Small w124 engine problem ...

[Howard]

Ok, yesterday while braking for a roundabout, the car stalled .... no power steering or servo assistance for the brakes so stopping was interesting i can tell you...

Anyway, restarted and continued to my destination fine . While sitting in the car chatting (as i was about the leave) with it running, it stalled 5 times on the trot... no problems restarting it each time, and then drove home with no repeats of the stall...

All day today and no stall either .... anything i should be concerned about or just one of those things ?

Was thinking about changing the fuel filter for starters ?

thanks in advance

H

 

[grober]

Choose between CONVENTIONAL:-fuel pump or overvoltage relay on way out?? or UNUSUAL:-some form of temporary fuel vapour lock due to this hot weather

 

[Howard]

Hi Graeme...

Just had a new OVP a few months back , so doubt it would be that ...

Regarding the exceptional hot weather causing the problem, thats what dad suggested (he was a mechanic for 20 years) , but you know how you never beleive your parents .....

I suspect its nothing to worry about then ....

Thanks

 

[BTB 500]

Ok, yesterday while braking for a roundabout, the car stalled .... no power steering or servo assistance for the brakes so stopping was interesting i can tell you...

Yup, been there, done that! (Ford Granada seized at 60 approaching a roundabout - quite hairy )

 

[Howard]

Wasn't so much terrifying, as i was just 'coasting' effectively to the roundabout, 5-10mph ish , but you know when you have thought 'right, i'll apply enough brakes to stop just.............here'

And then, 'Whoah... no brakes, no brakes!!' , I only stopped a few feet further on, but it was actually on the roundabout, but there luckily was nothing there .....

 

[BTB 500]

I got the Granada round the roundabout and up onto the kerb with both hands on the steering wheel and both feet on the brake pedal! The head gasket had failed catastrophically on one side (V6), and that cylinder bank filled up with water so it stopped rather suddenly ...

 

[Asif Kazani]

Fuel Pump relay, I reckon. The weather here is pretty hot and I have had a few in the past that used to act up due to cracking soldering.

Regards,

Asif.

 

[Howard]

Thanks Asif...

Its not done it since, but if it starts acting up again, i'll change it , any idea of a price ?

 

[Will]

Howard - depends a lot on the part number IIRC, some are very cheap and some can be towards a ton!

If you can look up the part number (either on the relay itself or the 'EPC' in favourites) I may be able to help you with something

Will

 

[Dieselman]

I don't see why the servo assistance would be gone on the first application, it should take about five applications to exhaust the vacuum, which brings me to a thought.
If you have a vacuum leak the engine will tend to tall when slowing to idle and will run lean at idle so may stall. If this was fuel starvation/vapour lock I'm surprised it started straight back up.

 

[Howard]

Hmmmmmm..... interesting .....

The pedal definately required a greater force to stop the car, power steering went too.

Restart was straight away, put in park, turn key off, turn key on again.

When i got to my destination and was chatting, it ran for about 30 secs then died, then restarted straight away and then died after 10 secs or so x 5...

Since then, nothing, car has been smooth as silk (as smooth as a 4 cyl 230 can be ) and no more problems ....

Perhaps it was 'just one of those things'

EDIT :- the car was just coming into the fuel reserve section of the tank at the time , so i wonder if it might have sucked up a bit of crap from the bottom of the tank ?

EDIT 2 :- Once the local area drops below the temperature of the core of the sun i might have a poke around for vacuum leaks, any idea where to start ?

 

[Shude]

I don't see why the servo assistance would be gone on the first application, it should take about five applications to exhaust the vacuum...

That sounds right, the first application is usually fine, with increasing uses becoming firmer and less effective without a lot more force.

Howard: park up, kill the engine and pump the brake pedal a bit, see if it behaves as I described.