1.4 under powered

[Bahney]

i have had my bravo now for 5 months and i have only proporly given it a good thrashing now 3 or 4 times, and everytime i seem to have a lot of trouble getting over 75mph it seems to get to 70 then stay there for a while then jump up a few mph, i can get it to about 85 but it seems to take forever and a day, i am flooring the accelerator and there just seems to be no real power there.

in comparison 2nd 3rd gear is speedy as hell, and i can get to 40mph extremly fast (ie speeding away from the lights)

i just cant understand why fiat claim my can can do 100mph ish and i struggle, i assume my car is faulty but what do i look for ? are there any clues what it could be that is causeing the problem, it is due for a service in october so i thought of getting a cripton tune then, will it make a diffrence ? also i am fiting my ice install over the aug bank holiday so i will reset my ecu then (i have to take the battery off for more then 10min)

bearing in mind this is just with me in the car, no passengers and luggage just me

ps. it is a 98 Bravo S (not SX) and it has a full service history has had all the usual things changed and done in the past year. so any help would be much apriciated

 

[Ian (Geforce)]

I had a 1.4S (97 P) and I did 105mph flat out. Getting over 100 wasn't really a problem though!

Still.. I've no idea about why you can't get yours that fast!

Ian.

 

[matty]

Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

i have a 1.4sx and mines got no probs doing over 100, i think u might have a problem there. try using some redex to clean the injectors or something, take it to a garage n ask them maybe?

matty

 

[christian]

Re: Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

What gear are you in when accelerating at 70mph.


Trust me if your not in forth gear put it in 4th and put your foot flat to the floor. You top end will be better in forth and you will get there a million times quicker. Don't worry about damaging your engine as it will have a rev limiter and it shouldn't reach that unless you can get it to do 110mph in 4th!!

See if that helps

let us know

 

[christian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

P.S. once you get over 90mph you should find 5th gear to be that little bit more effective.

I had a citroen zx 1.4i and you could never use 5th gear to accelerate anywhere and that was a fast car.

 

[Bahney]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

thanks for the replys guys, i have already tried the redex but that hasent really done anything.

i just let her loose on the way home and this is what i managed

25mph in 1st
45 in 2nd
65 in 3rd
75 in 4th
88 in 5th

that was smooth as well not really hitting the limit of my engine.

when i hit 88 my car just seemed to have no ummph.

i realise there is no need for me to go above 70 and i rarley do but i think it may be affecting my speeds in the lower gears hence i am asking.

any more ideas ?

 

[Aidey]

Ian don't you remember 130mph

 

[Dave]

Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

I have an S reg 1.4sx and i have no trouble getting to 100mph. I even got just over 120mph out of it with still alittle to go. Still find it pushes after 100mph with no problem. As above try using redex to clean out the injector cos i find that makes the throttle response and the car does run alot smoother!
I have got a K&N air filter in my car and that has helped.
If the problem persists, go get it checked out!

Hope u sort it out!

 

[christian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 1.4 under powered

you def should be able to get lots more than 75 in 4th. Are you sure thats all its got?



You got a rev meter on your car. Try flooring you car when in neutral. You engine should blip quite violently as it will hit the rev limiter. If you have a revs meter u should be able to see the engine reving to its limit if its correct.


Has you accelerator cable come slack. That happened on my ZX and limited my top speed to 90mph. Bare in mind that the rev the engine to its limit when its under less load i.e. will require less gas so for example you car may be ok in 1st or 2nd and then start to run out of gas in 4th or 5th.

 

[Trev]

100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

My 1997 Bravo 1.4SX will top 100mph easy, its just stopping it thats the problem! Brakes judder violently,
so i just crawl about for now until i can fix this problem! Any idead's anyone. Done the usual, discs, drums pads and shoes, and bleed the system, it seems to be the rear thats the problem, but what????????????

 

[Tom]

Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

Did you ensure that the inside of the drums were spotlessly clean, all the moving bits were free and well greased and have you dried using a bit of sandpaper to ease the leading edge of the friction material on the shoe?

 

[Bahney]

Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

Tom i have absouloutly no idea what you just said, lol

unfortunatly i don't have a rev limiter and i have done the whole redex thing and hasent helped, i am flooring it when i am in 5th and i can get to 88, just seemed a little odd to me thats all, i will get it checked out my a mechanic friend of mine and see what he thinks, anything i can point him to ?

i mean it isnt a massive problem is is just something that has made me think, but it has been reassuring knowing all the other 1.4's can top 100 easy, i dident want to post and be told i am an idiot and thats all they can do

thanks for all the replys guys i apriciate it.

so what should i ask my mechanic to look at ? what can i narrow it down to being ?

ps. it had new spark plugs and ht leads in december, dunno if that makes a diffrence or not.

 

[Ian (Geforce)]

Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

Aidey yeah! but that was downhillish.

Got caught doing 115 today in my 1.9TD with 4 people in the car and a full sound system, was on a flat too @ 4,000rpm. (redline is 4,500)

Oops

 

[SchumaniaC]

Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

I got booked doing 120mph in my 1.6...oops. My rev counter was showing 4000rpm on 5th......

.
.
.
The Bravo...different day, different sh!t

 

[Wimmy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

I've had my clock showing 120mph in my 1.2!!!! Obbviously it was downhill and I guess that my clock is way out. Nikki was behind me in her HGT doing the same but hers showed 125mph.

Also, this was obviously on a private road

 

[christian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

The 1.2 16v is much faster than the manufacturers stats show. I got 110mph out of it on a short section of road (private road! ) which i could only get 105mph out of my modified 1.4 ZX which did 0-60 in 9 seconds.

 

[Bahney]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

lol i love all this "private road" stuff we all blatantly know it was on a motorway

 

[Wimmy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

Shhhhh, lol

 

[christian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

U with the slow car problem
Another few things for you to consider:


- Are you going up a hill when you testing????
- Check you accelerator cable has not come slack (they do stretch over time)
- Check your brakes aren't sticking by spinning the wheels whilst the car is jacked.
- Check you air filter is not clogged and ducting
- Check your exhaust is not blowing
- Check your car doesn't constantly run of the hot air from the heatshield (Some cars duct to the heatshield and the front of the car - cold air) When the engine warms up the supply will switch to cold air. Sometimes the method of switching goes faulty - cure permatenetly switch it too cold air.
- Check you HT leads (Leads going to spark plugs) are on tight, you may be running on 3 cylinders. (Cause major power loss)
- Check your distributer is clean and the HT leads going to them are tight. (Cause major power loss)
- Check your fuel filter is not clogged.
- Try a different petrol from a different company/pump. Don't use Super unleaded or Shell optimax.

If you have done all then perhaps you could take your car to a car doctor.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 100mph easy, its stopping thats the problem!!!!

thanks for your advice christian, i will give those a go this weekend and see if i can find anything suspect.

but just 1 thing though why not use super unleaded ? i go to 3 seperate petrol stations (which ever i am closest) and as far as i can tell that and diesel is all they sell.