not running after engine degrease

[handsomejackuk]

car was running real sweet, and has done for many years... in my mistake i decided yesterday to give the engine bay a good spruce up, and degrease / clean prior to its annual m.o.t.

anyway liberal squirting of degreaser everywhere, and engine nice and clean my missus took it out yesterday, and things are not good.. car is lurching, and losing power, not completely stalling but very dangerous to drive.

I have removed spark plugs, and given them a good clean after it started to play up, and i have removed the coil pack, and dried it out on my rediator i thought i had it this morning but its still the same...

I have worked on this car numerous times, and its so easy i just dont want to get rid of it... I suspect it may be the coil pack its still the original car is on 122,000 miles... there is a seperation of the plastic and the potting compund on the coil pack sagem bae04... does this seem to point to a coil pack that has some water get in to it... please advise.. as i have m.o.t in a few days and dont want to spend 100's of pounds on it....

i have already spent too much on it in the last few years...

[1616six]

Pick up a 2nd hand coil pack at a local scrappy if you're pushed for time.

If you can avoid using the car for a few days stick the coil pack in the airing cupboard.

[handsomejackuk]

Pick up a 2nd hand coil pack at a local scrappy if you're pushed for time.

If you can avoid using the car for a few days stick the coil pack in the airing cupboard.

thanks think i will try that next... the coil pack was off last nite and dried on the radiator, it seemed to work first thing but then went bad again after...

I wish i could get to grips with the rest of the sensors, and their use... what is the one on the end of the intake with three terminals, attached with a single torx bit ? i pulled it out and gave it a clean i assume its a vacuum / pressure switch ?

[Toms306]

Drying it out wont last long anyway tbh, best to replace it with a sealed, fully working one if you think that's the issue. Tbh I wouldn't chance it anyway, as I had a dodgy coilpack spike the ECU on my 1.4!

The sensor you mention is Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP).

[Niall]

Never wash a engine bay without thoroughly sealing up anything electrical

Tbh it could be anything. Something as simple as water in a plug or could even be a goosed ECU

[Toms306]

Never wash a engine bay without thoroughly sealing up anything electrical

Hmm, I don't really agree with that, I've cleaned engine bays loads of times now without covering anything. Just don't blast water at plugs and take it for a quick run to dry off after.

If somethings gonna fail from water ingress, I'd much rather it was at home while cleaning than the next time I hit a puddle!

[Niall]

Never wash a engine bay without thoroughly sealing up anything electrical

Hmm, I don't really agree with that, I've cleaned engine bays loads of times now without covering anything. Just don't blast water at plugs and take it for a quick run to dry off after.

If somethings gonna fail from water ingress, I'd much rather it was at home while cleaning than the next time I hit a puddle!

You're lucky then. Ive seen plenty of people cause some rather serious issues by filling old brittle plugs with water or destroying ECUs etc

[Grant]

Do you work here Tom?






Personally, I'd never touch my engine bay with a hose pipe, let alone a pressure washer...

[handsomejackuk]

Do you work here Tom?






Personally, I'd never touch my engine bay with a hose pipe, let alone a pressure washer...

ahh rite thanks jsut took the throttle body right off and cleaned the idle control valve, and the throttle body and butterfly up.... think a visit to the scrappy tomorrow is in order, followed by a set of plugs, and hopefully that may cure it... i can;t really see what else it can be... may even pick up a spare throttle body if theres one about... god knows i have had this car apart a few times now and i always seem to be able to sort it... two head gaskets later

---

was gonna ask too... if i suspect the ecu at fault... does it need to be married up to the car ? and the Key ? what is the box behind the ecu i pulled that off and reconnected it all seemed dry there though... ?

thanks..

[DavidA]

Do you work here Tom?

What ? Had they been transporting dismembered corpses or something...that must have been a wind up.

[calibra306]

What a way to clean the interior!

[handsomejackuk]

anyone advise on if an ecu needs to be married to the key on the imobiliser ? Please

[Toms306]

Never wash a engine bay without thoroughly sealing up anything electrical

Hmm, I don't really agree with that, I've cleaned engine bays loads of times now without covering anything. Just don't blast water at plugs and take it for a quick run to dry off after.

If somethings gonna fail from water ingress, I'd much rather it was at home while cleaning than the next time I hit a puddle!

