Important! : Numerous problems, need help ASAP, poorly car off the road :(

19th July 2012, 14:02

Right hi everyone, new to this, but I'm desperate for some help for my poorly Saxo, Stu.
He's a 04 1.1 Desire, Silver.

So this problem has been here for approx 6months, and at its worst point I was getting 11mpg. Basically, I start him up on a morning and he's chuggy as hell, when I get to the end of the street and dip the clutch to turn, it cuts out. I've noticed whenever the revs drop too quickly it cuts out. It's also as if I'm in too high a gear.
So far, I've had 3 diagnostics done and all came back with PO300 which is random multiple misfire. My dad, uncle and I have been replacing things to eliminate them. It's had new plugs, coil pack, injectors. My dad and I stripped it down and checked all wires/tubes for leaks etc, checked that there was fuel coming to the relevant areas and other simple checks.
Still no joy.
We think there may be a fault with the temperature sensor also!
This is because when you start the car without the temp sensor it starts the fan yet we've tested the ohm readings and the temp sensor thinks its middle of winter so why put the fan on ?
Also we've found a pipe that you can't blow or suck anything from so were wondering what it does, I'll upload a pic.

If anyone has had similar problems and can help, please do, I'm desperate to get Sexy Stu back on the road haha, it's drive able but I use loads more fuel and my dads off work this week so I'm giving him a rest.

Thank you for reading, hope to hear from someone soon

x

19th July 2012, 14:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumkintm

Right hi everyone, new to this, but I'm desperate for some help for my poorly Saxo, Stu.
He's a 04 1.1 Desire, Silver.

So this problem has been here for approx 6months, and at its worst point I was getting 11mpg. Basically, I start him up on a morning and he's chuggy as hell, when I get to the end of the street and dip the clutch to turn, it cuts out. I've noticed whenever the revs drop too quickly it cuts out. It's also as if I'm in too high a gear.
So far, I've had 3 diagnostics done and all came back with PO300 which is random multiple misfire. My dad, uncle and I have been replacing things to eliminate them. It's had new plugs, coil pack, injectors. My dad and I stripped it down and checked all wires/tubes for leaks etc, checked that there was fuel coming to the relevant areas and other simple checks.
Still no joy.
We think there may be a fault with the temperature sensor also!
This is because when you start the car without the temp sensor it starts the fan yet we've tested the ohm readings and the temp sensor thinks its middle of winter so why put the fan on ?
Also we've found a pipe that you can't blow or suck anything from so were wondering what it does, I'll upload a pic.

If anyone has had similar problems and can help, please do, I'm desperate to get Sexy Stu back on the road haha, it's drive able but I use loads more fuel and my dads off work this week so I'm giving him a rest.

Thank you for reading, hope to hear from someone soon

x

Try a MAP sensor they can cause this to happen, mine cut out and started been lump changed my MAP sensor and it's was fine.

Hope this helps

19th July 2012, 14:13

Thanks for your help I'll give it a try

For anyone else with any help also, here's a pic of the engine and I'm pointing to the mystery pipe lol

19th July 2012, 22:51

mine is doing a similar thing at the moment! but once its warm its fine, the revs will ocasionally dip when its warm, and i probably dont get just quite that bad mpg, but mine is using like half a litre of coolant a day, thinking mines a gasket jobby

20th July 2012, 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamie281093

mine is doing a similar thing at the moment! but once its warm its fine, the revs will ocasionally dip when its warm, and i probably dont get just quite that bad mpg, but mine is using like half a litre of coolant a day, thinking mines a gasket jobby

Yes mines a lot better when warm, although it will cut out occasionally, i.e. if its been a while on a motorway and i come off to a roundabout and change down , it sometimes does.

After my dad and I stripped it down today, he spotted a hole in the exhaust just below the manifold and cat, put some putty on it, and, well, it hasnt solved anything, but I've got a hell of a lot more power for some strange reason, and it drives so smoothly, it's just the lower revs where it's having the trouble... also, using less petrol. =/

Everyone keeps saying ''ah just scrap it'' but with money being super tight, and I've just gotten my insurance down to 750, I'm determined to find out the problem

20th July 2012, 03:05

Check for vacuum leaks and holes in the air filter pipe

20th July 2012, 03:18

ANY IDEAS WHAT THIS PIPE IS FOR ? Doesn't appear to do anything, i.e. doesn't have anything flowing through it, can't blow or suck air or anything through it either.

