jeth1979 0 Posted December 12, 2012 hi everyone, hope all is well unfortunetely i"ve got a little question here that might have a big answer!!!! well, after just 2 days of having my corrado back on the road after 6 months sorn, it appears to have devolped a fault whilst resting!!! basically, the car starts fine, drives a few miles and either a..cuts out or b. cough splutters, then gradually dies out!!!.. its very simliar to say, running out of petrol, as your foot is plastered to the floor it makes the noise but doesn"t go. it does have petrol however and some petrol treatment in there, but its just not right. the weirdest part however is this....if im say moving and the engine cuts, i can flick the ignition key off then back on and its fine for another mile or 2(almost perfect on the throttle)....if it cuts and i dont flick the key on/off it wont carry on driving... i had the car idiling for an hour today on the drive, it only cut out once, so i hope im right in believing its something breaking down/failing under load??? i drove 2 miles around the block just now and i switched that key 4 times in total to keep it going!!!! ive changed the dizzy this afternoon to a known good one, which has made no difference.put £30 petrol and treatment in yesterday but no improvment. battery is not even 6 months old. the car has been started over the last few months but never taken out, so i dont reckon its stale petrol.. both fuel pumps/filter are new,as i replaced these only last year!! the ecu is also good, as i got it off somebody on here last year to get the car running in the first place!!! the car does have a factory alarm with a separate factory immobiliser. i dont think its this but guess anything is possible!!! just wanted to add also, that the thermostat does appear to be fine, as the bottom rad pipe is warm/fans cut in etc... would i be right in thinking something in the ignition side of things? any suggestions/help/ fixes would be greatly appreciated, as im rapidly losing the love for the c..... ps....im fairly new to the 16v engine+managment as ive had my digi mk2 golf 8v for 13 years. thought i would give that a retirement but think it maybe a short lived one,lol..... THANKS AGAIN :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RadoVirgin 0 Posted December 12, 2012 Have you changed the fuel filter at all? It sounds like its struggling to maintain fuel pressure Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rorgasm 10 Posted December 12, 2012 I have a similar problem but not as extreme, hope you get to the bottom of it mate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tentonhammer 10 Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Drain your old fuel and put some new fuel in. If you don't want to drain your old fuel then put in higher octane gas to give it a kick up the a*se. Then run some Redex injector cleaner through it. It only takes a month or so for fuel to go stale, longer if a fuel stabilizer is added. Fuel turns into a crud like jelly when it goes stale which wrecks your fuel lines, injectors, fuel filter etc. Symptoms are lumpyness, choking / misfiring, cut out etc. Have you changed the fuel filter at all? It sounds like its struggling to maintain fuel pressure - Right on the money and worth doing this. The give away here is this - was the car doing it before it was SORNed? If not then it's probably a fueling issue. I'd rule this out first Edited December 13, 2012 by tentonhammer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamiehamy 0 Posted December 13, 2012 Elliot had an issue at our wee Scottish meet last year, cutting out and spluttering. Turned out a corroded connector (to the MAF I think?) was to blame, so def worth taking them all off and making sure they are clean. Costs nothing and good to do regardless. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeth1979 0 Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Well, it's been an event filled day but i shall keep it basic. It does have a new fuel filter as well as both pumps. I've done a few checks today and it is definitely the fuelling side but not as straight forward as I hoped...also just wanted to say that the car never ran 100% before I took it off the road, but it was more of a blip at the higher rev range, nothing quite as bad as this!!! ( didn't really help only doing 230miles in 1 year,lolthe car is still fairly unknown to me tbh) i tested the plugs/leads coil etc and found The car still has power to the coil and a spark right until it cuts out, so I've now got every reason(I think:-/) to believe the fuel is the problem. So, I then drained what little petrol was in it and put another £20 in, but only for the problem to be the same!! That said, the car does now cut out even when it is idiling and rather more regularly now at that!!! I've actually timed it today, 4 times in total to when I start it up to when it stalls(always idling).. The time is very similar from start to stall- all in the range of 3-4 mins. (Yes, in 16mins it cut out 4 times in total!!) I did these tests back to back. I'm now thinking, could it be the fuel regulator or something in the metering head?? Also, just before writing this, I did discover a snapped white wire which was out of no.3 port on the throttle position sensor( the 3 plug under the throttle body,intake pipe?) however after resoldering, it hasn't made any difference :-(... Lastly, just before turning off tonight, I stuck my head underneath the back of the car. As the car started to die(revs started to drop), I could hear the pump working harder/getting louder. I know it can't be the pump or the lift pump as these have been replaced so perhaps the accumalator?it does make quite a high pitch noise just as the car is dying down to the stall... Really want to get this sorted!!! I wish I could say its driving me mad, but I'm not driving the car any where!!!!!:-() Edited December 13, 2012 by jeth1979 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dude VR6 0 Posted December 13, 2012 See if you can get it check on a diagnostic machine, i had a similar problem, turned out to be a faulty lambda. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeth1979 0 Posted December 14, 2012 See if you can get it check on a diagnostic machine, i had a similar problem, turned out to be a faulty lambda. That's a good call and I reckon my only option now. As the car has been stood around, I wonder if the sensor has gone!! Onwards and upwards I guess!! Thanks for info Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeth1979 0 Posted December 16, 2012 (edited) Well Ppl, just a little update here. I shall be booking the car in to a diagnostics/rr garage shortly as I've tried pretty much all I can to no joy. Basically here's what I've spent the last 48 hrs trying.. Checked fuel tank for debris/blocked strainer on lift pump-clean as a whistle.tested lift pump-works. Bridged main fuel pump to permanent feed-car still died/cut out as usual. Whilst car running, noticed the new fuel pump does get noisier just before car got lumpy/cut out.does this every time.. Tapped accumalator whilst fuel pump was making noise-the pump noise quietened down but then returned within 1minute. Put £40 fuel in tank-car runs better as takes longer to cut out/stall. Took out injectors(one by one), spray pattern fine, equal amounts of fuel across them all.(don't think this is the case when it's stalling though) Checked all cables/wires and vacuum hoses- Everything fine Spark plugs removed/looked fine. No signs of under/over fuelling. Removed all relays-cleaned/sprayed etc.. Last Last thing I wanted to try but I'm unsure how I can test them is the fuel regulator and fuel accumalator. If anyone knows how/if you can, I would greatly appreciate the help. Just thought I would mention this also. If the car is idiling it runs for a good 3-4 mins on tickover. If I take the car out on the road, it only runs for a minute or 2 tops, so in thinking along the lines of pressure build up or lack of? Anyway, I think it will have to go to a diagnostics but just wanted to try anything I can before it went!!! Thanks for taking time out to read this, I will keep updating, especially when I get it fixed!! (I know I'm getting closer) Forgot to add, disconnected maf, but it doesn't make any difference to the way car stalls/ timing of cutting out etc. also, when the car is out on the open road and coughing etc, there's no smoke/smog behind me, hence I think under fuelling??:-/ Edited December 16, 2012 by jeth1979 Additions Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites