Cutting out after hard acceleration?

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:34 pm

Adam, did you cure this problem? I'm having similar trouble with my 1.6 petrol. Like this morning - accelerating hard up a steep winding sliproad in 3rd gear, when I got to the top engine began to stutter badly - only way to settle it down was to ease off the gas and change up thru 4th and 5th and keep the speed around 60mph for a while.

It's annoying, the car seems terminally down on accelerative power and asthmatic compared to the zippy 14 St Tropez which goes like stink and is very free-revving. In the 16 I often get a flatspot on the motorway if I ease off slightly after accelerating hard in 5th... In fact, give the car any sort of stick to get away from junctions etc. and I get hesitation to varying degrees. The only way to avoid it is to drive everywhere with a light right foot - which is not confidence inspiring when aiming for gaps on fast roads, but good for fuel economy! Idle is dead smooth once the car's warmed up, which is pretty quick mostly.

I changed the plugs and dizzy cap/arm early this year, HT leads look good and clean... Air filter was fitted new by Ken in March.

Oh only other thing: sometimes it starts and runs first time from cold, sometimes it starts then dies shortly afterwards even if I increase the revs to something like 2500rpm - after that sometimes it starts and runs fine, sometimes it dies several times... Plus there is a tell-tale ring of soot around the tailpipe of the exhaust...

Hmm. It may be "diesel time" soon

Mark.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:50 pm

Sounds like the classic symptoms of a poor fuel supply to the carburettor caused generally by a partially blocked filter or a lazy pump.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:11 pm

Hi Mark

Oddly, the problem gradually got less and less of a worry until one day everything was fine again. Your symptoms do sound identical in every way. The only symptom mine retains is the cutting out after about 3 seconds of starting in the cold (which is actually the time when it fires up instantly). I can sometimes hear it start to get unstable, so i just dab the accelerator pedal and then it wont cut out after that. I did suspect that it had something to do with the fuel cut off solenoid or the ventilation solenoid on the carb- with the ignition on and then engine not running try disconecting and reconecting the wires that go to the solenoid- you should here a definate clunk if its fully working. Only other thing is that the carb could be dirty. Im thinking that because my engine didnt get used much for a good 6 months before I bought it, any dirt in the fuel or air intake and carb would have stayed there and might have gradually freed up as I started to use the engine for long trips etc. I cant remember for sure, but I think the problem cured itself before I reset the ignition timing, but since resetting the timing using a strobe gun, the engine has been faultless really, and the performance increase was beyond belief. The XU engines have great characteristics in terms of torque right through the rev range and so on, but they seem a lot more tempramental than the 1360cc TU unit as fitted in the St Tropez. When I had a St Tropez, I found it to be very quick for a 1.4, returning good MPG, always starting quickly etc. It seemed like it would never break down! I think they still use the block of this engine in the new C4, but with all the extra electronic gizmo's etc.

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:18 pm

Also be aware that the hot weather doesn`t help mine has done it twice now, The under bonnet temperature on my bx has been getting in to the 125oC mark and the fuel is evaporating I checked the temperature with an electronic thermometer with its probe under the bonnet and clipped to the inner wing.

timbo · Post by **timbo** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:53 am

I had a problem with my BX. There was a fuel leak from the fuel lines at the back end of the car. I had the lines replaced and it solved a great deal of the problem. Then I had the carb cleaned out and it went a little better still. Then I replaced a line under the bonnet that I found was weaping fuel.. it ran still better. Then I found that I could see small bubbles of air being drawn into the fuel filter ???? I traced the line back to find that the "MECHANIC" had put the fuel lines on "WITHOUT" hoseclamps and it was sucking air!!!!!! They now have clamps and the BX runs smooth as silk (all be it for a small flat spot at about 1500 rpm) ... check your filter and look for air bubbles ... it mite help somewhat...