Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, I'm stuck out and about today (22/9/13) as my engine stalls after running ie. on the A303 stopping for a roundabout.
When it restarts it idles fine.
My main battery is dead and currently reverse charging it from my leisure battery

Not sure what the reason is for this. Just taking carbs apart to check for dirt in bowl.

Please help!!!

As you say carbs is it Aircooled?

no, sorry its a 19 DG w/c

found some issues like alternator stud lose - perhaps it will charge better now.
Idle screw may have vibrated out too. 2 tunrns in and a better idle.

Just aboyt to try to move on now.

Air leak can cause this check all your vac hoses

Assuming it has a pierburg 2e3 What do you mean by idle screw? Co mixture or throttle stop ?

Possibly a dead battery could also cause ignition problems measure voltages when running and also after switch off for 2 hours min

mixture should only be adjusted with a gas anilyser.
Throttle stop should be adjusted warm.
There are lots of reasons why it does the stall on a warm engine
but an air leak..as said is a likely culprit
blocked idle jet
poor pump
dirty filter

kevtherev wrote:mixture should only be adjusted with a gas anilyser.

No oldskoolers that do it be ear? I was want taught to tune carbs by ear... trouble is the mechanic was so blind they couldnt see their screwdriver wasn't on the mixture screw I didnt have the heart to tell him!

Can you hear 2.5% CO then..

basic setting on the air bleed is three turns out, but if there is air leaking in..it could be anywhere less than that

genuinely interested so PM en route to save the hijack!

Well if your alternator is not charging and the battery is nearly flat, it might well be the brake lights and indicators you will be using at the roundabout causing the voltage to drop so low the ignition circuit stops working. Though you do say you can re-start the engine, so perhaps it's not that

By the way, you can't "reverse charge" 1 battery from another. You would be better just swapping the main battery for the leisure, although you ain't supposed to use the starter motor with a genuine leisure battery. It damages them. You could use jump leads to connect both batteries together to fire it up though, in an emergency.

Though as this is now Monday, I guess you have sorted summat out...

Thanks for all the advice guys. I made it home - JUST!

The stalling problem is better AND worse!

With the idle screw turned up it no doesn't want to die quite as much.
The Problem now has evolved into not being able to start the van when it stops. Or more precisely if I have to stop for petrol (or similar), then van starts fine - but will run for a couple of 100metres then it dies and just will not stop. I have checked vac pipes are attached, HT leads ok (ish) dist cap, Idle jet, cut out valve, "pooh" in carb (how often you got to do that?), fuel filters.

There is some oil leakage from n/s rocker cover (I was desperate and topped up with my BMW oil) and the 2 spark plug caps had oil on but no apparent arcing.

My expansion/ thermostat cap seal appears to have failed as I have leak pass (if that is a term) and the pipe now points the wrong way.

I checked alternator output is about 14.4v. On checking the battery voltage on return home it was 13v and falling with the engine running. If my fan kicks in voltage drops to 12V and very slowly recovers when the fan is off.

As it only happens when hot - ingniton unit? coil breakdown? Black ECU/IC thingy stuck on engine bay wall? How would you test these?

Its all going wrong

Ghost, I know technically you can't charge by connecting 2 batteries together but I think by doing so 'recovers' the flat battery a bit. It did work to start the van (leisure battery disconnected).

BTW, I used the Idle speed control screw to adjust idle not the airscrew (no gas analyser or mechanics ears/ nose) and not the Fast idle adjustment screw.

http://www.gowerlee.dircon.co.uk/2E3type.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I also forgot to say I put diesel in it (17l) and watered it down with 35l of petrol (smoking). I burnt the fuel off 300miles later I have done another 300 miles on clean petrol before problems began but maybe its done something else.

I think you're going to have to remove any supposing and guessing out of this .
Starting with a good clean fuel delivery through the pump and filter.
choke mechanism working correctly
removal from any doubt that there are no air leaks. (search will reveal the common culprits)
mixture set correctly

then move on to electrical.

I'm with Kev on this. Start with the basics work your way through.

Ensure you have a good clean fuel supply with the correct mixture, which should ensure you have airflow. Then systematically check the ignition system.

Is there any other clues. your missing? i.e. smells petrolly,

OK, not sure weather to start 2 new threads or continue here - so I'll continue here and hope for a response.

On the face of it I have 2 problems; a fuelling issue and a electrial issue.

The reason that the van is randomly failing is that sometimes the fuel line is empty after the engine stops. I believe, although cannot be sure, that the fuel is running back to the tank. This is why it will start but only make it a 100m or so because there is only fuel from pump to carb.
This is a new pump so I wouldn't expect the pump. Perhaps there is a small airleak in the line that allows the fuel to run back. I will try the old pump (which I changed only to find previous owner had put drive pin in upside down) and see how that goes. Any other help with this fuelling issue would be good.


The electrical fault, where my battery is slowly discharging on a run (not as I thought because of constant starting). I have put a new battery on and that started to discharge at about 0.05v/minute with the engine running. The Alternator appears to be suppling power as there is no red light and battery voltage jumps from 12.8v (not running) to 13.5v(running). I disconnected the 30a cable from the battery and put an ametre in series. with the igniton off I was pulling 0.9A which I presume is the 3 interior door lights, LED sliding door stip and stereo(demo mode). with the igniton ON but engine not running I was pulling 11.6A!! and with the engine running I was still pulling +5A (definately pulling not pushing ie charging). I am at a complete loss with that one but that explains the discharge.

Any help on either will be good as Brighton Breeze is nearly on us.

I had the same problem with engine cutting out after a long run at junctions/roundabouts or when it was not under load.
stripped down carb as much as i could/changed filter and blew down fuel lines as I think sediment or tiny crap from the fuel tank was getting pulled through and reducing fuel flow!
Anyway its worked twice over the summer, will need new tank at some point!

good luck..

Mark