5 replies to this topic

[Zacherius]

Hey all,

I recently fitted alot pf new parts on my mini including a new Live Feed as mine scagged and melted against the exhaust due to a lovely hole in the road I found !

However, My battery was dead due to the live feed, so when I got all the new bits on the car, I called my breakdown ( Homestart ! ) and the guy jump started the car with me but said the exhaust is blowing piping hot air ( within seconds of the car started from very cold ) and said the timing is way out and not to drive it like it is as will cause sever problems ?

I asked him a few questions but he couldn't answer and kept rining someone else ?!? He told me my battery needs replacing which is why it was dead ( yet I know the live feed shorted it out ! ) and told me he could get his friend to collect my car to take to the garage to do all the relevant work for a reasonable amount. !!

Obviously I NEVER took him up on that, but with all the rubbish he said to me.... is there anything in the Heat thing ? or should I just drive to a Tuner ?

It has a stage One on it and I know the mixture is rich, so could just be that ?!? But telling me not to drive ?

[Ethel]

Cars have a temperature gauge, much more meaningful than waggling your fingers in the tail pipe. He could be right about the battery if you totally discharged it with your short, but you couldn't say for sure until you've tried to recharge it.

[stormintrooper]

sorry but arent the exhaust gasses from the tail pipe going to be hot anyway?

[Zacherius]

Cars have a temperature gauge, much more meaningful than waggling your fingers in the tail pipe. He could be right about the battery if you totally discharged it with your short, but you couldn't say for sure until you've tried to recharge it.

The thing is, I left the car running for half an hour today and it didn't "overheat" at all... Yes the exhaust is hot,,, but isn't it supposed to be.

I basically felt like this guy knew nothing by the way he had to keep calling someone else.

As for the battery, its fully charged ( when I left it ) but will have to see if it holds it now.

[Ethel]

Probably just seeing if his mate was up for fleecing you for a few quid.

running rich lowers exhaust temperature - if you want something to burn hotter you feed in more oxygen, not fuel, think sucking on a ciggy or oxy acetylene.

pinking or running on are symptoms you'd expect with a seriously overheating engine. If you could tell anything from the exhaust it would be by greyish deposits in the tailpipe.

[998dave]

Reading this the only thing I can think is if the timing was very late you may have fuel burning in the exhaust, to counter this you're then running rich.

Take it for a run and then remove and check spark plug tips for colour, a light tan colour and you're about right.

If you've got a friend with a timing light stick this on and check your timing, you can also buy cheap ones for about £30, or maybe ask a friendly garage to let you borrow theirs, (maybe offer a few quid or tea/beer).

Think you're in Cardiff, so a bit far for me to be able to have a look, but the first things I'd do would be check the spark plugs then stick my timing light on, and shove my exhaust gas analyser up the tailpipe.

Now for that power lead, I presume it done the normal trick and stuck to the Y-piece clamp or thereabouts? If so stick a cable tie round your new one and tie back to the subframe away from the exhaust pipe - don't want to ruin another lead and battery do we!

Battery is likely dead, I'd imagine you've warped one of the plates, check by trickle charging it and seeing if it holds charge.

Dave