Car: Eunos Roadster (Import) Year: 89/90 MK1 1.6 <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /><o:p></o:p>I’m hoping someone can help with a problem I am having.
For a few weeks, since it has become cold my car is finding it hard to keep the revs up on startup. The engine turns over fine but then I have to keep my foot on the accelerator until the revs pick up. The revs can go as low as about 250rpm but as long as I hold the accelerator down slightly in the end the revs pick up, this can take about 30 sec. Once I have passed this stage I then have to hold the revs at about 2000rpm for about 2 mins, if I don’t when I let go the engine stalls. Once the engine has warmed up I don’t have any problems with it stalling, but I do have problems with power loss.
<o:p></o:p>Pulling away in 1st the car just doesn’t seem normal, it pulls away fine but it’s almost as if someone is holding it back. The loss of power is more noticeable when in higher gears. I can be driving on a dual carriage in 5th and as soon as I hit a hill I find I have to drop down to 4th. It seems that the power goes if I am running at less than 4000 rpm. (But this may be a coincidence)
<o:p></o:p>All this started to happen after a fixed a gap in between the exhaust down pipe and front pipe, I think this is again just a coincidence but reading some forums I have read that my symptoms could be related to a dodgy Cat, and by fixing the hole I have reduce the amount of exhaust that can exit the system by having a blocked cat. Could this be correct? I plan to remove the Cat at the weekend as everything I tried last weekend failed to fix the problem.
<o:p></o:p>Things I have tested so far:<o:p></o:p>Fitted new spark plugs and Leads, Cleaned air flow meter (Only the air passage way and flap), Cleaned and tested Air Valve. I have run the poor mans LED diagnostic check and this showed no faults.<o:p></o:p>Any help and advice would be gratefully received.<o:p></o:p> Many Thanks
New Info: Started the car this morning and like evryday when it’s been cold it started, but this time I couldn’t hold the revs up and it just cut out, seems to be colder today, so does this point to anything? Having to leave the car at home today because just can’t get it to go, and don’t think the weather is going to warm up!
I think you are right to start with the last thing you worked on ie the exhaust. Mabe you left half a gasket covering the main pipe, did you use a lot of paste to fill the gap? Another thing to consider is a problem with your crank pulley. Have a trawl through the faq at the top of this forum, look for LWSC, crank failure failure timing etc. It’s not something that I would want to wish on anyone, but must be considered…
In normal conditions and when the engine is warm the Idle is about 850rpm, so I don’t think it is anything to do with the base idle.
The cold weather seems to have the biggest effect on it, this doesn’t explain the loss of power when on a hill, but may be a cause of my failed starting in the mornings.
Is it possible my Air Flow Meter could be failing? I read that it has sensors in it relating to cold weather? If this is failing, this could also cause a loss of power, could it not?
This morning when the car failed to start (Outside temp -3) I tried to disconnect the Air Flow Meter and then bridged FP to Gnd in the Diagnostics box to get the fuel pump to run. The car did start, but then cut out 10 sec later, I guess due to the air flow meter not be connected. But this made me think even more that it could be something to do with the meter?
There is indeed an air temp thermistor in the Air flow meter, and this could certainly cause the sort of problems that you are seeing. You really need a copy of the Rod Grainger manual, you can obtain one from MX5 parts [see the top of the forum for a link] the best "25 you will spend tbh. There are some test figures in there. The other chance maybe to see if you can find an AFM locally, maybe a breakes yard
Found a fault with my Air Flow Meter so fixed that and it has cured the starting problem, but not the power issue
I have also now developed a water leak. It seems to be coming from around the area of the water pump, but not 100% sure. Could it be possible that my head gasket is on the way out, this could cause my loss of power maybe?? or is it more likely to be a seal in the water pump. Any easy way of finding out?
Unless you seriously overheat your engine, HG failure is prety un common in the '5 engine. Water pumps do leak, and a new one is the only cure. Whilst you are fixing it you may as well change the cam belt, as it need to come off to get at the pump. Did you have a look at the threads on LWSC failure?
I’ve ordered a new water pump and also some crankshaft and camshaft oil seals as I thought I may as well do them at the same time. My cam belt was only done a year or so ago so not sure if its worth doing again and will save me a few ££ not to.
I did take a look at the LWSC failure and will take a look on my way to the water pump, I’m hoping that isn’t the problem. I’m not looking foward to the 6 hours I’m going to be spending on Friday doing the water pump at all, its so cold at the moment here, but to put it into a garage is to expensive!!
I think I found the problem with the lack of power. When I did my water pump I had a look at the crankshaft pully and noticed it had a fair amount of play. I decided that I must have had the problem of the bolt coming loose over time. I deceide to remove the bolt but on removal the bolt snaped!!
The bolt must have worked loose over time and become damaged! I know have the interesting job of trying to remove the rest of the bolt.
When you get the bolt out and the pulley off, inspect the slot where the woodruff key fits, and check for damage. This is the normal result of the pulley coming loose. You’ll want to follow the thread on the loctite fix, very carefully…Good Luck
PS the bolt snapped because some clown had way over torqued it in the past, most crank pulley failures, but not all, can be put down to poor techniques when changing the cam belt. Ironivcally on an early engine the pulley doesn’t need to be removed for that job!!!
Mine is the early version, so the pulley didn’t have to come off, I only tried to remove because of the movement. It was during the removal that the bolt snapped.
You’re correct that the woodruff key and camshaft slot where the key sits does habve slight damage.
The worse problem I have is trying to drill the left over thread. So far all my drill bits will not even touch it, just ordered some bits that will cut steal and hope they will do the job. It’s not looking good at the moment. It’s my only car so I may just have to get another car
Hi Ben I wasn’t refering to you mate, I meant the guy who changed the belt before you. If he didn’t know the procedure it’s easy to think that you need to remove the pulley.
Yes, sad news, I drilled a hole and used a thread extractor, guess what, yes it snapped!! The only way forward was to take the engine out and try to find someone who could maybe help.
Unfortunately I don’t have the time or money to be able to continue so I have admitted to defeat and the car is sitting in my garage waiting to be taken to the scrap yard.
I was so hoping I could fix it and make it as good as new seeing as I had spent money on a new water pump and alternator recently, but this wasn’t to be.
Think I’m going to take off any bits that I may be able to sell and try and make some money back.
I was planning to pull the good bits off to make back some money, things like the aftermarket white alloys I was going to clean up and repaint, the rear tyres are only a month old, Alternator and water pump are new, I’m sure I could also sell things like the airflow meter and other bits.
I’m thinking I could hopefully get £250+ by pulling bits off it.
The car is actually located near Gunnislake (Between Tavistock and Callington) in my dads garage. I only had street parking in plymouth and the tax ran out last month.
