Hi All,
Again our X stalled at traffic lights then wouldn't start again till it cooled down. The temperature of the day was not hot at all here in OZ, but I had been driving for about 45 minutes and got caught in some slow moving traffic. I have had the cooling system flushed after our previous hassles , but that was on an excessively hot day and the car has gone well until recently.
I have also noted that if I have been driving the car and then park and turn it off, if I go to start it again soon afterwards, the car will not run again until it has cooled down.
There is spark to the plugs, we haven't flooded it as I have checked spark plugs at the time.
Is this the fuel vaporization hassle or another problem?
Thanks for your help and comments.

Is it a case of the engine refusing to turn over (or turning very slowly) or spinning freely and refusing to start?

jimbro1000 said:

Is it a case of the engine refusing to turn over (or turning very slowly) or spinning freely and refusing to start?

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Hi Jimbro,
It turns over freely and just refuses to start until it cools down. When it has cooled down, it will then start with no problem and run like nothing was wrong in the first place.

That sounds like a fuelling problem.

When it stalled did it chug a bit first or did it just die on you?

jimbro1000 said:

That sounds like a fuelling problem.

When it stalled did it chug a bit first or did it just die on you?

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Hi Jimbro,
It just died at the intersection. Then just wouldn't start again until it cooled down.

While the engine is running it is very rare to suffer a vapour lock but not unheard of - simply put the flowing fuel keeps everything cool enough to stop it happening *but* when you are just idling around, or stopped the fuel consumption can be so low that the carburettor is effectively cut off from the fuel flow by the float chamber needle.

This is normally coupled with an ignition advance problem or an air leak in the induction (or both).

If you are worried that you have a fuel vapourisation problem there really is only one surefire cure and that is to ditch the mechanical fuel pump for an electrical one. They may not be particularly cheap but considering how much money you can waste on trying to fix the problem other ways it might be worth it.

Personally I am still not convinced on the whole fuel vaporisation problem that almost every owner has complained of at some point. I've had 7 X1/9s now and only two had problems - one of them turned out to be a twisted block and the other one tended to get heat soak from the air filter housing when the engine was switched off. Fitting an aftermarket filter and housing removed that problem completely but I also resorted to electronic ignition on that car at the same time so I may have missed the point even then.

Hi,

My X does not cut out when warm but sometimes I have the same 'hot start' problem after I have turned her off and want to restart again.

Not a very technical solution, but I find if I press the accelerator to the floor when the hot start problem happens she will then start immediately.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for your suggestions. I am thinking that it could be more of a fuel problem, but it just seems weird that each time it has happened has been when in slow moving traffic.
There is no hint that the engine is about to die, it simply cuts out when I go to move off from being stationary.
We have tried putting our foot to the floor, but that hasn't helped either. The only fix we have found so far is to simply wait till it cools down.
Thanks again.

Without repeating what others have said. I have found running the carb cooling fan during long idling and even for only a minute or so after stopping when hot solves any problems with hot starting.

Has anyone every fitted a timer or temperature switch to the carb cooling fan?

The carb fan should be on a temperature switch to start with!

robinsonx19 said:

Without repeating what others have said. I have found running the carb cooling fan during long idling and even for only a minute or so after stopping when hot solves any problems with hot starting.

Has anyone every fitted a timer or temperature switch to the carb cooling fan?

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Hi, I was going to ask, how can you run the 'carb cooling fan'? I thought this was as Jimbro has said on a temp switch and as such there was no 'manual' control of the 'carb fan'

Interesting . My carby fan only seems to have a manual switch (rocker type), centre above the ashtray between the rear window demister and instrument panel light switch (which are standard). I assumed this was standard as the switch fits the hole in the consul nicely and looks neat. I can turn the fan on manually even with the key removed from the ignition.

If there is meant to be a temperature switch can someone tell me where it should be physically located. I must admit the manual switch is fine but it'd be nice to know it would switch itself off as I'm sure there'll be one day when I forget and flatten the battery

I honestly can't remember where the thermostatic switch is located (its been that long) but the manual switch would be intended as an override so it would still run flat if you left that switch on. If you want to avoid embarassment I would suggest a simple off-timer (rather like a lights on timer) to make sure it turns off after a set period with the ignition off.

on my '78 1300, the Thermostatic Switch is located to the left of the spring loaded idle mix screw at the base of the carbie. Obviously it should have two wires leading to/from it. The black earth wire should only be about 6 or so inches long and connected to the car body to the right of the engine cover latch. The body of my switch is hexagonal to suit a 17mm spanner.

Does the carb fan come on when the car is running if the engine temp is high enough? I have only noticed it on when I have parked the car and it runs for a short while automatically.

As dogdda says, the switch is mounted at the base of carb - on 1300's it screws into an after-thought block of aluminium which then fits over one of the carb mount bolts - on 1500's it screws directly into the back of the carb. IIRC it's spec'ed at 65/55 (on at 65 degrees centigrade, off at 55) and easy to test off car with a bulb/meter, thermometer and kettle

It's certainly possible to wire the fan with a manual/timer override and still allow it to auto kick-in (the fan relay is located inside spare wheel well on 1500's). However, for everyone who claims the fan works well, you'll find someone who says that taking it out completely just allows the heat to escape better in the first place Always a difficult one to assertain for sure, as no two days are ever equal for the definitive test...

There is no argument that the fan works, the primary reason for people removing it is to prevent battery drain when something has gone a bit wrong.

You need to keep it all in good working order if it is on the car and wired up as orginally spec'd.

Ics19 said:

As dogdda says, the switch is mounted at the base of carb - on 1300's it screws into an after-thought block of aluminium which then fits over one of the carb mount bolts - on 1500's it screws directly into the back of the carb. IIRC it's spec'ed at 65/55 (on at 65 degrees centigrade, off at 55) and easy to test off car with a bulb/meter, thermometer and kettle

It's certainly possible to wire the fan with a manual/timer override and still allow it to auto kick-in (the fan relay is located inside spare wheel well on 1500's). However, for everyone who claims the fan works well, you'll find someone who says that taking it out completely just allows the heat to escape better in the first place Always a difficult one to assertain for sure, as no two days are ever equal for the definitive test...

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Thanks Jimbro, Dogdda and ICS19, I know that switch. It isn't wired on my car and I assumed it was something to do with the emission control system that is fitted to some of the US cars as I understand it. This thought despite my car being a UK/Aust/NZ spec - my bad as my son would say.

OK so there should be a black earth wire to chassis - I understand that. Can anyone let me know the colour of the other wire and where it should be connected?

Thanks in advance

PeteR

The colour I don't remember but it goes to the relay in the spare wheel area. Basically the thermoswitch earths the relay when it gets hot enough, the switched circuit on the relay then powers the fan. Do not attempt to switch the fan directly as the current drawn is too much for that poor little switch.

Thanks Jimbro. I know the relay and I now know the thermostatic switch. Hopefully I can work out which wire isn't connected and re-instate this switch. I suspect it'll be a case of running new wires to the thermostatic switch from the relay. The rest of the circuit (i.e. the manual switch) is obviously OK.