Hi i really need some advice as my engine runs really rough, like it is misfiring or something. I can hear it popping when i accelerate, and there is no where near as much power. We checked the spark plugs and HT leads and they had quite a build up of stuff on them, and with 2 of them we couldn't even get them out. It has a low idle under 1K revs also, and it bounces up and down on tachometer.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks!

That could be a number of things..

Have you now swapped the plugs & leads? Has it made any difference?

A deteriorated plug caused similar problems for me but there are plenty of causes.

I haven't got any new plugs or leads yet, but that is the main thing i need to do, i cleaned the ones i could get at, and it is still the same. I should be able to get some new ones tomorrow. Any idea how much new leads and plugs would cost?

Ive not replaced the leads but at a guess..

4 spark plugs will be about £20 for platinum NGK
New HT leads is probably about £20 too

So £40.

could be dodgy rotary arm causing missfiring if the new ht leads and spark plugs havent change it

could be running on three cylinders?

check your points gap aswell

i would personaly change plugs and leads,if it still miss fires you can get a coil pack from a decent motorfactors for around £25.idle should be between 800 to 925 rpm(dependant on what engine you have),and there is no rotor arm to worry about either as the puma uses an electronic ignition system not a distributor.

cool thats one less thing to worrry about

Right, I'll try and get new plugs and leads tomorrow. Idle at 800 - 925? before this problem mine was usually around 1.2K revs. Never under 1K, could this be a problem, or just that my engine has a high idle for no reason.

Also, I've been checking out a few places and found that BOSCH plugs are around £1-2 each, is there any benefit to getting higher priced plugs over these?

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but keep it up as I laughed my arse off....lol

Coil pack methinks.

i would also remove and clean the icv valve,it could well be it is covered in crap causing high idle,use carb cleaner to clean it up,also do an ecu reset after it is fitted,disconnect battery from negative terminal and leave for 30 mins,you could do this while cleaning the icv valve,recconect start and let it idle for 5 mins approx,then take it for a drive,hope that helps...

Just got the plugs and leads, came to £25 with a discount. I'll be fitting them shortly. Where would i locate the ICV Valve? is it to the right of the engine? I'll do an ECU reset also.

Idle Control Valve:



Just to the right on the inlet manifold.

Thanks, how would I go about cleaning it?
By the way, check out my ignition leads! These look terrible, any idea what this is? The plugs were covered in this stuff too, i'll get some pics up asap

Take it off the block first, then I stuck mine in an old plastic bowl and liberally sprayed the valve with carburettor cleaner (dissolves all of the crap in the fuel). Leave it to work for a while (should all evaporate away) dry it off, put it back on, and as Alexander says "Simples"
The brown crap looks like it's had a coolant leak at some time and nobody bothered to clean it up.

Just as an update, the leads and plugs were changed, and the problem remains, i have yet to clean the ICV, but i will asap.

The problem is not apparent all the time now, just from starting of sometimes, and when you give it more gas. If you keep it steady, then there is no roughness at all, but when i floor it, it just goes all rough again and loses power, and pops. This seems to be happening when it is under load, like in 5th gear at low speeds, when you give it more gas, it jerks and pops, and would eventually stop due to the loss of power. I have had it checked out by a mate who knows an auto electrician and he checked it was firing on all cylinders. But on his diagnostic machine, an error came up that he said had something to do with the Lambda sensor, and that it might be getting too much oxygen in the exhaust due to a leak, but that it shouldn't be causing the rough running.

Also, if you feel the top of two of the leads, there is a strong knocking you can feel, and not on the others.