After 2710 entirely reliable miles on the Czech trip, my car's now deicded to act up a bit.

It starts and runs fine when cold, and it still starts perfectly when hot. However, after a couple of miles, it refuses to tickover, and at the same time, if the throttle is lifted off whilst the car is in motion, it slows down more than expected and then doesn't accelerate as it should - it's like flicking a switch, only it's as if the switch is flicked partway down the throttle pedal's travel i.e. there's a 'power gap' at the very bottom end.

The car stalls when ticking over when hot, but it re-starts perfectly - however it still stalls when trying to tickover after re-starting.

Today I have taken the carb off and cleaned it all out, inc. all jets etc. There was muck in there, but cleaning has sadly made no difference. The carb's on tightly and the block is not cracked.

This does 'feel' like a fuel problem somehow - it just feels like a slight blockage or starvation problem, but I'm not sure where now that I've looked at the carb. I intend to check out fuel pump/fuel line etc. in due course, but if somebody could diagnose what's at fault from this it'd save me going through it all.

Cheers!

J

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

If you'd spanked me for 2700 miles like you spank your car, I'd be wanting a little sit down an all!

Nothing constructive to add - I'd have thought partially blocked jet.

if you think its fuel.......
could be a split fuel pipe, try blowing in the fuel filler tube to presurise the tank and see if it leaks anywhere

have ya done

tappet adjustment? timing? plugs? coil?

does it sound like its running on one cylinder maybe?

Jono

Whats your ignition system?
Id be checking timing ok, condensor ok( if fitted) plug gaps

Then id check that its not running exsessivley rich or lean(but then itd be too hot). Float heights, carb lid gasket, Accelerator pump working etc
Sean

Jono,
which of your cars and hence which type of carb?

If it's a single choke job, have you tried adjusting the idle mixture screw, which faces back towards the starter?

ken

Hi. It's the 2cv, but it's a 1979 engine so it's a twin-choke, but with larger jets than later ones (I think).

It's got a 123.

Plugs should be fine. Tappets are spot on (20/25).

Carb top gasket, floats and accelerator pump are OK.

Coil's a Harley one, and it's deffo running on both cylinders at all times - I mean clearly it's not when it stalls, but it's not just running on one side before it conks out.

It ran perfectly for basically the entire trip, and only started doing this in the last 2 miles before I got home.

Ta.

I never spank 'em - I just drive them hard, fast, and smooth!

I spent a while trying to sort this today. I failed.

I changed the plugs.

I checked the 123 - it's fine.

I checked the coil - it's fine.

I changed a slightly ropey looking bit of fuel pipe (from the chassis-side to the fuel pump).

For the most part today it wouldn't tickover at all, even from cold. However, I changed the idle jet for one from a spare carb, and suddenly it ticked over fine. So I set off down the road and it went bad again straight away. On one test drive earlier it went really bad and wouldn't accelerate at all - I sat blipping the throttle until it cleared and then set off again.

It remains how it was before - so that anything over about 1/4 throttle is perfectly alright. It never pops or bangs or anything like that, but it dies every time I try to let it idle. It always restarts fine, but still won't idle, and the bottom 1/4 of power isn't there.

I'm still thinking it's a fuel starvation problem. But I'm not sure if it's mucky/bad fuel or whether there's something fundamental up with the carb. Part of me thinks I should just keep using it until the tank gets low and then try it on some fresh petrol. However, I reckon I might try another carb on it later or tomorrow, and I really really really should put a filter on the fuel pipe (I have been meaning to do this for years...). If this fails I guess I'll have to drop the tank and inspect/replace the fuel line at the tank end, although I think that is reasonably new anyway.

There's no dregs of diesel left in the tank that it could've picked up are there?

LOL, I hope not - it's done 3500 miles since then!

It ran better than this on diesel anyway.