Technical shuddering, fuel smell, fuel inject light.

[aaranm]

dodgy starter in mornings. car needs gas then when it fires up, the engine runs really slow then fast as it should when the choke kicks in then slow again then fast. after a while of this it will eventually stabilize. after all that the car will almost drive itself for half a mile and in this time if the clutch is pressed the car revs.
Also i get the shuddering in first gear. I think thats mainly when cold tho. And i was getting fuel smell in the cab for about 2weeks, quite strong aswell but ive not noticed that for a couple of weeks now.
I get that bloody fuel injection light all the time too.

Checked throttle body clutch and changed the sparkys too. My mate said it sounds like the coil pack has packed up so to speak but when i took it round to him to get checked out it was running okay (typical).
Anyway all the problems are in full effect now.

fial brava1.4sx
no diagnostics port

 

[Adrian Bravo]

Hello, Welcome to the forum

The fuel injection light is actually an ECU error light. A garage could read the error code. Worth noting that the 1.4 is OBD-1 if you like rather than OBD-2 so not every garage has the right kit. The diagnostic port is on a 4pin plug that only has 3 pins present, its under the triangular fuse box in the engine bay.

Do you have all these symptoms?
Erratic Idle.
Stalling.
stuttering/light kangarooing.
car acting like it had ran out of petrol.
engine braking while holding a steady pace.
Having to give a little throttle when restarting the car.
Having to give it lots of throttle to stop it misbehaving.
ECU code light comes on. (for the first few days it never came on but gradually came on more)

A test can be done on the coil pack using a voltmeter, would you like the instructions?

 

[aaranm]

thanks for the welcome ady. i dont really get any of the simptoms you mentioned. only the shuddereing and the eratic engine speed in the morning. thats a recent thing tho. and a loss of performance when that light comes on. thats if you can use the word performance to describe a 1.4brava:shakehead: plus fluel consumption isnt as good as it once was..

Ohh hang on id like the coil pack test instructions if you have the time. thanks pall..

 

[rallycinq]

It does sound as though you have incomplete ignition.

The unburnt fuel passing through the exhaust is the smell, its also what the O2 sensor is 'seeing' causing the management light to come on because the ECU cannot respond to the O2 readings.

To test the coil pack:-

With engine running at idle, remove and refit each plug lead one at a time.

Note which leads, when removed, make no difference to the running of the engine.

Swap the lead from a 'dud' one with the lead from a known good one.

If the fault remains in the same cylinder then its not the lead.

Swap out a plug with a known good one.

Same again, if the fault remains with the same cylinder, its more than likely the coil.

Use insulated pliers unless you like break dancing.

p.s. The car does not have a choke.

Cheers

SPD

 

[Adrian Bravo]

My 1.4 is really quick now (standard), but i have spent too much on it.

From Cold your car should idle arround 1300 Rpm (My guess from asking 1.4 owners cant find an official figure). Once the water temperature increases and the car comes out of cold start Idle will be 850 Rpm(Official Figure).

The symptoms I asked about where caused by a faulty throttle Potentiometer. Wich does sound like your original post and does cause over fueling. More Info;
https://www.fiatforum.com/bravo-bra...v-throttle-potentiometer-position-sensor.html

If its not the throttle body I would look towards water temperature sensor if Idle is all over the place, and if not lambda sensor.

Coil Pack volmeter test,

 

[aaranm]

thanks guys, ill check all that out 2morow. didnt know they didnt have chokes. thought they might have had automatic 1s or something.:doh:

its nice to have an idea of what the problem is before going to a machanic. hopfully i wont have to:worship: ill get my old man on the case with the plug leads.

I tried brakedancing once when i was about 18, due to a dodgy snes plug. not an enjoyable experience.

Hang on when we last changed the plugs about a week ago we found that 1 of the leads had masking tape rapp'd around it were the lead connects to the socket that goes over the spark plug. maybee that 1s ropey

 

[rallycinq]

Hang on when we last changed the plugs about a week ago we found that 1 of the leads had masking tape rapp'd around it were the lead connects to the socket that goes over the spark plug. maybee that 1s ropey

Its not going to help, thats for sure!

Did you gap the plugs correctly?

Cheers

SPD

 

[Thrisey]

You will only get a belt off the leads if you touch the lead and the car body at the same time, thus making a ciruit.