Mysterious behaviour of a 4.2EFI

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H
Had a quick read through, do you get poor starting behaviour when it happens ?

the engine should reach operating temperature much quicker than 20 mins.. the distributor amp modules do suffer from heat exposure and will fail especially when hot, resulting in a weak signal, however the symptoms are more usually stalling and poor starting when hot.
i thanks for reply yes it does struggle at first when started but only when cold, after it has warmed up the engine doesn't have a problem starting and it has never cut out, it's just loss of power and pinking that are the main symptoms it has got to the point that I know almost exactly when it will suddenly start doing it!
 
Could pinking be caused by carbon build up in cylinders getting hot and predetonating mixture? What is mileage? If engine been running rich then carbon build up could be significant.
If its ignition timing then it should only pink under load and when load is removed pinking should disappear as the ignition catches up with engine revs.
If I understand you correctly, the pinking starts then doesn't get better or worse dependent on load?
Hi that's an interesting line of thought, when I pulled the plugs which had only been in for acouple of hundred miles they were suprisingly sooted up, although with the ongoing engine issue I have only really been doing short milages because she is no fun to drive after 20 minutes. I will run some engine treatment through today to see if it helps thanks for that. Mileage is about 94000, the pinking is most noticeable under load but it is accompanied by a really noticeable loss of power right across the Rev range like she is dragging her heals, I even checked to see if the hand brake had stuck on at one point!!
 
H
Not really up on fuel injection, more an old school carby man, but still, sus out the exhaust system for some transient blockage, just to rule that out.
I do understand that temperature senders communicate with f.i. management but how the interface really works I am not sure . If what is happening has ocurred all of a sudden then you can almost bet that a mechanical or electrical component has failed
From what you are describing it seems like some form of mechanical disturbance to timing, maybe ignition, maybe valves, not even sure what engine it is but one thing for sure, I'd be real interested to know your eventual findings, when you reach the end of this, good luck in tracing what it is.
hi found the fault!!! You will never believe it, my dizzy clamp bolt turned out to be just tight enough to make the distributor feel solid and secure, WHEN COLD. when the engine got hot it loosened causing a wondering spark, it must be when the bolt or clamp expands it loosens its hold on the distributor, found it by accident, checked dizzy before I went for a drive all seemed secure, after 20 minutes same old bag of spanner so routine, so I stopped to check and see if anything was/had moved, checked dizzy and it turned!!! Out came my spanners now she doesn't run like a bag of spanners!!!
 
H

hi found the fault!!! You will never believe it, my dizzy clamp bolt turned out to be just tight enough to make the distributor feel solid and secure, WHEN COLD. when the engine got hot it loosened causing a wondering spark, it must be when the bolt or clamp expands it loosens its hold on the distributor, found it by accident, checked dizzy before I went for a drive all seemed secure, after 20 minutes same old bag of spanner so routine, so I stopped to check and see if anything was/had moved, checked dizzy and it turned!!! Out came my spanners now she doesn't run like a bag of spanners!!!
Sounds like you got to the bottom of it.
Do you think it is where it should be now or are you still going to have it checked. How is your idle, nice and steady?
 
Once had a similar thing where I hadn't seated the dizzy properly. Clamped it down but when the engine ran, I traced the noise to the dizzy bouncing up and down on the drive gear
 
Once had a similar thing where I hadn't seated the dizzy properly. Clamped it down but when the engine ran, I traced the noise to the dizzy bouncing up and down on the drive gear
Hi, starting is much improved and the idle settles down a lot quicker, the engine was 'hunting' before but it seems really steady! I can hardly contain my glee, I was starting to scenario all kinds of possible faults. Think I'll still get timing checked out though like you advise, I'm fitting M.S.D. soon and wanted it right before then, just waiting for a part to come from U.S.
It's great to hear advice and tips from all the members on here, thanks to all, YOU ARE NEVER ALONE ON LANDYZONE!! New phrase for 2017!:D
 
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