Help!

I was gunnin my MY00 scoob (clssic) over the down's tonight, then it suddenly big style dropped in power.

It feels almost like it's running on 3 cylinders, and feels very low on power and rough as bugger (the whole car shakes) and smells quite petroly

It idles ok, but it is making a funny tappy sort of noise from the LEFT hand side of the engine.

Ive recorded it here

Please help

Sorry Left hand side, probably makes huge difference

[Edited by zhastaph - 10/16/2003 7:22:48 PM]

 

Oh, and other than a full decat, the car is totally standard.

I don't even have a boost guage though either, though I wouldn't be keen to run it at boost at the mo

 

Poor scooby.
I'm a doctor but I certainly could make that sound any better!!

 

I meant couldn't!!

Sorry!!

 

Don't, I'm really scared. I feel sick

 

From the symptoms you desribe and the noise, it sounds like piston failure to me.
Run it without the oil filler cap on, if it chuffs like buggery out the filler hole my money would be on a piston.

 

oops, double post!

[Edited by Leviathan - 10/16/2003 7:52:40 PM]

 

Ok I've taken the filler off and held my hand over it, it sort of puffs on my hand, bit like blowing repeatedly at it myself?

Not looking good is it

 

Leviathan, sorry mate.

Little bit of hand holding required here, I desperately waiting for you to say, "no that's normal it blows really bad when a piston has gone"???

[Edited by zhastaph - 10/16/2003 8:03:30 PM]

 

If it chuffs in time with the noise, its not good.
It may make it easyer to understand if i can explain what may be happening.
If you have a damaged piston wich is no longer sealing in the bore, (hence down on power and/or running on 3) the charge of air and fuel in the cylinder is forced either down the side of the piston, if you have ring/ring land damage, or if the piston is holed, its forced through the hole and pressurises the sump, hence the chuffing through the oil filler hole.
It will do this in time to the music as it were, excuse the pun!
The only way to be sure is to take it to a garage and get somone to listen.
They may do a compresion test although to an experianced spanner man it shouldnt be nes.

 

Thanks for replying, I'm really scared And your help is really appreciated

1) Would there be a chuff there under normal conditions? As I said, it is about as much as if I blow on my hand myself (not hard, just short little blows)

2) How drivable do you reckon she'd be? I've already driven her 2 miles like it, am I likely to make it worse by driving it?

 

Im afraid that it will blow fairly strong outa there if a piston has given up, you may even see a fairly pronounced puffing of white vapour out of the filler which may smell of fuel quite strong.
Its difficult for me sat here, get somone to have a listen/look!

 

Yeah, sorry, I meant to say, I understand the idea behind the 'chuffing' and why it would do it, which it is. I'm just wondering whether they do it under normal conditions or not?

 

Under normal surcumstances you will get abit of gas coming out the filler, this is 'blow-by' as no piston ring makes a perfect seal in any engine, the question is, how much!
Is it a pronounced chuff chuff chuff as its running? Abit like a steam engine noise?
If i was there, i would probebly know for certain one way or the other.
I dont think id drive it incase i did more damage TBH.

 

They have small amount of air coming out the filler on tick over..

If you rev it slightly it should turn into a suck.. oooeer..

you can pull on the cable mount from under the bonnet to rev it..

Could be something like a broken plug, ht lead off etc..

I wouldn't drive it on 3.. even if it is something simple you risk damaging it further.. if it is something serious then you risk seizing it etc..

Get it checked with a compresion tester and look at the spark plugs, all four should be the same colour when you take them out..
sounds like one won;t be which is the cylinder with the problem..

Hope you sort it

JGM

 

It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, It's fixed, OMG, It's fixed.

Just the HT lead had come off the spark plug, the noise was evidently it cracking against the head

 

Yup, JGM you got it spot on mate.

Fanx for your help too Leviathan.

OMG one very relieved Muppet.

Oh well, back to whence I came

 

what you found?

 

Excellent... glad it was something simple!

JGM

 

You're glad mate!!

I woz close to being sick

 

Sprry Lev, in case you didn't read it amongst the yelling and screaming for joy, the HT lead had poooopped off.

Almost funny when you think about it now

 

well im fooooked
Was that all, you had me going, just goes to show you have to be there. That recording sounded realy serious
Glad its sorted m8

 

LOL..

Worth checking the lead.. and all the others..

you don't want to be overtaking a truck and it come off..

JGM

 

Yeah difficult with the recording, if you listen you can hear the engine over it, problem is I pointed it directly at the noise so it kinda drowned out the noise from the engine, s'pose it made it sound worse than it was.

Though if it woz your scoob your standing in front of making that noise ....

Deep sigh of relief

 

That was lucky, it did sound a bit more sinister.

I bet you're chuffed to buggery!