Kangarooing & Stalling!

I have a recurring problem which has plagued me for about 3 years. My 1990 RR Vogue 3.9 has been in and out of the garage like a yo-yo (at least 12 times) and at one stage they had it for 3 days checking EVERYTHING but still the problem persists. A typical example happened a few days ago. I will relate it:

Drove RR about 20 miles. Pulled into supermarket car park for about 10 minutes then drove off again. About half a mile down the road the vehicle starting lurching and kangarooing. It felt as though it was going to stall but it didn't. Lurch, lurch lurch for about a mile then - clear!

It has also stalled a couple of times recently but if I switch off then start up it goes like a dream - often for a couple of weeks!

This doesn't usually happen when cold. It usually (but not always) happens after setting off from a short parkup after a long(ish) run although recently it has occurred when cold.

The garage have checked everything and given up. Fuel, electrics you name it.

I'm getting to the point where I'm going to take a sledgehammer to the RR!

Chop it in fer a freelander !

loads less assle

Have you tried cleaning/relocating the earth straps? Or the replacing amplifier on the distributor? I had terrible trouble with mine (1989) when I first got it. The sledge hammer does look bloody tempting when it does that

Some things your garage might have missed -

condensation inside distributor cap,

coil suppressor capacitor breaking down,

earth connection between engine and body corroded,

ign amp playing up,

try to get it to happen at night with no moon and when it does open the bonnet to see if there is any high tension arcing,

rogue air leak into the plenum, see plenum article on my website for clues to correct. not the same as your car but similar.

Rover SD1 Efi Plenum Chamber

faulty connection to almost any of the efi components especially the earth(s) behind and below the rear of the LH rocker cover, again see website for help.

Rover SD1 Wiring and Connector Maintenance

fuel pump/line blockage,

fuel pump steering module and or relay(s) unseated or faulty. i think your car has these.

Rover SD1 Efi Steering Module, Main Relay, Fuel Pump Relay

the bottom line - however is that these intermittant faults are very likely to be due to fauly electrical connections around the engine/efi/ign systems.

check for loose or faulty connection and clean and vaseline them all.

Ramon
Vintage Model Airplane and Rover SD1 3500cc Twin Plenum Vitesse

Thank you Blackvoguebeauty and Ramon.

I will certainly go through all of your suggested remedies one by one.

Thank you again.

Put new plugs (gapped correctly), new distributor cap and rotor arm in mine, cleaned the AFM out with bicycle degreaser and hasn't missed a beat since. Used to be very embarassing when driving along and it started "hiccuping"...

Take5 said:

Put new plugs (gapped correctly), new distributor cap and rotor arm in mine, cleaned the AFM out with bicycle degreaser and hasn't missed a beat since. Used to be very embarassing when driving along and it started "hiccuping"...

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Sorry if I'm being a bit "obtuse" but what's the AFM please?

AFM = Airflow Meter. This is the square box shaped thingy between your throttle body and airfilter with some wires coming out of it. A 3.9 uses the Lucas Hotwire type, so air flowing through the sensor cools a heated wire changing it's resistance so the ECU knows how much air is going into the engine. It needs cleaning from time to time.

Take5 said:

AFM = Airflow Meter. This is the square box shaped thingy between your throttle body and airfilter with some wires coming out of it. A 3.9 uses the Lucas Hotwire type, so air flowing through the sensor cools a heated wire changing it's resistance so the ECU knows how much air is going into the engine. It needs cleaning from time to time.

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Cheers Take5. You're a star! It's certainly worth a try.

hello mate , talking about the afm reminded me that i had a 93 my 3.9 which did the same as yours , and after loads of messing it turned out to be the multi plug on the afm , try a bit of contact cleaner and very gently close up the contacts in the plug , it worked for me .
rick.

rick071155 said:

hello mate , talking about the afm reminded me that i had a 93 my 3.9 which did the same as yours , and after loads of messing it turned out to be the multi plug on the afm , try a bit of contact cleaner and very gently close up the contacts in the plug , it worked for me .
rick.

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Cheers Rick, you're a gent.

I've only just discovered this forum and I'm impressed already!

Ringfield Rover said:

Cheers Rick, you're a gent.

I've only just discovered this forum and I'm impressed already!

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Just wait, there's time a-plenty yet

Have you visited the Gaylander bit yet, or anything goes