20th July 2012, 03:28

that pipe connects up in the drivers side inner wing it connects to a canister

20th July 2012, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumkintm

Yes mines a lot better when warm, although it will cut out occasionally, i.e. if its been a while on a motorway and i come off to a roundabout and change down , it sometimes does.

After my dad and I stripped it down today, he spotted a hole in the exhaust just below the manifold and cat, put some putty on it, and, well, it hasnt solved anything, but I've got a hell of a lot more power for some strange reason, and it drives so smoothly, it's just the lower revs where it's having the trouble... also, using less petrol. =/

Everyone keeps saying ''ah just scrap it'' but with money being super tight, and I've just gotten my insurance down to 750, I'm determined to find out the problem

yeah i know what u mean, my vtr is 450 to insure and im 18

haha. dont know what to suggest sorry mate, i know mine is the head gasket, simple on the saxos luckily

20th July 2012, 22:35

this may have nothing to do with your problem but do you have a big exhorts?
i had a 1.0 saxo and stuck a huge scooby exhorts on it, if i went full revs from idle it just coughed in a big cloud of smoke and cut out. that may be half the problem?

20th July 2012, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbes_VTR

this may have nothing to do with your problem but do you have a big exhorts?
i had a 1.0 saxo and stuck a huge scooby exhorts on it, if i went full revs from idle it just coughed in a big cloud of smoke and cut out. that may be half the problem?

hahah i had one on a 1.1 once, kept it for like a week lol, all it did was made too much noise, slow the car down, and use loads more fuel

21st July 2012, 00:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamie281093

yeah i know what u mean, my vtr is 450 to insure and im 18

haha. dont know what to suggest sorry mate, i know mine is the head gasket, simple on the saxos luckily

How've you gotten it that low ? haha

I'm 21, license for 3 years, 1 yr no claims, 1 crash and 3 points, and my dad and boyfriend down as named drivers, and I thought 750 was amazing

was expecting about 2 grand haha

Oh well

ALSO, Forbes_VTR no I've just got a bog standard exhaust on it, lol I've never modified Stu the Saxo at all, apart from the inside

haha, havent gotten round to it. Leopard print interior though haha

(Yes I'm female, I know, I know... )

UPDATE ON STU'S CONDITION,

My dad stripped it down AGAIN, this afternoon, did other bits and bobs, i.e. just cleaning bits that may have been blocked or not sealing very well etc.

We're thinking about popping it into a garage to have the cylinder head gasket replaced or just looked at...
From what I've browsed on the internet....

Can anyone tell me,
If the head gasket is removed, can you put it back on? Or does it have to be like a new one?
Also, Stu is a 1.1 desire, 2004, mk2, does that make a difference from say... the bolt tightening sequence for a VTR ? or are all of the gaskets tightened in the same way?
Also if anyone can give me the torque info, and tightening sequence it'd be awesome too.

I think I may throw a celebration party for Stu when he's fixed haha, you're all invited hahaha

Thanks everyone,

x

27th July 2012, 14:49

Are you still getting the miss fire message up ? i had it with mine and replaced the battery and it seems to work :| has your battery died recently ?

27th July 2012, 15:07

You always use a new head gasket, comes in a kit with stretch bolts & gaskets which all have to be replaced.

27th July 2012, 15:20

If you are getting 11 MPG then first thing i would do is replace both of your lambda sensors.

When was it last properly serviced (ie. not by a garage but by yourself or someone you know with decent parts?)

27th July 2012, 16:36

I was getting same code so replaced the coil pack and also icv and map sensor cos I got em for a bargain on eurocarparts. Sorted problem as it runs so much better.

7th August 2012, 01:15

Cheers Stevo

Outrage_uk :- it wasn't serviced that long ago, I'd say about four months? But this problem has been here about a year now, doesn't seem to be getting any worse but some mornings it's extremely juddery and rough but then again some mornings it's fine. We found that if I'm driving and it loses it's power, if I switch the engine off and back on again it sorts itself out, so we think it may be electrical?
Also both lambda sensors have been replaced and it made no difference, every place I've had diagnostics done, theyve all said the same code and to replace the coil pack, which made no difference whatsoever.

