Hi, I have a 1996 416i which has suddenly developed a lumpy tickover when first started from either hot or cold then once reved seeming to be 95% ok and at the same time its started putting out excessive grey smoke on normal running (like you normally get on first start up on cold mornings) so i presume its running rich.

I have cleaned the plugs and leads (not yet had chance to do the dizzy cap and rotor arm) which made no difference although number 4 plug had a really heavy build up of white crud on the earth electrode when i pulled it out.

I reset the ecu by disconnecting the battery and leaving for ten minutes then when i started it afterwards it ran perfect again so I suspect I have a sensor down or reading a bad value somewhere.

Is there any way to connect a test lamp across the pins on the diagnostic socket to read the fault codes flash style or do I need a proper fault code reader?

Has anyone else had this problem and can point me in the right direction before i spend money I aint got to fix it?

I am absolutely broke due to being out of work and cant afford garage bills to plug it into a diagnostic computer so I really need some suggestions on extracting these fault codes please?

Also is the diagnostic socket on the 1996 416 bubble by the centre console like the 200? I aint had chance to start searchin round yet.

Many thanks,

Nige

Lumpy idle problems that generally come out iirc are due to either the coolant temperature sensor or the O2 sensor, the second of which was the problem when i had my 414i.

Lumpy idle problems that generally come out iirc are due to either the coolant temperature sensor or the O2 sensor, the second of which was the problem when i had my 414i.
Well I swopped the dizzy cap and rotor arm with known good ones this afternoon and reset the ecu again and got exactly the same result as before so that pretty much rules out the ignition system other than the coil but I very much doubt it would be that due to it running fine after ecu reset for a couple of miles.

May try testing the coolant sensor tomorrow to try that cause had the rad go not so long back which may have sent some crud round the cooling sytem and buggered the sensor up I guess. That would make sense too cause she seems as if she is overfueling like on cold start but the lumpy idle still exists at coldstart????????:confused:

Thanks for the advice,

Nige

Disconnected the coolant sensor and reset the ecu today and then did the same with the lamda sensor and on both occasions as soon as i start the car it runs like a bag of nails.

As soon as I reconnect them it runs like it was again so I am thinking its not the lamda or coolant sensors.

Its now started to become intermittent too as in sometime the fault is there and other times it isnt and its not happening at any set time i.e. engine hot or cold etc....

The intermittancy started before i messed with the sensors by the way so that has not caused it.

Any more ideas?

I am thinking possibly idle control valve.

Also would this car be EOBDII or is it rovers own system for the fault code readers?

Many thanks,

Nige

Cant see a diagnostic socket whatsoever in the drivers footwell by the centre console! Am I looking in the right place or am I just being dim or something?

Nige

Just an update: Its the head gasket me thinks:( Dipped the oil yesterday whilst under the bonnet checking random sensors and connectors and its just startin to look like helmans so am pretty sure I will be pulling the head off in the mornin.

Gonna do it and flog it me thinks and try and recoup some of me money.

I only brought the 416 as a cheap car to run about whilst getting my old renault back on the road but its ended up costing me more to sort this one out in the long run more fool me.

£100 with knackered gearbox (I knew it needed a box thats why it was cheap).
£45 for second hand gearbox.
£45 for new clutch as old one was full of grease from collapsed input shaft bearing.
£100 recovery when brake disc shattered
£20 pair of brake discs
£8 brake pads
£15 part worn tyre after puncture
£20 paint and consumables to remove vandal damage
£25 second hand radiator
Estimated £50 in parts to replace head gasket

Total £428

What a complete pain in the ass and all within 1500 miles! As the old saying goes: Its never over with a Rover! LOL!

Cant really knock it too much though as I brought it with 120000 on the clock as spares or repairs with little service history apart from old mot's and the bloke telling me it had the head gasket done 5000 miles ago which seemed true cause of how sweet it was running and its a pretty tidy car and nice to drive.

Mind you I brought my 200,000 mile Renault 21 Savanna 2 years ago for £75 and all I have done to that is service it £30 with timing belt, repair rotton front wings and sill £10 for welding wire and filler/paint, replace the starter motor £1.25 off ebay, and its just waiting for a throttle cable £5.50 off ebay and rear shoes £9.75 and me to weld the front subframe for the mot, after me putting 35,000 miles on it since I brought it. It may be ugly and a pain in the ass to obtain parts for if you dont wanna wait for them from France or Argentina but at a total cost of £131.50 including its origional purchase. Now thats cheap motoring and it runs on used cooking oil. :)

Nige

Just for information purposes...

The diagnostic socket can be found hanging loose or tied to the wiring loom in the vicinity of the drivers fusebox.

None of the ECU's in the 400 range are EOBD (OBDII) compliant.

Disconnecting the battery will not reset the ECU or remove any stored fault codes, these operations can only be done via suitable diagnostics.

Thanks for the info will bear it in mind. Strange how it seemed to reset after disconnecting the battery for 10 mins if its not meant to reset by doin that. Hey Ho!

Thanks,

Nige