After an otherwise faultess trip to the French National and back, I had to suffer the indignity of getting recovered home from Watford Gap services last night.

I'd filled up with petrol at Toddington, and a few miles down the road the car started to kangaroo badly. It did not cough or splutter, but there was no, or at least very intermittent power - this got worse the more the throttle was depressed. I found that the car ran OK on choke though, and managed to nurse it to the next services using just the choke.

I left it ticking over at the services for about 10 minutes - which it did perfectly. I also tried the hand over the top of the carb trip. When parked, the car revved just fine (before and after I did the hand/carb trick), so I set off again, and for a few miles it ran perfectly again. Then the same thing happened, so I nursed it to the next services, where I gave up and rang the recovery.

It seems that if allowed to tickover for a minute or so, it is then OK for a short period, and when left to tickover for 10 minutes it was OK for a few miles. I drove it a short way once I was back home, and it was fine again.

One suggestion I've had is that it sounds like water in the petrol - and it pretty clearly is a fuel problem, but I wondered if anybody on here could give me any more thoughts and advice?

Cheers!

Does it have a filter on the fuel pipe? If so, I'd change it quickly. If not, I'd put one on there and have a look for crap in the float chamber. It's been sat for a long while, so entirely likely that some use has stirred up rubbish in the bottom of the tank. (Is it a metal tank? If so, the junk may have once been the tank...) So soon after filling, though, suggests filthy fuel.

Could be the pump, too - although all the ones I've had sulk have done so by "draining back" when left for a while unstarted.

Left field suggestion - are you on points? If so, have a look at the state of the contacts. Could be a duff condenser.

Hi Adrian.

The tank is plastic and I'd previously taken it out/ensured there was no muck in there.

The car started instantly this morning, so I doubt it's the fuel pump.

It's on a 123 - but there's no coughing or spluttering at all, so I very much doubt that is at fault.

Ta

It sounds like fuel starvation. The fact that it ran perfectly for a bit after you left it idling suggests that there isn't a bit of dirt stuck in a jet, but there may be.

What could be happening is that the fuel pump is weak. Leave it sitting idling, it uses minimal fuel and fills up the float bowl. Drive it down the road, fuel pump can't keep up, float bowl runs nearly empty, it start to run chrinically lean..

Also i'd be inclined to suspect the fuel seeing as it happened so soon after a fill up- worth draining it and replacing it with some more just to eliminate it ?
It's certainly not unknown to get contaminated fuel now and then.

Sounds like you paid for some water too Jono. Its not uncommon as petrol is stored in those big tanks on top of water.

Take the top of the carb. You might see some drops. If so you will need to drain the tank as much as you can.

P

If there is some water in the fuel you can get a proprietary additive that will allow it to pass through the system. Google "petrol water absorber". All it will be is isopropyl alcohol or methanol. A bottle of methalated spirits in the tank ought to work.

Never say never; but I doubt it though, the water separation at petrol stations is pretty effective.

Also check the tank breather isn't blocked. If the pump is trying to create a vacuum in the tank it will fail to do so and the car will start running lean.

Hmm. I took the top off the carb this morning, and could see no water in there. But I took out all the jets, cleaned any bits and bobs out of the bowls, and blasted everything through with air. I've just been out for a hard 20 mile drive, using as much throttle as possible, and it ran perfectly. Fingers crossed it's now sorted then...

Not diesel again?