Loosing power YET AGAIN I need your guys brains !!!

I managed to get insurance for my mpv , took 2 seats out and insured it with 4 ! BOOM !!

Had an on going problem that has got worse, Sometimes it will not start, Starter seems good, battery seems good, Then a few times whilst driving I have lost power and it stalled then will not start ! this has happened 4 times, 3 of those times I was dropping it own to second to go round a corner or roundabout and it lost power and stalled. I tried easy start spay in air intake. started up 2nd time after that and is running so quiet that I can hardly hear the engine ( not like that before ) also one time when it was stubborn I go it started and gave it some revs and it went lumpy then stalled !

I bought some fuel cleaner which I have yet to put in and try. Could this be fuel filter or pump ???

So an update on this problem. I thought it had gone away but it came back the other day. Again 3 times in one day when I changed from 3rd to 2nd ! Will adjusting the throttle to give it a few more revs help ??? it idles very quiet when this happens and a few times its cut out at roundabout and I have not noticed coz it idles so quiet !!

Any ideas thrown my way would be greatly appreciated

Where are you?

HighlyJetted wrote:Where are you?

I am in wiltshire !! long way from cheshire !

Few days ago the engine waning light came on so today I read the thread about diagnosing the flashing lights, After breaking my back for 10 mines I found the plug, got paperclip in it. engine light flashed constant, guess this means no codes ( errors ) to feedback !!

Lost power today when just driving, not changing gear , Turning Etc Etc , pulled over turned key and it started 1st time ! off I went ! I am not really sure what to look for with this problem as my mechanics knowledge is very very limited !! this loosing power always seems to happen with in a mileish of the start of my journey !

I would mess with the 2 little wires on the battery positive terminal.

HighlyJetted wrote:I would mess with the 2 little wires on the battery positive terminal.

That will be done 1st thing in the morning !! Cheers for reply

HighlyJetted wrote:I would mess with the 2 little wires on the battery positive terminal.

messed with the wires ! nothing to report really. took terminals off , checked the wires for kinks , breaks etc and nothing. but them back on, tightened them up a bit more. drove off and got to same junction and it happened again, this time slightly different. stopped at junction put it in 1st, went to pull away and nothing, it had not stalled but it seemed like i was not gear , took it out of gear and back in and still nothing. done this a few times then it pulled away. I had cd on so i can not be sure but i heard no revs !! carried on journey fine. later i went out to get bread ( 2 min drive ) got bread, tried starting van and nothing. Took 6 times of cranking it over to start it. When i got back i left it ticking over and revved it and checked the lights to see if they dimmed but the stayed bright. I did hear the fan belt squeak the other day but only once for a few seconds. Is this an alternator problem ?? how would i find out without meters to test etc ?????

No, not an alternator problem.

Without messing with it in person I can't offer you much support.

What year van is it?

HighlyJetted wrote:No, not an alternator problem.

Without messing with it in person I can't offer you much support.

What year van is it?

its a 2001 ! cheers for your honesty ! like I said I am not great with mechanics but need to get to the bottom of this somehow !!

Has it got an obd2 port under the dash on the drivers side, and can you borrow a scanner that does live data?

HighlyJetted wrote:Has it got an obd2 port under the dash on the drivers side, and can you borrow a scanner that does live data?

Not sure what one of those are ?? i googled it and i guess its to plug the scanner in ? it does not seem i have one. just the little white 4 pin plug in thing !!

Lost power again at a junction then would not start for 10 mins !! think i need to take it to a mechanic !

If i find out what it is i will update as i am sure someone will find this useful !! cheers for your responses tho

Is the bottom of the fuel tank dented in?

HighlyJetted wrote:Is the bottom of the fuel tank dented in?

Not that i know of but i will check this later after work. The other day i changed the airfilter to a k & n filter, next day it stalled twice within a few mins of journey and would not restart for a good 10 - 15 mins ! today i left it ticking over for 5 mins then drove and it drove fine but may just be a coincidence. I also filled it up the day before as in the past it seems when tank is half full it stalls more but that was not the case. Took fuel cap off to see if it was vapour lock ! did not help easy start spray did not help when it stalled yesterday i tried to start it about 10 times in the space of 5 mins and battery started to die.

No dents to report. I clean throttle body yesterday and checked the pipe from airfilter for splits but nothing, today it was idling so quiet I thought it had stalled !!

Well if your shoving easy start down it and it won't start, then you don't have a fuel system issue.

HighlyJetted wrote:Well if your shoving easy start down it and it won't start, then you don't have a fuel system issue.

Excellent, that's narrowed it down a bit !! So I guess I am looking towards fuel pump, fuel filter, injectors ?? I know that the fuel gauge is not working properly as when I 1st got the van it said half a tank but I ran out of fuel. I always wondered if it dragged up some shit from the bottom of the tank !

Would there be anything else to check ??

Oh an cheers again, More help than any mechanic !

Re read what I wrote! "DON'T" have a fuel system issue.

If you did have a fuel issue, it would run on the easy start obviously!

You most likey have an issue that is stopping the whole management system from running, or just the ignition system.

HighlyJetted wrote:Re read what I wrote! "DON'T" have a fuel system issue.

If you did have a fuel issue, it would run on the easy start obviously!

You most likey have an issue that is stopping the whole management system from running, or just the ignition system.

School boy error !!

ok , so more likely to be electrical ?

Tell me:-

When you turn your ignition key on, does your engine warning light come on?

When it won't start, is your engine warning light on or off?

HighlyJetted wrote:Tell me:-

When you turn your ignition key on, does your engine warning light come on?

When it won't start, is your engine warning light on or off?

When I turn the key, all dash lights come on and when it starts they go off like normal. When it cuts out all lights come on as in a stall !! engine warning light came on once when driving for a min then went away !

When I turn the key it cranks starter but takes a second or 2 too fire up. Today and a couple of otherdays I have been driving normal and when accelerating the power drops off for a second ! like its pulling back a bit then carries on as normal. I had a similar thing with my other van but that was a loose ht lead which I guess was causing a misfire ? When I start it and it idles quiet I know that in a mile or 2 when I change gear the revs will drop off and it will stall and not start again for 10 or so mins

Oh I am also getting not very good mpg out of it ( or at least I think ! ) not to sure if that's related to the problem or the fact I am tighter than a fat womans leggings !!

Needs some tests doing - my first test would be to shove a pressure gauge on the fuel line to to check the fuel pressure regulator and pump are working OK.

Then I would connect a timing light to the ignition system, then drive it till it cuts out and see if the timing light is still flashing.

HighlyJetted wrote:Needs some tests doing - my first test would be to shove a pressure gauge on the fuel line to to check the fuel pressure regulator and pump are working OK.

Then I would connect a timing light to the ignition system, then drive it till it cuts out and see if the timing light is still flashing.

Had to google both of these