GenesisRed
New member
So, this sorry story starts at the end of a journey from London to Birmingham. After a long journey, we pull up to some lights and the car stalls itself and dies. It restarts and we continue the few miles to the destination.
I let it cool, check the oil which was very low, top it up, fill it up on fuel and it seems fine. We return home in an easier journey and there are no further problems.
A week or so later, I am driving in to London to pick up my girlfriend, and get snared in traffic. On the way back, the car starts to judder and stall, requiring higher revs to stay afloat. It keeps dying when starting off from lights on it's own accord and no matter the revs I give it. It restarts after a couple of goes and I tease it back nearly all the way home, trying not to stop as much as possible. However, 2 miles from home, it stalls and refuses to start up.
After it cools down, the RAC arrive and run some diagnostics which point to a fuel level gauge (I had regularly been driving it on low petrol) and the crankshaft sensor. I get the sensor changed.
It seems to be fine over the next week, only going short distances. As soon as I try a longer journey, it starts up again.
The garage suggests the mass air flow, so we change that and it seems initially to work. But it soon starts playing up again.
After a few weeks of consideration and research I take it to the garage to have the spark coil be checked out and possibly replaced. After checking they're sure it is the coil, so we change it. It starts fine, until it starts to cool outside my house, and then fights to restart. It has low fuel so I fill it up to give it a chance, and head to Lakeside shopping centre (about 20 minutes down the road). On the route it starts to try and stall while driving at 60 in the fast lane so I pull over to the slow lane and potter my way into horrendous traffic, stall and restart my way into the car park, and finally call the RAC.
The guy, familiar with pumas, has a good play. Summary of his findings:
Not the mass air flow (he replaces it and no difference)
Not the coil (as above)
Not the lead (as above)
Readout says fuel pressure malfunction. He sprays a fuel substitute somewhere and it starts perfect, so suspecting a bad level sensor, he puts another quarter tank in. It doesn't work.
Not fuel pump (it sits on idle for an age with no problem, until literally pushed and then it stalls).
Symptoms don't fit a lamda oxygen sensor.
No issues with over heating.
He suggests the electrics or maybe the ecu cables.
I have run out of spare money to throw at this, chasing symptoms, so any further clues, ideas or suggestions are welcomed. If you happen to live near Greenwich in London and you fancy a look, let me know.
Otherwise I have to hang on till September or so and hope I can drive it in as an exchange, which basically means all of summer with no car...
Thanks in advance for any help and advice!
I let it cool, check the oil which was very low, top it up, fill it up on fuel and it seems fine. We return home in an easier journey and there are no further problems.
A week or so later, I am driving in to London to pick up my girlfriend, and get snared in traffic. On the way back, the car starts to judder and stall, requiring higher revs to stay afloat. It keeps dying when starting off from lights on it's own accord and no matter the revs I give it. It restarts after a couple of goes and I tease it back nearly all the way home, trying not to stop as much as possible. However, 2 miles from home, it stalls and refuses to start up.
After it cools down, the RAC arrive and run some diagnostics which point to a fuel level gauge (I had regularly been driving it on low petrol) and the crankshaft sensor. I get the sensor changed.
It seems to be fine over the next week, only going short distances. As soon as I try a longer journey, it starts up again.
The garage suggests the mass air flow, so we change that and it seems initially to work. But it soon starts playing up again.
After a few weeks of consideration and research I take it to the garage to have the spark coil be checked out and possibly replaced. After checking they're sure it is the coil, so we change it. It starts fine, until it starts to cool outside my house, and then fights to restart. It has low fuel so I fill it up to give it a chance, and head to Lakeside shopping centre (about 20 minutes down the road). On the route it starts to try and stall while driving at 60 in the fast lane so I pull over to the slow lane and potter my way into horrendous traffic, stall and restart my way into the car park, and finally call the RAC.
The guy, familiar with pumas, has a good play. Summary of his findings:
Not the mass air flow (he replaces it and no difference)
Not the coil (as above)
Not the lead (as above)
Readout says fuel pressure malfunction. He sprays a fuel substitute somewhere and it starts perfect, so suspecting a bad level sensor, he puts another quarter tank in. It doesn't work.
Not fuel pump (it sits on idle for an age with no problem, until literally pushed and then it stalls).
Symptoms don't fit a lamda oxygen sensor.
No issues with over heating.
He suggests the electrics or maybe the ecu cables.
I have run out of spare money to throw at this, chasing symptoms, so any further clues, ideas or suggestions are welcomed. If you happen to live near Greenwich in London and you fancy a look, let me know.
Otherwise I have to hang on till September or so and hope I can drive it in as an exchange, which basically means all of summer with no car...
Thanks in advance for any help and advice!
