Rover running problem, HELP!!!!!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Has anyone got any suggestions about this one. Driving to work yesterday my Rover suddenly started ‘kangarooing’ terribly, totally undriveable like. I got off the A500 and got into a car-park and had a look, but I coudnt see any obvious problems. It will start and idle, and with no load it revs up smooth as smooth as you like. But, as soon as the tiniest load goes on, like pulling away gently in first gear, the kangarooing is back with a vengeance. When it does it the rev counter goes completely mental suggesting theres a fault on the ignition side rather than the fuel side. I got the RAC out and their man spent a couple of hours buggering about trying to cure it – we both thought it was the coil, so i ran off and bought a new one, which he fitted. But, that made no difference whatsoever. Sometimes it’ll do one massive kangaroo after which it won’t start straight away, when that happens theres no spark at all. Inside the dizzy cap is clean and dry and the rotor arm is in good nick. The HT leads are pretty new, and the MEMS management doesn’t have a MAP sensor as such, its integrated in the ECU (a vacuum pipe goes from the intake manifold directly to the ECU).

 

I am completely at a loss even to know where to start looking, I suppose i’ll check the wires to the coil (both of which come from the ECU I think) if I cant see any problem there i’m gonna be stumped.

 

This problem could spell the end for my beloved 220SLi if i cant crack it, so all ideas welcome. My Mrs is already making noises about ‘why don’t you spend some money and get a reliable car’ (ignoring the fact that i’ve now covered 35,000 trouble free miles since I ‘did’ the engine and gearbox)

[Craig the Princess]

Sounds similar to the symptoms when the Crank Sensor gave up on my Rover 414.

[ashmicro]

Blocked fuel tank breather? My mark 2 Goof did something broadly similar. It was compressing the fuel tank as no air could get in to let the fuel out, but the pump was still trying. Long shot. Take the petrol cap off.

[RobT]

As said above, could be crank sensor with those symptoms, although the fuel filler off and then on again is also a good easy check to do.

 

I've been told MEMs ECUs are normally more reliable than the Lucas Hotwire ones (or whatever they're called) so I'd bank on it being a sensor.

[Rod/b]

The consensus OVER HERE is crank sensor too, Senor Bol.

[Lankytim]

When my Volvo 940 16v started to do something similar it turned out to be the crank sensor. The rev counter started to go a bit mental too!

 

I'd swap that first and see what happens.

[Shep Shepherd]

When my Volvo 940 16v started to do something similar it turned out to be the crank sensor. The rev counter started to go a bit mental too!

 

I'd swap that first and see what happens.

 

Exactly the same thing happened to The Volvo back in 2007

[Lufthansa-Terminal]

Have you tried hammering a 1400cc one over it or failing that Felly will be on soon with all the info

[M'coli]

I was about to say that some 12ish-posts-a-day gobshite will be on here to tell you to get rid as soon as because being an old Rover it'll be nothing but trouble and good rid at that...

 

On the other hand, you need to sort out what is causing the spark not to be present when under load. It could be as easy as a wire worn through the loom and the engine movement allowing it to short, or something else distributor related like the plug leads aging and interfering with the speed signal, to the aforementioned crannk sensor.

[cort16]

I can't help with the fault but this Rover MUST NOT DIE. After seing all the effort that went into putting an engine etc in it on the RR thread it'd be a shame to see it dead.

[Shep Shepherd]

I can't help with the fault but this Rover MUST NOT DIE. After seing all the effort that went into putting an engine etc in it on the RR thread it'd be a shame to see it dead.

 

Agreed!

[rover420]

Exactly the same thing happened when I had my 420 si. It was the crank sensor, had it replaced and drove it for another 2 years

[Andrew353w]

Starting from the standpoint of a Rover Mini repairer, as opposed to a bigger Rover, I'm tempted to offer the following, based on your symptoms. You say that the car revs happily and normally when NOT under load, but can't pull the proverbial "skin off a rice pudding" when under load (ie., in gear & shifting the car's weight) The problem is therefore exacerbated by the loading of the car. I'm thinking something like defective or damaged HT leads, although it's only a thought. The other thing in might be it the disconnection of the vacuum pipe from either the manifold or the ECU. Incidentally, does the car have a flame box? It's a small box that is between the inlet manifold & the ECU & its purpose is to prevent hot gasses from the manifold reaching the ECU. It might be worth checking the pipes are all on properly there. If they're damaged, it's an easy job to replace them.

