jay73

Bit of a weird one and I think I know the reason but I'd like some advice before I go heading off in possibly the wrong direction...

The car is a S2 '87 79,800 miles. last serviced at 76,000 by power engineering in 1999!!!!

Its been standing for most of the last 7 years by the looks but has been moved now and then and obviously has only covered 3,800 miles in 7 years or so...

It had a full tank of optimax at the weekend and has covered 250 careful miles since... without any problems...

Anyway I'm sitting at the traffic lights tonight and there's this weird whining noise starts which seems like its coming from under the bonnet (may be not) it had a little cough/splutter then ran fine for the next 5 mins to my house...

Parked it up on the drive went in the house to open the garage, tried to start again.. nothing... just keeps winding over....get an initial 1 second cough/splutter as though its going to start then nothing...

I'm thinking either...
Fuel pumps fecked as can't hear it kick in when the ignition is on (but to be honest the clifford does the central locking and you cant hear much else but the door locks anyway)
or
shit in the fuel line sucked up from the tank??

but where to start ???

s2 ben

fuel pump relay

SafeChav

Firstly......have you checked for a spark?

The fuel pump whould prime initially when you turn the ignition on for 1 second, and while cranking running obviously. If the pump isn't running when you crank, it could be the fuel pump relay, OR the sensor in the dizzy broken down as these cars have tachometric relays.

You need to check for a spark and listen to see if the pump runs when you crank it. Pull the main HT lead off from the coil to the dizzy so it doesn't start so you can listen properly for the pump.

If theres a spark and no pump action, its the relay (or maybe the pump), if theres no spark and no fuel pump action then its the dizzy.

webby80

i had the same problem last week mate and it was the fuel pump packed up

jay73

thanks safechav I will do the spark test 1st just to be sure...

I'm pretty convinced it's fuelling though, just how it happened
I'm gonna get a relay off ford today anyway just in case..

If it turns out to be the pump would you get a standard pump or uprated.

Glad the wethers nice cause I gotta go to work on my bike now!!!

SafeChav

I woiuldnt get a relay just yet.

If the pumps gone and you are planning big power soon then a high pressure pump would be a good move.

jay73

its already power engineering stage 2, blueprinted etc.. running 189bhp

I have ordered a relay off the local ford dealer for Ł22 plus i'll get trade disc too...

Just phoned Power Engineering, They reckon the standard pump is well up to the job...
I'm gonna get it booked in with them anyway after easter for a service and a check over...
Problem is they're a 2 hour drive away

ivorbiggun

Cut the journey time in half and go to Jamie at Jamsport.

jay73

Was thinking of going back to PE as they have serviced and tuned the car since '91 and 60,000 miles, From a vehicle history point of view I would rather do that. But yeh the mileage is a git...

I've even got turbo-systems and collins performance engineering pretty much on my doorstep but has anyone done business with either of these recently..

jay73

looks like pump is priming although sounding like theres ten spanners in it, still only get an initial cough then nothing....
will test for a spark tomorrow when I can get some spare plugs from work..

SafeChav

Does the pump run when you turn it over?

Ive heard Jamsport are meant to be very good. My mates car was tuned there.

s2 ben

go see tony at turbosystems

jay73

spoke to a guy this morning through work called John @ Protune who is in Seighford staffordshire ST18 (about 10 mins from where I work) anyway he's got a rolling road up to 450 bhp in 2wd and does RS's, kitcars, bikes, race cars etc.. Soon as I can get the bitch running again gonna take it down to him for a -31 actuator and a darn good service etc..

Got a fuel pump coming later today off an RST that my mate broke up so I'll give it a whirl, TBH I couldn't hear it running when I was winding it over last night...
Hopefully it'll be the pump not some other shizzle

SafeChav

If the pump primes but doesnt run when cranking thats blatantly the dizzy packed up.

Why dont you just test for 12v on the fuel pump connectors?

jay73

good point, I'll still nip round matey's on the way home and get a pump anyway just in case!

its kinda hard to be cranking the motor over and also being under the car at the same time

SafeChav

Jesus christ its people like you that women talk about when they say men can't multi task LOL

jay73

LMFAO

damn right !!

SafeChav

If i were you i would check for a spark before changing that pump. If theres spark and no fuel pump, test for 12v, if no 12v take the relay out and bridge it, if still nothing then change the pump

jay73

cheers mate will do

jay73

okay update time,

Got a spark, Got fuel up to the metering unit & nothing afterwards..

Any idea's where to go from here.. Change metering unit or the black box thingy on the side???

SafeChav

The black box thingy is a hydro electric pressure actuator. It shouldnt ever cut the supply off, more likely to stop adjusting the fuelling if anything.

There seems to be a lot of peopel with this phantom fault at the moment, and from the way things have been going it could well be the pump is lazy, the fuel pressure has to exceed that of the injectors, so if the pressure drops just a little you wont get fuelling out of the injectors. Try taking an injector off and seeing if the fuel is very pressurised coming out (if it does at all)

jay73

no joy from the injector, figured that there should have been some fuel coming through, not none at all...
I've just bought a new bosch pump of e-bay, mine is proper noisy.
Its gotta be worth trying the pump if not i'll re-bay it and s'pose then it must be wiring ?

SafeChav

If the pump is noisy thats a sign of wear. I think you will probably find it is the pump you know