You're lucky then. Ive seen plenty of people cause some rather serious issues by filling old brittle plugs with water or destroying ECUs etc

Its not luck, it's common sense... Don't fire at plugs and ECUs (ECU has a shower cap on the single plug HDi anyway) and make sure the engines warm then driven after to dry it off before water gets a chance to 'soak' into anything. Lift the bonnet after a rainy B road blast and you'd be surprised how wet everything gets, end up with muddy, salty water splashed all over and even up on top of the engine cover in the winter!

Do you work here Tom?






Personally, I'd never touch my engine bay with a hose pipe, let alone a pressure washer...

Lol, I don't do interiors, that seems a bit unnecessary!

I have done doorcards and boot carpet removed them from the car though.

---

anyone advise on if an ecu needs to be married to the key on the imobiliser ? Please

Yes, the key chip, immobiliser box and ECU are matched.

[handsomejackuk]

where is the immobiliser box ?

[powerandtorque]

What age is the car? Phase 3 (99-02) ones I know are at the bottom of the centre console, sort of behind and below the clock.

[handsomejackuk]

its a 97 1.4 306 miami... there is a box behind the ecu under the bonnet is that it...

[powerandtorque]

That'll probably be the injection relay if it's black/brown in colour and similar size to a large box of matches.

[Toms306]

I had a '97 1.4 Miami back in the day! Got bored having to use effort winding the windows down pretty quickly though lol.

I'm not sure where the immobiliser was on it though, I'd think its in the same place as the phase 3 though its a different system, it wont be under the bonnet in an easy access place for obvious reasons.

[Rippthrough]

It's probably the leads arcing if its not the COP type.

[handsomejackuk]

It's probably the leads arcing if its not the COP type.

put a new set of plugs in it today, no difference still has the same fault... my local mechanic says put a compression tester on it, and if its ok then go for a coil pack... i did remove the throttle position sensor today, and drilled out the brass bushes so that i could turn it around a few degrees, i did wonder whether it was worn in the lower half of the throttle range, as this seems to be the only area its missing, it idles fine, and runs at high revs great...

what effect would disconnecting the throttle position sensor have on running of engine to prove its not working ?

seems to be missing when its on load.... downhill and on the flat seems to be good...

i dont really feel like giving up on this car, M.O.T. is up on monday so after that i will have to park it off road...

bodywork is real good, has a few scratches and dings but i would love to get it back working again...

last time i degrease engine on it though... it was working fine up until that !!!!!!

[Toms306]

bodywork is real good, has a few scratches and dings

Umm...


Back on topic, I'm not sure why you've been recommended a compression test, if it had good compression before the cleaning then that cant have changed.

Also missing under load is almost certainly coil pack related, its probably worse when hot as well?

[Rippthrough]

The leads, not the plugs, if it's not COP.

[handsomejackuk]

The leads, not the plugs, if it's not COP.

grrrrr grrr just my mate said do a compression test i got the tester now anyway... i may as well check the condition of the engine while i am at it... I am finding ways of not spending too much money... imaybe i check the tyre pressures tomorrow... that may have affected it.... I know what you saying though....

I just wish i didnt let my missus drive the car after i degreased it as she may have driven it too hard and fekked it up.... anyways tomorrow we see as it will trip up scrappy to get a coil pack with the leads.... if that dont work....

FIREWORKS !!!!!!!

[Rippthrough]

The water/oil and shit will run down the leads, make a carbon track, the leads arc up it once and then pinhole the lot, seen it a few times, that's why we tend to use silicone leads on the buggy because of water wading, etc.

[handsomejackuk]

The water/oil and shit will run down the leads, make a carbon track, the leads arc up it once and then pinhole the lot, seen it a few times, that's why we tend to use silicone leads on the buggy because of water wading, etc.

ok thanks for that will bear that in mind and probably get a spare set of leads, and a coil pack this morning

[MisterGTR]

Hope you've got it back running sweet.

I'll use this thread as an excuse to leave my engine bay manky!

[Ruan]

To be fair, engines should be able to cope with a brief pressure washing - next time you do 70mph down the motorway when it's WAZZING with rain it's pretty similar under your bonnet to what it's like when you poke a pressure washer in there!!!

It's probably good to find the faults now, rather than when it's pissing with rain...

[Iceman299]

What a great thread to read a day before i plan on degreasing my engine bay. Full of confidence now!