Cars giving me headaches!

[WBray]

Hi guys.
another thread by me, sorry seem to be posting a few atm.
Car was a bit reluctant to start today took a two turns of the keys to get her to start, once started she was running what I would describe as "lumpy" when sat there seemed to be a bit of movement and a fair bit of smoke coming out of the exhaust, and when rev'd there is a fair bit (it's n/a 2.7 not a turbo incase anyone asks). Didn't do this the other day when we went out in her, gonna pull the spark plugs out in a minute and have a look at them but not really sure they would cause it. But then I'm not overly knowledgeable with mechanics, I can normally find out how and attempt basic tasks but I'm not very good at the intial identification of problems.
I have got the new water temp sensor and oil pressure sendor arriving tomorrow hopefully, so dunno if it could be related to either of those issues?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Will

 

[edh]

White smoke? I'd have thought that would be expected at the moment. Was the car dropping off idle & almost dying? ISV is a possible culprit for that (under the inlet manifold). The ECU uses a different temp sensor, so I don't think that's an issue. Although when that one fails the engine can run very rich (plugs will be black) and won't idle well, needing loads of throttle to keep it alive.

 

[WBray]

whitey/blue smoke. Doesn't seem close as though is going to die but does seem up down when running idel, turning it around so I could reverse it in the garage so I can check the plugs in a minute it didnt seem to need much revs would have pretty much aloud me to do it of the clutch I reckon. is there anything in particular I should look for with the ISV? Cheers Will

 

[DarrylH]

Correct me if I'm wrong but whitey blue smoke would indicate oil and water?

 

[WBray]

My spark plug remover wont seem to go over the plugs so cant take them out got to wait till dad comes home and see if he's got anything hidden in his workshop :/ Now the car also for some reason wont unlock the passenger door, while the red light still flashes on the drivers door pin even when its up and the central locking light on the switch infront of the gear stick is on and wont turn off. Anyone got any ideas for that one please? Welcome to owning a classic I guess lol

 

[GlennS]

ORIGINAL: WBray Now the car also for some reason wont unlock the passenger door, while the red light still flashes on the drivers door pin even when its up and the central locking light on the switch infront of the gear stick is on and wont turn off. Anyone got any ideas for that one please? Welcome to owning a classic I guess lol

Did you, by any chance, press the central locking switch in front of the gear stick with the ignition key out? I discovered to my interest whilst fitting a new centre console that the switch will happily lock all the doors with the ignition key removed, but you need a key in the slot and it turned slightly for that button to unlock things.

 

[WBray]

Hopefully then darryl replacing the sendors ive got coming should sort that issue out then and see if it sorts the lumpyness out. I did glen but after putting the key in the ignition it still didnt want to override it and turn off as did try that. Though gonna go out and see if starting it and pressing it will do anything. Cheers guys!

 

[WBray]

Just checked, even with the car running the light remains on with the switch and wont turn off. I can lock and unlock the drivers door using the passengers door put it wont do its own, the pin moves up a little then drops back in place. I wont be pulled up wont open from the inside or outside and the light on the drivers pin still flashes Just read somewhere I may have to take the doorcard off and look at the latch mech but cant even open the door so dont know how that would work :/

 

[edh]

[link]http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/fuel-21.htm[/link] Explains a bit more about the ISV I know on the 944 turbo you can disable the ISV through the diag port (not sure if this works on the (n/a). You jumper 2 pins & it goes to the mid point. I'd also give the previous owner a call - see if he's ever had these problems. Btw with the central locking, I've always thought you shouldnt try and unlock/lock via the door pins, i thought they were just indicators really.

 

[WBray]

Cheers mate shall have a read the the ISV later I didnt give much pressure as I dont like pulling them up on any car as there not real unlocking points so just gave them only a little bit of pressure. though for some reason the car decided while I would show my dad the problem that it would unlock the passenger door for me resolving the problem, but in good measure to restore the balance of things going wrong it would drop the glass out the drivers wing mirror to be held onto by the electric wire, so shall need a bit of sealant to hold it in place. Am going to contact the previous owner about the passenger door and ask if hes had the problem before. Cheers guys!

 

[bighead]

it your centrol locking controller playing up , I had the same problem ....sometimes it will lock and unlock and sometimes just one ot the other, get a secondhand one of ebay and it sorted by the way its attached under the steering colunm just incase you have trouble finding it [] re idle ...have the same probs on starts up as well but when I revs it at higher rev for a minute it will settle /idle evenly , have change dme, fitted reburbed air flow meter from frazerparts, cleaned idle control valve and checked vacunm lines with no joy so I guess next step is to change the idle control valve !

 

[944 man]

Few jobs need doing twice. Looking on the bright side, youll soon run out of stuff that can go wrong! []

 

[WBray]

Cheers bud, shall see how often and if again this locking problem happens and if so shall look into changing it but wont bother just yet. Cool at least mine isnt the only one to do it shall see what happens, might just be the fact shes had a few short shifts up and down the drive way and doesnt like that as she hasnt had a proper run out for a few days between stop start stop start.

 

[gajh]

central locking, I had a similar issue but it seems that it was to do with the rear hatch but could be coincidence as I re-seated the connectors on the rear hatch shocks and it's all works now

 

[944 man]

You can head of some potential problems by replacing rotor arm and distributor cap, the leads (which are expensive) and the most likely villian: the fuel pressure regulator. The 2.7l cars used two different FPRs, with one being dearer. Earlier (up to engine # 46K02979) 2.7ls use 944.110.198.04 which is shared with the S and later cars use the S2 FPR 944.110.198.06, which is dearer.

 

[WBray]

brilliant cheers guys, shall look into it all and hope it will last out until next pay day, and hope that new job I have been going for comes about seen as I have gone through and passed all the process's for it

 

[WBray]

Any more ideas before I buy any parts or any way to check them before buying new ones (as theres no-one local to me to borrow working parts off). Symptoms are lumpy idling, drives smoothly when at a constant speed but reluctant to accelerate and a lumpy acceleration, smoke doesn't seem so bad. Checked the spark plugs one was black(ish) and all the rest were as expected to be. So far options are; ISV Distributer cap Ignition leads Rotor arm Fuel pressure regulator Cheers

 

[craiginuk]

See if you can open the bonnet in the dark with it running. If leads are really bad you will see arcing/sparks.

 

[944Turbo]

smoke is almost definitely steam - the exhausts can store a massive amount of water especially outside at this time of year and it takes a fair wile for it all to clear, especially without a good drive to get the car (exhaust) fully up to temp. Rough running I would suspect condensation in the distributor cap or on plug leads - open the bonnet in the dark with the engine running see if there are any sparks escaping from the plug leads. Tony

 

[WBray]

shouldnt be that much water in the exhaust though as been stored in garage by previous owner and myself, though then again I dont know how often it was taken out in the rain as was also a weekend car I believe. Shall have a look and see for sparks, how obvious will these be as never heard of this method before, will it need to be rev'd while looking for them? Thanks guys Will