Powerless!

[cavmad]

Thanks again, Jeremy. Just been to loacal Cit dealer and bought a new fuel filter (£4.97, not bad) and fitted it. Cleaned out the housing which contained some muck buthing too bad, and gave it a pasting up/down bypass but alas no real change
Next thing to check is the air filter and I`ll get some injector cleaner too and try that as Vanny`s suggested it would be worth a try.

[jeremy]

Simple check for the air cleaner is just to leave the element out! No real problem until about May next year when there might be a bit of airborn soil or grit.

Just look at how long the present one has taken to clog - and remember most of what is in there is soot which is probably non abrasive - so a few miles without an element is unlikely to do any harm. (If you look at an expensive K&N filter you can see straight through it - so anything smaller than an oakleaf will get through anyway)

Just make sure there isnt a pile of crap under the filter to get sucked into the engine when its first run.

[ken newbold]

This is begining to sound like a fuel pump problem, I've come across it once before on a TD.

You need to eliminate all the easy fix's first.

[Vanny]

remember most of what is in there is soot which is probably non abrasive

Soot, being a particle IS ABRASIVE you might want to try to properly polish something one day, and once you work though 'normal' grains and start the magic grains you'll find that carboad is abbrasive, as is 80g paper, and 50g paper and you'll get to a point where you find water is abrasive (as the chinese and there water torture will tell you!).

Dont every consider driving without an air filter!

have you seen a child eat a candy bar? Did they put the wrapper in the bin? Even if for some strenge reason they did it will get blown out, you'll drive over it and it will get sucked into the air inlet system and without a filter it will be straight into the piston and there goes the engine!

K&N filters, well, is oil semi transparent? Is a bubble transparent? If you create a mesh of oil bubbles (absolutely minute bubbles i add) are they likely to be semi translucent? You can see through them because they allow more air flow through the oil, the oil also clings to particulates, making them rather good air filters! And there proven a thousand times over!


Clearly Jeremy, you haven't seen the effects of 'rifiling' of bores! It takes very little air borne contaminates (or oil contiminates) to totally destroy a cylinder bore and eventually rings!

Suggesting that a car can be run without a filter is a terrible idea, even a Model T has an air filter!


If your keen to check the element without forking out the £4 or so on a new element, then make sure its in a non dusty, non windy area, but certainly dont go drivign without an air filter! No one is that lucky!

[jeremy]

As they say - the proof of the pudding is in the eating - my Renault 21 was still not burning oil after about 30,000 miles without a filter - and many of my previous cars have been run for considerable distances without them.

Prior to the second world war very few cars had air filters - and when they were fitted they were generally to silence the intake roar rather than clean the air.

As for the K&N filter - a big hole cannot filter anything - and they are full of holes going straight through. They may collect something but not all - and are capable of letting sand through.

[Vanny]

They may collect something but not all - and are capable of letting sand through.

I would LOVE to see proof of that statement! And making suggestive conjuncture which is probably miss leading is definitely not suitable for a forum of this type. A K&N filter is based on rather simple science which is time tested and proven and makes a rather large difference, i think you might want to try one before making blase statements about sand sucking!

A big hole may not be wonderfull at reducing the flow of 'sand' but a mesh of closely knitted oil pockets are MUCH more refined at stopping particulate travel than that of a fibre mesh filter! Have you ever looked at a K&N filter? I have one in my hand from a GTIs Nissan and it is NOT see through!

[Captain Slow]

Could it be the fact that the 1.9D lump is just flat

[Vanny]

from what Billy told me earlier its either an old filter, lack of serive of the belt is starting to get a little stretched and in need of a service! My current over heating issues would mean i would have to stop at billys for around an hour before i could leave again and i'm not that stupid/brave enough to go have a look see!

[cavmad]

from what Billy told me earlier its either an old filter, lack of serive of the belt is starting to get a little stretched and in need of a service! My current over heating issues would mean i would have to stop at billys for around an hour before i could leave again and i'm not that stupid/brave enough to go have a look see!

You didn`t believe anything I said did you (faints with shock!). Actually I`ve not tried the car again today, the Sharan was pressed into service which is now leaking enough water to flood the Sahara.
Am I going to try and fix it this weekend? Nah, probably not!

[cavmad]

It seems to have improved slightly very recently though still a flat spot there. Thinking (hoping) the new fuel filter has helped, can someone please suggest a good injection cleaner to try and I take it this is put in with the fuel?
Thanks in advance,

[cavmad]

£30`s worth of diesel stuck in last night along with some injection cleaner. Test drive is today going to work and back, can I expect instant results if the cleaner does it`s job, or is it a matter of a couple of days?

[docchevron]

Forte Diesel conditioner is bl**dy good. We use it down the garage alot to get cars through MOT.

Cheers
Chris G

[cavmad]

Thanks, Chris. Have chucked some in, possibly Redex and alas it`s made eff all difference.
Incidentally did you say you needed a rear spoiler for your dad`s car? If so please let me know.

[ken newbold]

Which pump does your car have on, Lucas or Bosch.

[cavmad]

I`m not altogether sure, Ken! I`ll check tomorrow and report back