General Ive gone limp!

[mallettron]

Short journey home last THURSDAY (4 miles), sat at some lights and the warning lights come on NO ESC and TYRE PRESSURES. this is due to low battery voltage I think (I dont do many trips an they arent long ones). Turn off, turn on and the messages have gone, all ok

4 times further down the road it bleeps like mad and goes into LIMP MODE, wow, what a shock, 1500RPM and thats it, also bugger all speed!
Each time I turn it off and back on again and all is fine for a few hundred yards, then again it goes
Luckily my garage is at the end of my road so i pop in there, they have a quick look, put the fault reader on and clear the fault (misfire 1 and 4), runs ok for a while and then limp again
Can you repair i ask?, yes it looks to only be a coil pack they reply, but it will have to be tuesday. Tuesday?, totally forgetting its a bank holiday weekend!
Anyways, it worked long enough to get up the hill to my drive and now its down at the garage!

I hate to think what would have happened if i was on the motorway and it did that, guess it would be tighten them seat belts and get the hazards on as quick as i could!

 

[mallettron]

got it back, replaced coil pack and 4 plugs (app tracking down 1 & 4)
seems to run ok so far
not really had a problem in 5 years

 

[mallettron]

UPDATE!

went lumpy, but not limp
diagnosed as faulty new coil pack, replaced and everything seems ok now!

hope it not a sign of things to come!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

UPDATE!

went lumpy, but not limp
diagnosed as faulty new coil pack, replaced and everything seems ok now!

hope it not a sign of things to come!

fingers crossed for you!

 

[mallettron]

It does very little mileage, but serviced every year, no advisories on mots. new battery every 2 years (latest one a couple of months ago), odd little problems but very happy with it

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

It does very little mileage, but serviced every year, no advisories on mots. new battery every 2 years (latest one a couple of months ago), odd little problems but very happy with it

If parked off street then a smart charger would sort needing a battery every two years.

 

[mallettron]

i do it as a precaution (new exide eb500 is about £52)
also i can use the older batteries for solar projects

 

[varesecrazy]

got it back, replaced coil pack and 4 plugs (app tracking down 1 & 4)
seems to run ok so far
not really had a problem in 5 years

How old were the plugs...?

The coil packs can "just fail"

But tired plugs give them a hard life

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

How old were the plugs...?

The coil packs can "just fail"

But tired plugs give them a hard life

That's something a lot of people never consider. Think they're saving money by missing out or delaying servicing while the increased plug gaps are making the coils work harder. I suppose not quite such a problem with long life Platignum/Iridium plugs and their "super hard" electrodes.

 

[jrkitching]

I suppose not quite such a problem with long life Platignum/Iridium plugs and their "super hard" electrodes.

I've now done over 100,000 miles on the set I fitted 14 years ago. I pull them occasionally from time to time to check, but there's no need to replace them yet; no visible erosion, the car starts instantly and fuel consumption hasn't changed.

The slightly smaller 0.8mm gap on the iridium plugs puts less stress on the coil packs, too.

Best £28 I've spent on the car.

 

[Motorcyclist Colin]

What make and grade are your Iridium plugs please? Are they readily available ?
Thanks

 

[varesecrazy]

What make and grade are your Iridium plugs please? Are they readily available ?
Thanks

These are with a 4 cyl FIRE, AND they are Not actually FIAT fitment

I've not had issues with my TA's with plugs

Changed around 30k, and no problems

See my GUIDEs for the basics

 

[The Panda Nut]

TAs use iridium plugs but they £40 a pair. Or £80 from the dealer. I do mine regularly as after a year the car does not restart cleanly with the stop start. New plugs restores it so it catches instantly. Maybe Ill try iridium in a 1.2 as its going to save some money. I have a set somewhere. Great tip.

 

[The Panda Nut]

What make and grade are your Iridium plugs please? Are they readily available ?
Thanks

They are available readily but I won't use the H word as they are blacked after Kaths MOT. funnily I went in that shop for something last week and it looked like a closing down sale. No stock of anything. Made leaving empty handed simple. Buying elsewhere probably saved £10 too.