Hi everyone.
I’m having a nightmare with Foxy, my 1996 Equinox SPi 1300 Mini.
It’s a bit of a saga I’m afraid, but I’m hoping someone can help me…
We originally had a small coolant leak, which turned out to rotten pipes on the inlet manifold. The mechanic I usually use bypassed the pipes and relocated the temperature sensor into the thermostat housing. We realised it would run richer for longer, until the thermostat opened, but rightly or wrongly figured it wouldn’t be a major problem.
I don’t know if it’s related, but that’s when the trouble started, and has deteriorated spectacularly since.
The first symptom was that when it got warm, it became reluctant to rev. Any more than about ¼ throttle, and it would bog down, physically slowing down. At ¼ throttle, it would eventually reach say 60mph, reasonably smoothly. There was also a faint whistle coming from somewhere, a bit like a squealing belt, but very faint.
A friend volunteered to help, and we read some of these forums and decided to check vacuum pipes first.
Hey presto, the manifold to ECU pipe had been badly routed, and had melted on the exhaust manifold!
We repaired it using some tubing we had handy and tried again. Absolutely no difference ☹
All that happened was the tick over died after about 40 seconds.
We checked the Lambdas sensor output, which was running around .950v switching to around .450v and occasionally .175v. but overall running rich. The sensor appears to be reasonably new.
We discovered that all the other vacuum pipes were in bad shape, so I replaced them all with new ones from Mini Spares along with a new Air Filter.
Absolutely no difference ☹
We checked the distributor and rotor arm, all looked great, no arcing, good contacts etc.
We replaced the coil, in case it was breaking down under load… no difference ☹
The “whistle” was getting louder…. We cannot pinpoint where it’s originating, but we were convinced it was an intake whistle through a crack/gasket etc. It isn’t there at tick over, but as the revs increase it appears, and dies a second or two after the engine returns to idle.
Best way I can describe it is something like a small bearing running dry and howling at high pitch.
Next was to remove and inspect the inlet manifold for cracks etc. Nothing found, all gaskets in good order etc etc. Put it all back together again. Again…. no difference ☹
By now, the car has become undriveable. IF I can get any revs above tick over, there’s no power to move the car without just dying.
It generally fires up first time, and ticks over ok, but nothing more.
We checked the fuel pump was delivering fuel, and bypassed the fuel filter, even though it looks brand new because it comes up on theses forums often as a cause.
Absolutely no difference ☹
By now, the “whistle” is really loud and in your face, but still can’t decide where it’s originating. Sometimes it sounds like its behind the engine, sometimes round the front, other times on the right of the engine bay, then on the left …. Grrrrr!!
I replaced the fuel in the tank with fresh petrol….surprise surprise…. no difference ☹
I now can’t get it to start at all. It turns over ok, but just catches and dies.
Someone has suggested a dislodged baffle in the exhaust, blocking it, causing back pressure, the whistle, the rich mixture readings etc.
Trouble is, I can’t get the bugger to start now so I cant test it!!!
If anybody has read this far and has any ideas, they would be gratefully received as we’ve run out!
Thanks in advance
Willowfest