs black and sooty, tried another coil- just the same.

Mechanic is here and says its timing as it popped flame out intake with boost pipe work off.

 

Gutted mate.

 

Anyone know if the timing could be adjusted back easily enough and what a garage would normally charge in hours- ie 2 or 3 hours?

Bit more info: car was running rich and seemed to drive fine. Idle was a bit poor but I had it down to iscv or such. Would always splutter first thing on a morning and generally die within 30sec of starting.
Drove into multistorey car park at metrocentre fine but when we came back it wouldn't start. Changed coil- no difference and checked plugs which were black and sooty. Wiped down with clean polishing towel and replaced. No change. Rang AA and guy came out and undid boost pipe at the throttle body, held the butterfly open a touch and asked me to turn it over. Had sparks out throttle body which he said is backfiring and most likely to be timing out. Should I just try changing plugs and see if it runs for now- cheapest first. I only changed plugs and leads in November or there abouts though....

Any other suggestions or anyone agree?

 

I cant see how the timing could be out. I had a similar problem on my cossie and it was a coolent temp sensor. Would the car start now if you tried it.

I know on my dads old mk1 1.6 16v focus if the cts was disconnected when cold it would run but as soon as it got warm it would misfire and run shit.

 

timing is fixed, uses the CPS

 

No woodruff key on the cams. May have slipped slightly?

 

Well......
It's strange you mention the CTS. I noticed when waiting for recovery there was water on the gearbox and under the car. I think the seal has perished as I'm apparently using a Pectel T2 with Escos loom and sensors. I have a coolant temp sensor fastened on the bottom of the focus water pump, right above the gearbox.

 

What do you mean by fastend so is it screwed in i take it.

The coolent temp sensor is a common fault on cossies to go wrong.

 

Yeah screwed into the thermostat not pump. Would this give these symptoms or should I have timing checked first? I have a ford next to me but dread to think what they'd charge for checking timing and a coolant sensor if necessary.
If I disconnect the sensor plug, it should run the same or better if faulty- correct?

 

Just spoken to Harvey Gibbs. He thinks it could be a valve in some way gone. Trying to find a compression tester now

 

I got it sorted now. Somehow leads 2 and 4 were the wrong way and the plugs are shot. Put normal 1.8 plugs in and it runs spot on- not tried driving it. Put the RS ones back in and it died so must be plugs. Lead 4 was sparking over the block when I was checking them with pliars so I'd say that's shot too. Thing is though they were bought new 3 month ago.....
Plugs are all black and sooty so car Defo overfuelling. Where should I be looking first? Temp sensor? Lambda?

 

glad your onto the cause. just be wary of bore-wash though. if its overfuelling to that degree then it can be v harmful. id check sensors ect, ie cold start staying on?

 

Did you get the plug leads mixed up then.Check the wiring on the lambda sensor sometimes they can snap and will cause all sorts of running problems.

 

Might just need mapping!

 

 

I'm probably gonna be putting it on a RR local to me as it's Ł45 for 3 runs I think it was, with print outs. See exactly where I am with it and then work from there with regard to sensors.

Think when I was checking the other coil pack I may have replaced them wrong which wouldn't have helped. Took a step back overnight and had another look this morning. Lambda seems okay but RS plugs are shot. Car won't run with them at all as tips are black. Cylinders 3 and 4 plugs were moist but 1 and 2 weren't, just sooty.

 

Mountune say no. They set it up correctly when new and as the ECU is still locked, it won't be that. I asked this just after buying it. It was suggested to send them the car to be checked.

 

cossies need a check over/ set up once a year by someone who knows what they are doing!

if its overfuelling that needs to be sorted asap!, who do you plan on using for the RR, can they tweak a map on weber?

 

If the CTS is shot, that'll make you overfuel.

 

Was considering XO Power at Cramlington. Thinking of organising a R'R meet as they said Ł45 for 3 runs with data logs. There is a seperate thread for that. They're primarily Jap so possibly not able to do Weber but I will ask

 

That's the kind of answer I've been after from Cossie owners

I'm running a Pectel so no diagnostics This is why am looking at a R'R run so I can see exactly what happens to the car when and work from there for possible duff sensors. There is a definate lack of a decent Ford tuner in the North East atm
Anyone with a T25 Escos able to give a part number as I was told I'm using a ST Escos loom and sensor set up.

 

Im almost.sure all the coolent temp sensors are the same.

When i had a faulty cts on my cossie.When you first start it up the car would be sweet as a nut but as soon as it got warm.it used to missfire like fook and have black smoke coming out of the exhaust.

Have a look on Matt lewis web site.I think the sensors are about 20 quid.

 

Sorry to drag this back up but could a weak spark cause these issues as I had been told ages and ages ago by a mechanic it was weak but once the leads were done and car ran ok, he said maybe not. I've gone through 2 cylinder 4 leads in a month so thinking ignition issue and plugs were sooty but cleaned straight up with carb cleaner sprayed on. Just seems strange it's always cylinder 4