[Cavcraft]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-220-420 ... 3cbdf243c1

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hmm, fairly strong views in favour of the crank sensor then. I might get one and try it for lack of any other ideas, only thing is though if its that, why does putting a load on the engine send it potty? It runs well enough at whatever speed if you are just sitting there in neutral.

 

Incidentally when i say the rev counter goes mental, i dont mean the engine revs up all over the place, I just mean that when the engine is faltering the rev counter starts leaping about like a mad thing.

 

This problem came on all of a sudden so i dont think its a vacuum build-up in the tank.

[M'coli]

Think about what could cause that if it's a physical thing - what is the engine straining against that it isn't when it's not under load, that sort of thing. I don't have an answer, just thinking through it logically.

[meggersdog]

Crank sensor isn't going to make the rev counter have an epi fit but an earth strap might.

[Craig the Princess]

Crank sensor isn't going to make the rev counter have an epi fit but an earth strap might.

 

 

It did on the 414, the bugger when haywire.

[cobblers]

Crank sensor isn't going to make the rev counter have an epi fit but an earth strap might.

 

It will if that's where the ECU and clocks get their signal

[Lankytim]

Crank sensor isn't going to make the rev counter have an epi fit but an earth strap might.

 

 

Thats what I thought, but they do!

[meggersdog]

I'll get me coat

[hairnet]

split in air hose (fiesta no kanga but did get the revs all over the place thing)

 

afm

 

crank sensor

[cms206]

My boss's 230-odd thousand mile kettle powered 416 Tourer is currently doing similar things, and he's replaced bloody everything to no avail. I'll see what he says, he's got about half a dozen R8s just now...

[rover420]

My rev counter went absolutely mental and it was definately the crank sensor

[RobT]

Does anyone know if a 200/400 crank sensor will fit a 2 litre EFi Montego, as I also need to replace mine after doing the coil, plugs etc to no avail.

 

Cheers

[ifc63]

An easy one to check is the dizzy cap. My sister had a 214Si a few years ago with similar erratic running. I checked all the usual inc. the cap which looked fine, no cracks or damage. Eventually I gave up and put it into a friend's workshop thinking along the lines of crank sensor/ECU. Very soon he was back on saying it was fixed. New cap/rotor arm had cured it even though I had convinced myself they were OK. Can't remember if the rev counter went erratic though, can't even remember if it had a rev counter !!!

[Pete-M]

Does the Bolleaux spec Rover not have OBD?

 

I'm sure that awful 827 I owned had a little led under the drivers seat that would flash fault codes, would be surprising if the R8 didn't have something similar at the same age.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Honda-powered rovers have a completely different engine management system to Rover-powered Rovers so I haven’t got a flashing-light tell-tale thingy unfortunately. It does have a diagnostic plug, but it’s from the days before standardised OBD efforts. So to get it interrogated I think i’d have to take it along to the local Rover main dealer, which i could do - if they hadn’t closed in about 2005 ‘LOL’

[ashmicro]

Honda flash codes are different Pete. My 94 214SEi had a breakout box near the MEMS unit (3 pin IIRC) but that was a K and Boll's car is a T.

[ashmicro]

I have an pre EOBD code reader. Wait out and I'll see if I can find it, maybe give you some idea of what to look for.

 

EDIT:

 

 

This is it, and it appears to work. Neither of the 2 adapter leads that come with it is for a Rover, but they are simple 2 or 3 pin affairs, which could be modified to connect to the Rover breakout box I'd imagine. Let me know if you want this Boll, but bear in mind it'll take a day or four to get from Northern Ireland.