Engine clattering around corners...

[Fury556]

Hi all,

I'm a bit concerned about the puma! Whenever i go around a sharp-ish bend i.e a roundabout - if i begin to accelerate slowly as normal it will often sound like the engine is about to stall itself - it often isn't loud but you can hear it clatter and then as you straighten out and leave the roundabout it's fine. It will also sometimes do it when i brake harshly and then accelerate away. I've ensured the oil level is filled incase it was something to do with VCT but it still does it. I'm thinking it could be the fuel filter? i ran it quite low once and i'm thinking it may have dragged some crap up from the fuel tank and blocked it up. I can pick up a fuel filter easy enough from ebay for a few quid i just wanted to see what everyone else thought before i started spending money

 

[DradusContact]

Defo sounds like a fuel issue to me, either filter or pump?

 

[Fury556]

Got myself a new fuel filter from my local Wilco for £4.88 Will hopefully fit this weekend and update...

 

[Fury556]

Well took a while to get around to fitting it thanks to dissapearing daylight... Changed the fuel filter over and the sound remained. However my Dad suggested it could be detonating. I gave it half a tank of Tesco premium (already had half a tank of Tesco regular) and it's cured! So from now on i will only use the premium pump! Regardless the filter needed changing the fuel coming through the filter once it came off had a brown tinge to it!!

 

[crystalpuma]

Scary moment, glad it was fixed so easily!

 

[roadrally]

However my Dad suggested it could be detonating. I gave it half a tank of Tesco premium (already had half a tank of Tesco regular) and it's cured! So from now on i will only use the premium pump! Regardless the filter needed changing the fuel coming through the filter once it came off had a brown tinge to it!!

Glad its sorted.
It was pinking not detonating (not being picky), we had a problem with that on a rally Ka, we had to run super unleaded and octane booster making approx 102RON.
Has the car been stood for a while? Brown tinge could be rust deposits in the tank, usually happens when cars are left standing for long periods.

 

[XIIVVX]

I'm thinking it could be the fuel filter? i ran it quite low once and i'm thinking it may have dragged some crap up from the fuel tank and blocked it up.

Can we put this one to bed?

However much fuel you have in the tank it still picks up from the bottom of the tank. There is no magic device that allows it to feed from the surface of the fuel when it is full. So it doesn't matter how low you let the fuel level get, whatever is going to be pulled through the filter will be pulled through the filter regardless of how much fuel is above it. - that, after all, is what the filter is there for.

Also if you have been able to solve a pinking issue by using premium fuel it means you've cured the symptom, not the problem. Your timing is set incorrectly and needs fixing.