Technical Coil pack question

[ratty99]

Having looked around its clear that there are 2 types of coil pack, 1 or 2 fixings, might be a daft question, but can I tell which one I have with no removal of anything, purely visual?

Cheers
1998 in black

 

[Wiltshire Chris]

1998 is a tricky year as the part numbers changed that year. Best way is to use your VIN in ePer to identify the right ones. The page below shows the three options:

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - FIAT BARCHETTA (1995-2004) | FIAT ePER - Online spare parts catalogue

eper.fiatforum.com

 

[ratty99]

1998 is a tricky year as the part numbers changed that year. Best way is to use your VIN in ePer to identify the right ones. The page below shows the three options:

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - FIAT BARCHETTA (1995-2004) | FIAT ePER - Online spare parts catalogue

eper.fiatforum.com

Ok great, so I should be able to rely on the eper in conjunction with the vin yes?

 

[s130]

Also you can easily remove the central top cover plate. This only cover the coils so no oil or other seals involved. Yuo will be able to clearly see if there are one or two bolts securing the coil packs. Can all be done in 10 minutes or less. This would be definitive.

 

[ratty99]

Also you can easily remove the central top cover plate. This only cover the coils so no oil or other seals involved. Yuo will be able to clearly see if there are one or two bolts securing the coil packs. Can all be done in 10 minutes or less. This would be definitive.

Perfect thanks

 

[Wiltshire Chris]

Also you can easily remove the central top cover plate. This only cover the coils so no oil or other seals involved. Yuo will be able to clearly see if there are one or two bolts securing the coil packs. Can all be done in 10 minutes or less. This would be definitive.

Much the better way of doing it!

 

[Davefridge]

Can I ask why you need to know about the coil packs?

 

[ratty99]

Hi, I am having some slight misfire under acceleration, not much, runs great at steady speed, generally spot on, but under load, there I is definitely a hesitation, feels like maybe just one cylinder. Recently replaced timing belt and spark plugs, the mechanic I'm using has had two barchettas and had same problem on one of his, reckons changing the coil packs could solve it.

Any comments more than welcome, thanks

 

[s130]

Always difficult this.

It is worth double checking the cam belt timing, however would probably need to be off by more than one tooth to be really noticeable. Were the correct timing tools used?

Spark plugs. In the last two years I have had issues with NEW NGK plugs. Out 130TC suddenly developed poor starting and when finally running it was gutless. I first thought that when the car was transported during a house move the driver may have over revved the engine. I later diagnosed a fault plug. Put 4 brand new plugs in and all was OK. Then a little while later similar problem. Due to time constraints I just put another set of new plugs in and all was OK.

If it were me I would try another set of new plugs, ensuring they are the correct ones. If problem still persists then go for the coil packs.

Whilst throwing parts at a car is not always the correct and economical solution it is often the easiest solution to tricky to diagnose issues. A bonus is that you do then have spares in stock for future use.

 

[Davefridge]

Long time ago I had a developing misfire from cold on one cylinder. Couldn't possibly be the spark plugs 'cos they were only a few months old , right? It was a faulty plug, NGK, I've always used em. I use Bosch twin electrode plugs now.

 

[ratty99]

Long time ago I had a developing misfire from cold on one cylinder. Couldn't possibly be the spark plugs 'cos they were only a few months old , right? It was a faulty plug, NGK, I've always used em. I use Bosch twin electrode plugs now.

Cheers all, so the problem existed before the plugs and timing belt were changed, so pretty unlikely its related to either of these.

I was out in the hills today and the stutter was so slight as to be almost not noticeable, it seems to be realated to load as I think its worse with a passenger, I am out next week with a colleague on the hills and I can check if its worse.

Starts absolutley on the button, tick over pretty sweet, little bumpy but not much, pulls like a train when you push it, generally brilliant to own, but just that niggly little hesitation at times, possible fuel pump weakness??

 

[s130]

Another possibility is fuel starvation. The old carbs had accelerator pumps to squirt extra fuel into the cylinders when load/throttle changes. These squirts give the engine that little extra boost until the increased airflow picks up and sucks more fuel in due to venturi action.

You could have fuel injector that is clogged / not delivering that extra squirt / quantity of fuel during the load change but then is supplying enought (or being assisted by the other injectors) once the engine stabilises at the new load.

 

[Davefridge]

Cards! I remember those! Accelerator pumps on my old Ducati 750s used to get dry due to heat evaporation.

 

[ratty99]

I remember messing with the twin cabs on my mg midget for hours and never getting them to balance, nightmare.

 

[Davefridge]

I got very good doing it by ear. Gently opening and closing the twistgrip and listening to hear if the slides bottomed at the same time. All was much easier when I bought a mercury manometer. Never had a car with twin carbs.

 

[ratty99]

hi again, so the symptoms develop, yesterday took myself and a colleague into the mountains, b was running perfectly all the way there, sweet as a nut, no sign of the misfire. on the way back, perhaps 50km or so, the injector light came on, stayed lit up until i shut down back at the office. later on no sign of injector light. whilst the light was lit up, still ran perfectly. any thoughts?

Cheers, ps if anyone is out in Mallorca and feel the need for some barchetta time, let me know, always happy to repay the help i get in the forum with a loan of the car for an afternoon.