Hi all,

I'm getting fed up with this now and sorry for those who recall my previous posts on the topic.

Every year when the Spring comes I get the same problem - lack of performance once she has warmed up. All is fine when she's cold, as soon as the temperature gauge passes about 70 degrees sluggishness ensues. If I push hard on the accelerator to the "turbo" button under the pedal it will kick in and go but normal acceleration is just slow and really struggles - she even stalled out on me yesterday at a roundabout and almost wouldn't fire up again - embarassing for a few minutes...

Had to left-foot brake home to keep the revs up each time I stopped, and then pulling off was sluggish again. It's as if once she reaches 2,500rpm or so she comes back to life, but getting to that is the hard part.

I have had the distributors changed 3 times now in the last 4 years and this always solves the problem but I can't believe that is the answer - a new set pretty much each year (costly too!). It's not like I don't use her over winter either as I do. Just that the spring brings these problems again. Winter does have similar issues, however they take longer to manifest.

Symptoms are, once at temperature, hunting at idle which starts by just jumping around 100rpm or so, but can be fluctuating by 400rpm by the time it's really got going, hence the cut-out yesterday. Reverse is the same, although in Neutral it is more stable, but still hunts a bit.

So my question is, where else can I be looking at this? I just want to know that she is reliable again - I don't trust her at all at the moment so hesitate using her, however my main car is going for MOT in 4 weeks and I know it's going to be a bad one and may be off the road for a few days - I need the SL running confidently so that I can use it in the Jag's absence.

Any other thoughts greatly appreciated.

And sorry if this sounds like a rant - it's been a bit of a brain dump of frustration.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

TMW

 

So, with an obvious temp-related issue, you can (or already did) check the temp sensors for the engine, the idle control valve receives a signal to alter the mixture so I would check that system as well. After that, I would examine the throttle body since from what you describe it is a mixture issue and that would be the center point for all of this to look at. Still, the throttle body can get expensive so I would start the periphery and work my way in. Just an idea of where to start...

 

Thanks for the latter response.


Idle control valve has been checked and replaced previously - guess it's possible it's gone again?


Temp Sensors not checked yet - will start and see.


Regards


TMW

 

The idle control valve gets the operating parameters from the engine control module so it is possible for something to be wrong there as well. Or the wiring harness could have a break or short in it. The signal the ECM sends is a pulse wave electricity that changes frequency depending on the operating temp so it is a possibility as well. Still, like I said, this peripheral stuff is much less of a problem to work on than the throttle body so that is where I would start.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you!