I've mentioned in the "My 2cv" thread in the "My A-Series" topic about there being issues with reluctant starting from cold. I've recently bought new HT leads from ECAS but it's still very reluctant to start When it does start from cold, it produces quite a large amount of smoke from the tail pipe but once it disperses it's clear out back. Another thing that it appears to do, is lose power on roundabouts and such like-If I go into a roundabout at speed it just coughs and splutters.

Any ideas?

Jonathan,

given the roundabout bit id be looking at float heights and general carb health first then go over the ignition side of stuff....but then you are supposed to get the timing spot on before the carb.

sean

What ignition?



Knackered valve stem oil seals - oil's seeping past whilst it's parked, and burning off when you start.



Definitely check the fuel side - if you've got a transparent fuel filter between pump & carb, great - next time it coughs'n'splutters, immediately drop the clutch & turn off the ignition - you want the engine to stop rotating asap. Coast to a halt, and check there's fuel in the filter and in the float bowl.

Cheers guys. The car is fitted with 123i. I've had problems with pinking on Tesco's 95ron, so I've cureently got the ignition retarded about 2 teeth. I generally tend not to use Tesco fuel now, so I may get the ignition set up to the correct setting and see if that'll help. I kind of suspected the valve stem seals and carb. floats, but thought I'd throw the 'issues' I have out to you lot to see if you'd point in that direction, too. Think it's time for some "engine love" , can't complain though, it's currently done 199,600 miles without any work having been done to it.

Most misfires/coughs and splutters are [IME] caused by poor HT leads ...... However .....
I had the same problem with roundabouts [and long R/H bends].
New plug leads & setting float heights [numerous times] did'nt cure it.
A new fuel pump cured the problem ..... thinking about it,while I was trying to trace the problem I did notice that if the car was left for more than a couple of days I would have to turn the engine over on the starter for some time before it fired.....and when I checked the fuel pump,the petrol was coming out in a mere trickle [it should spurt out].
I can only conclude that the fuel pump was on its way out and only just delivering sufficent fuel ......any R/H bend or roundaboput taken whilst "giving it the beans" caused the fuel to slosh around in a half empty float chamber .....thus leading to a misfire.

hth
Terry

Hmmmm, again that has been another thought that has crossed my mind. On an earlier 2CV I owned, it was fine until I was giving it some beans on a motorway, then it would cough and splutter. When I coasted onto the hard shoulder, it would recover before coming to a stop, so I was able to pick up speed again and continue my journey. That turned out to be the little arm on the underside of the fuel pump being worn, I replaced the pump and cured the problem. Think I'll look at that, also.