Strange car problem!

[alivin]

Jonty,
which model is it ? It's just that I learnt to drive in one.

[Jonty]

alivin, it's a 1977 MkII Popular Plus 1100

[wju425]

Originally posted by Jonty
Hmmm, I replaced the condenser last year I think, doesn't the condenser just suppress sparking and makes the points last longer?

Actually it extends the life of a spark. While points are closed it charges up the condeser (coil too) and when the points break it discharges into the coil producing a spark. If you don't have a condenser there's too short a spark to burn any gas.

\o/ Billy

[CubKid]

wow... When I saw Escort I was assuming the American ones.. my bad.

[Jonty]

Sorry, when I said suppress sparking I meant it cut down on the arcing on the points by absorbing excess whatever, therefore extending the life of the points. At least that was my understanding of what a condensor does but then I might be wrong

[Brainchild]

vapor locking is a terrible pain in the you know where. I had a Ford truck that did it at random.One day it dies and won't start,and this old farmer comes over and clamps 2 wooden clothes pins on the metal fuel line,closes the hood,and it fires right up.(Don't ask, I still don't believe it), it never did it again though,and i never took them off,just in case

[Jonty]

Whoa brainchild, I've just this minute been reading about the clothes peg thing here: http://www.oroad.com/volkswebbin/wal...?message=35891

I'm now convinced that it was vapour lock that caused the problem. I've spent this evening searching the net and I've come to this conclusion.

If it was dirty fuel or dirt in the fuel line then surely the car would have spluttered to a halt and wouldn't have started again until the blockage was physically removed.

I started the car first time again just a short while ago and everything was OK.

[RedFury]

I'd have to agree that it was a vapor lock problem. Generally speaking, when an electronic component goes out like that, it is dead...it ain't gonna work again. If it had sputtered or given some problem like that, then it could be an electronic problem that was STARTING to go bad, but for the most part, electronics don't stop working and then suddenly just start working again.

The most plausible cause would be vapor lock. When a problem arises and then disappears and doesn't arise again, it's usually due to something unique to the situation ( such as a hot day ). I'd keep an eye on it on hot days, and if it happens again, let the car sit with the hood open for a few minutes and then try to start it again. What may have happened was the fuel pump finally got some fuel up there that was cool enough to stay liquid until it got the fuel bowl, instead of pushing into the bowl as a gas.

If this becomes an issue more often than not, you need to figure out why the fuel is getting too hot.

One trick is to mark a line with crayon down the length of the fuel line if you can get access to it ( in the engine compartment ) and see if any of the crayon melted off in any particular areas that might be a heat problem ( say if the line ran close to the exhaust manifold, etc ).

[wju425]

That don't mean it won't happen again. Was your car running hot or was it wet? The condenser are what's causing the arcing as it wants to discharge. What extends the point's life is the voltage. The points works by grounding the coil wire and the voltage should have dropped to 9 or 10 volts after it passes through the coil.

\o/ Billy

[Brainchild]

I know this will sound crazy, but I also know it works (sometimes).
>>> Clip a wooden clothes pin on the fuel line, it acts as a heat sink
>>> to disipate some of the heat. My dear old grandad taught me that
>>> one, He said that back in the 50's and early 60's it was rare to
>>> lift the hood of any car without seeing at least one clothes pin
>>> attached to the fuel line. Then again, it may just be a redneck
>>> thang, it might not work for you.
>>>

worked forthis redneck lol