16 replies to this topic

[mcaville]

Model: Sprite 1293cc
Year: 1994


On Friday evening my Mini suddenly lost power and started making a really loud popping noise. I called breakdown out straight away, but they were pretty useless - the guy was asking me what i thought he should check next, and then suggested that i would be fine to drive the 40 miles on the M25 back to Maidstone!! He went through the usual diagnostics - plugs, etc. The plugs were all firing fine. In the end he just put me on the back of his truck and drove me home.

The car still drives but it has very little power and makes a really loud popping noise. For example, when i tried to drive her on to the back of the breakdown truck (about a 25 degree slope), the car cut out even low i was giving it lots of gas. Also, the car won't idle now without cutting out. I had to drive her to move her to my car park and the most i could get in 3rd was 20mph and she sounded really rough.

Anyway, what i'm after is some suggestions as to what it might be. Could it be the distributor? Do the symptoms sound like the dizzy may have slipped and causing it to misfire? My basic understanding thinks that this could be a possibility. Would one of the manifolds coming loose cause this? I don't think this has happened, but just thinking. Head gasket?? Or something internal?? The car does lose a lot of oil but has done for some time now. Reckon i'm having to feed her a couple of litres a month at the moment.

Anyway, all suggestions will be most welcome.

Martin

[BoboGib]

Ignition timing would be my number one suspect. Is your Dizzy loose at all? Maybe fuel starvation?

[mcaville]

Ignition timing would be my number one suspect. Is your Dizzy loose at all? Maybe fuel starvation?

Ok, I'm not going to be able to have a propper look until this evening.

Does anyone want to give a 2nd or 3rd opinion?

[samsfern]

carb problems, head gasket, theres a few things, where abouts in maidstone are you?

[mcaville]

carb problems, head gasket, theres a few things, where abouts in maidstone are you?

I'm right in the centre of town.

[Yoda]

My guess would be head gasket blown between two cylinders, this could cause a popping noise in the manifold. Especially if you have a tubular LCB.

[mcaville]

My guess would be head gasket blown between two cylinders, this could cause a popping noise in the manifold. Especially if you have a tubular LCB.

I am running a Maniflow LCB. She had a new payen head gasket a year ago. Would it have gone that quickly?

[Yoda]

Depending on the condition of the head and block, it could go again in days, let alone months. If you get a compression test done, this will give you an idea of what is wrong. If you find it is the head gasket, then you may find you need the head and possibly the block skimmed to put things back to rights.

Obviously not seeing the car, i cant tell you any more, but maybe Samsfern can have a look for you, i think he is offering to do so, so give him a shout!

If you find the head needs skimming, then Dartford rebore will do it for less than 50 quid and you will not need to remove the valves as they do it with them in situ. Plus, they can do it while you wait if you book it in.

[WiredbyWilson]

Get it back up the workshop, Nicky has got a compression tester etc

[samsfern]

Depending on the condition of the head and block, it could go again in days, let alone months. If you get a compression test done, this will give you an idea of what is wrong. If you find it is the head gasket, then you may find you need the head and possibly the block skimmed to put things back to rights.

Obviously not seeing the car, i cant tell you any more, but maybe Samsfern can have a look for you, i think he is offering to do so, so give him a shout!

i could pop over one evening with a compression tester and a few other bits of kit, i work near maidstone. Drop me a pm if you want.

Has the mini got a carburettor or is it infected?

Edited by samsfern, 20 September 2010 - 09:54 AM.

[mcaville]

Get it back up the workshop, Nicky has got a compression tester etc

If all else fails that will be my next port of call, but i know he is always massively busy and probably won't be able to fit her in for a while. I think i'm going to take up samsfern's offer of help, and then once a diagnosis has been done i'll go from there.

[WiredbyWilson]

I know he hasn't got a massive amount on this week

[mcaville]

Just wanted to update this thread by giving a massive thank you to Sam (samsfern) who came over on Thursday night to have a look at the problem. The compression test showed it was definitely a blown head gasket. I said to Sam that i would order one and do it some time the following week, but Sam happened to have a spare gasket with him so off came the head!! Got the new gasket on, got everything torqued up, spun it over and........... a horrible popping noise - although a different one than before. The problem would disappear when the choke was pulled out. Sam was to the rescue again with a new set of plugs that he also happened to have with him. Fitted these and the engine began to purr the way she used to. About 4 hours work in all.

[samsfern]

have you put coolant in and driven her yet? I normally keep a "few" spares in my boot, people that know me know what im like, lol

Edited by samsfern, 25 September 2010 - 10:17 PM.

[blacktulip]

lol top man sam.