SENATOR-Gone!

[Royale80]

I always like roof bars on cars as they are useful for picking things up. Remembered today that I had a set in the garage that I bought for my Renault 9 over 20 years ago. Found them in the roof area and not a speck of rust!

 

Now on Senator ready to pick some wood up tomorrow!

 

 

Steve

[Royale80]

Now with working sunroof for the two days of summer!

 

In for MOT in a week or so.

 

 

Steve

[fordperv]

All you need to do is strap a pair of ropey looking ladders on them bars for that 90s street furniture look

[Royale80]

Another MOT passed!

[AndySnapper]

Another MOT passed!

 

Congrats on that!

[Royale80]

Still going strong apart from hot starting-still a bloody pain. Takes a few seconds churning to catch. Sounds like a leaky injector-thought i had found it-put a known good one in-but still the same. Will change the others. Drivers elecy window playing up-will have another look at it. Also need to get heaters working for winter-I think its a sticky heater valve-when I blew into the heater pipe last year forcing water the wrong way-it worked until I made the mistake of turning the temp down on the dash.  Steve

 

[w00dy]

Lovely. I briefly had a Monza 3.0E in the same colours and still miss that Velour!

[Royale80]

Out to Aldis this morning in the Senator. Fine on the way-initially started after shopping the cut out. Thought it was the problem i get with it that if it is left for a while after being warm  it takes a lot of cranking to start-usually instantaneous starting when cold (changed everything apart from injectors-could possibly be a leaky injector).

 

Tried a few times but not catching. 

 Walked home got a few tools (myself included) and went back in the Sierra. Took out plugs-bone dry. Checked fuses and hit relays-still nothing. Got underneath and bashed the fuel pum0p and started immediately.

 

So new pump and filter ordered. The design on these is crap-the filter comes after the pump-so any shit in the tank hits the pump first.

 

Steve

[mat_the_cat]

It may be worth adding a pre-filter, of a coarser medium. That should protect the pump to some extent without being too restrictive to draw through, and will extend the lifespan of the fine filter.

[Royale80]

Will try and find a pre pump filter. Nearly got one for my Royale but lost the link. Will have a gander.

 

Steve

[Royale80]

New pump and filter on this morning. Starting a lot quicker when warm.

 

Only problem was I smacked my head on something underneath and had to resort to using oily rags to stem the flow of blood.

 

Steve

D

[Royale80]

Update-back to the hot start problems (and sometimes cold)

 

Removed pulsation damper.

Swapped injection relay for one off the Royale.

Still the same-90% of the time it starts first turn from cold-but leave it 30 mins after a run and it can the up to 5 seconds of churning to get it to start-which it does with the revs rising to up to 2500 for a burst.

 

When it refused to start a couple of months ago-I hit the pump area with a wrench and it started immediately-and did immediately hot or cold until I replaced the pump and filter with new ones. It was fine for about a month but is now back to as it was.

 

Items I've changed

Fuel Filter
Pump
ECU
Injection Relay
Removed pulsation damper.

 

Only thing I can think of is perhaps debris in the tank-it had the tank resealed before I purchased it.

I'll take the fuel pipe off the tank and see how the flow is.

Steve

[Guest Hooli]

Depending on how well the tank was sealed that could be your issue. I know in the motorbike world it's quite common for a badly prepped tank to have pealing sealant inside which causes no end of issues with fuel pickups & filters.

[Tetleysmooth]

The hot start syndrome is common with the A and B Senator. There's a fix for it knocking about t'internet somewhere.

It involves wiring and a relay. I actually did it myself on a Senator B in the far distant past.

Buggered if I can remember how though.

[Royale80]

Thanks both, am also going to try an additional earth wire to the pump terminal.

 

Steve

[AndySnapper]

I had a hot starting problem on an Omega 2.5 diesel and it was cured by the addition of a gadget bought on Ebay, that made the EMS think the engine was always cold. Your Senator isn't a diesel though but maybe shares a common fault in the EMS.

 

It's a right PITA though!

 

Andy

[Royale80]

Still having problems starting with the Senator (3.0 injection).

 

Usually starts immediately from cold-but when warm and left for a while-takes up to 5 seconds of churning for it to start -when warm/hot and left for a few mins-it starts immediately. It's now started to do it when cold.

 

Have changed coolant sensor, ecu, MAF, petrol pump, filter and removed the petrol pressure damper.

 

Did think I had fixed it once when it wouldn't start in the local Aldis' Hit the pump with my jack handle and it started immediately hot or cold. I suspected the pump, put a new one on and it was perfect for about a month-then it went back to it's old ways.

 

Next think I am going to try is running the car from a petrol can, i.e. disconnecting the pipe from the tank and extending it to put into a petrol jack. This will hopefully see whether or not I've got a problem with the pick up in the tank or the tank itself. The tank was resealed before i got it.

 

Will keep informed.

 

Steve

[Asimo]

Injectors? If they are dribbling whilst engine is stopped the mixture would initially be too rich but would lean off with prolonged cranking.

[Royale80]

Did check and replaced a couple-may be worth checking again.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Bradders59]

When I had hot starting problems with my straight 6 Viceroy many years ago, I investigated all kinds of possibilities and eventually noticed that the electrical connector to the auto choke had fallen , off so the choke was permanently on, preventing hot starting.

Unlikely its something as simple causing your problem, but sometimes we overlook the simple things.

[Angrydicky]

Good luck with sorting it out Steve. I can't offer any useful advice apart from to say that my Royale was always a pig to start when hot (and not much better when cold to be fair)

[stuboy]

there a beautiful pair

[Bren]

Is there a filter in the tank?

[Royale80]

Thanks Bren.

 

There’s no filter in the tank-only a gauze I think on the pick up. I don’t like the design at all-the main filter is after the pump. I was looking at fitting a pre filter between the tank and pump.

 

The Royale fires up instantly hot or cold.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Bren]

I wonder if some detrius is blocking the gauze filter?

 

I remember reading about somebody who bought a new tank for their VDP EFi SD1 who then had starting / running issues - a piece of coating was loose in the tank and when running would get sucked onto the pick up.

[Royale80]

That's what i was thinking. The tank was sealed just before I bought it. I'm going to run it off a petrol can to see if it makes any difference.

 

Thanks

 

Stev e

[Royale80]

Have been using the Senator back and forth to work this week. Still a pain to start even when cold. Only fires instantly if left for 15 mins or so.
Went to start it in work and on spinning over it made a "phut" sound- similar to the sound when an engine backfires through the carb when the timing is way out. It then started.

Will have to investigate a bit further!

Steve

[Royale80]

Another MOT passed. Advisory on a steering joint-will get one and change it. Still needs a bit of churning to start when left warm. Will change pipe from tank to pump and also use the compressor to blow back into the tank in case there is muck on the pick up.

 

Steve

[Royale80]

Been doing a little over the last week. Rustproofed one of the front wheelarches as a bit of surface rust. Wire wheel, Vactan, stonechip and spray underseal.

The under neath is very good-I think it was rustproofed from new. Noticed quite a few scabs on the sill so attacked them today. The sills are solid. The doors are a bit dodgy-but I have a set of 4 rus tfree doors in the same colour that I will put on one day. Angle grinder and flapdisc on rust followed by Vactan. Will then paint in epoxy primer and 30 year old yellow gloss the same as the other side. Doesn't look pretty but will keep the rust at bay until it gets to summer.

And the other side which i did last year

[Royale80]

Leaving for it's new home!