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        General >> Problems >> Gone a bit lumpy!
        
(Message started by: Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 11:15am)

Title: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 11:15am

Just been away for the weekend with our caravan in our 12v 2.9. First time we'd towed with this car, and if I'm honest a bit disappointed. Very little guts for the hills, and my old Volvo 940Turbo Manual would have put it to huge shame despite only being a 2 Litre. Maybe it's because it's an automatic. I haven't towed with an automatic before. Just assumed it would have had loads of oomph being almost a 3L.

Anyway. weather fine until Sunday when we woke to absolutely torrential rain. Went out for the day, as we have relatives in the area (Weymouth), and then returned to our caravan in the evening. Parked up and all fine. Car dry, and running fine.

Monday morning. packing the car up and my wife notices that the passenger footwell is VERY wet.
Put it down to a leaky screen and drove home again through torrential rain. Absolutely NO problem all the way.

Dropped the caravan off where we store it, and then started for home which is about 15 miles away.

First 8 miles, no problem. Pulled up at a set of lights, no problem. Shifted from N to D and the car stalled. First time ever.

Managed to re-start, and it sounded as though we'd lost power on a plug, as the whole car was juddering.
Cleared, and we drove home. Did it once more on the way home, and I zapped the accelerator which cleared it, so I'm pretty sure it's engine related.

This morning, I thought I'd just check over, and all seems to be OK. Starts and runs fine, but then occasionally sounds as though there's a rumble under the car even parked in the drive in P or N with the engine running.

Took the battery cover off, as I've read some horror stories on here about them, and all the fuses are dry, and the battery is OK, but UNDER the battery, there is some pretty horrible corrosion, which I hadn't noticed, and which will have to be sorted.

I am wondering if the water in the footwell has gone in through the corrosion. it seems VERY likely. Like I said, the rain was horrendous, and we had over 24 hours of it.

Question is this..........Is there anything between the battery area and the passenger footwell which could have got water into it, and be causing these symptoms?

Before I start taking parts off, it may be that there is something that I can go straight to and find the problem.

Somebody has had the upper carpet (going under the dash) in the footwell out before, so it may be an old problem which has returned.

Thanks for any ideas. Car is still running. Starts and moves OK, just gets all lumpy for a few seconds here and there. Best way I can describe it is like an intermittant duff plug, but I think that with the mileage that we'd done, and the heat of the engine, damp under the bonnet is pretty remote. When it does it, there is quite strong vibration under the car which I'm not too happy with.

Thanks for any ideas. :)

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by jonnycab on Jun 27^th, 2006, 12:09pm

The PCM is in that area :o

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Dave on Jun 27^th, 2006, 12:49pm

Check the drain holes as here too:

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/drainholes

Could the windscreen be leaking? Or door seals?

EDIT There are also 2 earth points in the engine bay just below the battery area, check these for dirt and corrosion too.

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 12:53pm

OK I'll go and check that out.

It just seems strange that this has come on after a lot of rain. Car was running perfectly until then.

At least I can check out if it's wet!!

Many thanks. May have to look at a second hand one if it's f***ed!!

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Dave on Jun 27^th, 2006, 12:56pm

It could be as simple as plugs or leads shorting out in the damp atmosphere. Are these, as well as the distributor cap, rotor arm etc all in good nick?

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 1:18pm

Have now taken the PCM out. Lots of water round the pins in one corner. Will clean and dry it out, and then come back. Will photo, and post.

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:01pm

Jonnycab:

STAR of the Day award is yours!! The box was wet, and I had wondered why that bit of carpet had been lifted before. I've taken the top off the box, and VERY carefully dried out all the pins. Done the same to the loom plug in the car. Dried everything off with an old hairdryer that my wife was going to sling ages ago (Wouldn't let me use her new one) :o.
Just plugged it all back in, and it's all running beautifully again. Just had a test drive round the houses, and it all seems to be running 100%.
HUGE sigh of relief. i really thought at one stage that I'd screwed the gearbox after towing the caravan!!

Jonnycab.....I owe you a MONSTER beer if we ever meet!! I've only just got a new job (starting next week), after a year of redundancy and agency work, so a big bill now would have been goodbye to the Scorp.

Thanks Buddy. Very sincerely......THANKS!! I'll get the photo sorted right now, and post it.

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:30pm

OK. Photo of a VERY wet ECU. The pins affected were extremely wet, and the lower left one is a little loose. I think I'll have to keep an eye open for a 2nd hand unit just in case.

Also a picture of my Scorp.

Thanks again.

http://i52.photobucket.chttp://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g25/xtr42gpnd/Scorpiopicture4.jpgom/albums/g25/xtr42gpnd/ECU2.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g25/xtr42gpnd/Scorpiopicture4.jpg

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:36pm

Don't know what happened to the first image. Try this!!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g25/xtr42gpnd/ECU2.jpg

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by jonnycab on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:44pm

Do I get a medal? ;D

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:50pm

No, run out of them, but if you are ever in Torquay (or that area), then you are going to go home VERY drunk!!

Thanks M8 :D

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by jonnycab on Jun 27^th, 2006, 2:57pm

Cheers Spanners. I definately won't forget an offer like that. :D
All the best

Title: Re: Gone a bit lumpy!
Post by Spannerdemon on Jun 27^th, 2006, 3:19pm

You too. ;D ;D :D

You've really cheered my day up!!

Thanks. Bye for now.