Va va voom or Jonny go slow..

[JonnyP]

Had me Puma a while now, and got some miles on it.. Been noticing that sometimes I go out the car goes like a rocket, but other times its really sluggish, you put your foot down and not a lot happens. All else seems ok but I don't know when it was last serviced..
Any thoughts..?

 

[evilrob]

Mine does this too. 90% of the time it has that Puma magic, but every now and again it has a grumpy day where it can't be bothered. It can have several grumpy days in a row or go for months driving like a new car. It's completely without rhyme or reason.

I haven't figured out what it is yet. I'm just changing things bit by bit til it goes away!

Servicing probably won't sort it - mine has been well looked-after all its life, is always serviced well before interval by a Ford/Puma specialist and oil changed every 3,000 miles. I left it with my mechanic to use as his daily for a week so he could experience it having a grumpy day to aid in determining the cause - typically it was good as gold all week! There are no fault codes showing, emissions were fantastic at its recent MOT, I've had several comments about how smooth running it sounds - it's a real head scratcher!

If you happen to work out what it is, I'd love to know!

 

[JonnyP]

If you happen to work out what it is, I'd love to know!

Likewise chap.. Perhaps its a hormonal thing with them..

 

[Sparx]

The old girl's got pmt again... :roll:

 

[alexwilliams840]

As they say, nobody is perfect. I think the Pumas are just making us aware of that before we think otherwise. Very modest of them :thumbs:

 

[jrs1996]

My dads Subaru was like that it would run great for weeks then all of a sudden it would run awful turned out it was the MAF

 

[evilrob]

It may well be the MAF.

Although I've got three - the original one, a second hand replacement and then a brand new replacement. Either they're all faulty, or it's not the MAF in my case! Had brand new HT leads and plugs as well.

 

[JonnyP]

whats the MAF..?

 

[martint]

Ours is the same, some on here have stated it could be the throttle position sensor playing up?
I've found that the sluggish response can clear if I turn the ignition on then off quickly (usually while driving!)

Martin

 

[Severio]

Mines the same! Using 97 or 95 octane fuels makes no difference to it feeling "sluggish" every now an then. (tho I get slighly better mpg round town on 97)
The mrs says her puma is the same also..

 

[pumad]

me too... it is like sometimes its a little rocket ship... and other times a dull car...

although i mostly think it's in my head really

 

[evilrob]

Mine's been remapped for 99, so only fed Momentum 99 or Vpower.

 

[jrs1996]

Does anybody get this with the 1.4 because I haven't noticed it but I've only had my car a few months could it be the vct causing it?

 

[Ginger Tom]

My little 1.4 does it. But that's having some modifications at the moment.

Have any of you replaced the lambda sensor(s)?

 

[Ginger Tom]

whats the MAF..?

Mass air flow sensor, the bit by the air box that attaches to the induction hose.

 

[pumad]

i replaced the Hego, MAF and cleaned nearly everything...

when i got the car it was definitly much slower.. but after a good 'punishment' on a local mountainroad it came loose..

 

[tameracingdriver]

I think all cars feel like that some times, I've had loads of cars and they all have their off days, I do wonder as another poster said whether it can be in your head sometimes.

 

[jonnyaztec]

The weather has a significant affect on how your car goes. Cold damp weather and the air that goes into the air/fuel mix is more dense - hence more oxygen in each charge so bigger bang.

I have an old series land rover with a 200TDI fitted. In different weather conditions the changed performance is very noticeable as is MPG.

That aside, I like the idea of the cars having 'periodic apathy'.

 

[masl]

hi
have had the same trouble too.
Could not work it out for months then the wife worked it out.
"COULD IT BE THE FEW STONE YOU HAVE PUT ON OVER THE WINTER"
I had no answer for her