Marcusd :- cheers I'll mention it next time I'm at the garage, it's trying to get down when I'm off work and my uncles not got work in lol I feel bad taking up his time for free when he could have paying jobs in haha

Thanks for your help everyone, I'm not giving up on little Stu yet

x

7th August 2012, 21:59

get a compression test done before you go out spending on a headgasket replacement.

also while you have got the plugs out get the gap between the electode checked and inspect for any cracks in the porcelin (sp)
also while your down there get the lambda range checked with the car running your looking for around 0,5 v for a good lambda.

was the coil pack new or second hand? replace with a valeo one there not much more expensive than cheap crap ones but are loads better in quality.
sounds daft but if all above comes good remove the top lambda sensor a little bit so it blows through there and try that. it could be that your cat is breaking up.

8th August 2012, 22:51

have the lambda sencor checked have you tried getting a new or recon ECU (engine control unit) that will be expensive

14th August 2012, 19:06

F1esta - thanks for your help,
The coil pack was brand new from Andrew Page, as well as brand new Bosch plugs from there too, my dad checked the plugs for the gaps and cracks etc and the lambda sensor is brand new also, as well as the O2 one.

It's funny you should mention the cat, I thought it might be that as well cause it was making a hell of a stink the other day and it's growly as hell, and I've heard they make a bad smell when they're not running right?

Madsam - lambda sensor and O2 are brand new, not sure what reading my dad got off them though, I'll find out.
We also thought it might be the ecu but didn't know whether ecu's come like... Unique to the car or whether I could go to a scrappy and get one off the same type of car ?? Would it matter if it was for example...a vtr ecu? Or would it be best to get one from the same make and model ? Also, how would I go about testing it and would I have to get any codes or anything done?

Also I'm waiting for a compression tester arriving shortly but I think my uncles given up on little Stu now haha hell even I've been looking for other cars lol poor motor haha

Again thanks for ur help guys much appreciated !!

16th August 2012, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumkintm

F1esta - thanks for your help,
The coil pack was brand new from Andrew Page, as well as brand new Bosch plugs from there too, my dad checked the plugs for the gaps and cracks etc and the lambda sensor is brand new also, as well as the O2 one.

It's funny you should mention the cat, I thought it might be that as well cause it was making a hell of a stink the other day and it's growly as hell, and I've heard they make a bad smell when they're not running right?

Madsam - lambda sensor and O2 are brand new, not sure what reading my dad got off them though, I'll find out.
We also thought it might be the ecu but didn't know whether ecu's come like... Unique to the car or whether I could go to a scrappy and get one off the same type of car ?? Would it matter if it was for example...a vtr ecu? Or would it be best to get one from the same make and model ? Also, how would I go about testing it and would I have to get any codes or anything done?

Also I'm waiting for a compression tester arriving shortly but I think my uncles given up on little Stu now haha hell even I've been looking for other cars lol poor motor haha

Again thanks for ur help guys much appreciated !!

I have to admire you love for your car, i would have gave up by now tbh and dropped a new lump in. I honestly hope you get it sorted

18th August 2012, 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordyn89

I have to admire you love for your car, i would have gave up by now tbh and dropped a new lump in. I honestly hope you get it sorted

Despite him being poorly, he still starts every single time so he hast given up on me, im not giving up on him haha

x

18th August 2012, 07:34

Haha well i wish you all the luck in the world in getting it sorted

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

18th August 2012, 09:39

@pumkintm I'm having similar problems with my 1.1 currently, I've got injectors and a new cat section on the way. The cat section needs replacing as the lambada sensor fell out a few weeks back, along with what it screws into... I'll replace that first to see if it makes any difference to the morning start ups, will report back if it does.

Wish you luck in getting it sorted

18th August 2012, 12:45

Could get a working engine for <£50. Have it swapped in the same day.. Save yourself a headache / replacing a list of parts just on the off chance it will cure it.

11mpg is shocking! Must be a blocked cat?

You said your idle goes up and down? and sometimes cuts out? Try cleaning the ICV - usually cures it. But that's the least of your problems lol..

9th November 2012, 19:09

Thanks everyone for your help.

Unfortunately, i was told that after months of tests and other things, that it was an ecu fault.

I was told it would cost 150-200 to diagnose and repair, or 350+ if i needed a new one.

In the end i'm just getting rid of him, and i've got myself a new car

if anyone wants to buy a fucked saxo, let me know haha