Hi, I'm asking on behalf of my Dad who's ZS is having trouble running for about the 1st 3 seconds.

Its had a new battery and it turns over perfectly. However once it's fired its like an old car with a choke, it needs a little bit of gas to clear its self and then it runs fine at idle and normal driving.

Looking through the archive, there is nothing that really matches this problem, its not loosing coolant so inlet gasket is ok, leads and plugs are ok (as far as I know) and temp sensor seems to affect running all the time when this is just an initial thing.

Any help would be appreciated as my Dad needs this car as his F is starting out on its HGF journey! Lol

Cheers

Hi, I'm asking on behalf of my Dad who's ZS is having trouble running for about the 1st 3 seconds.

Its had a new battery and it turns over perfectly. However once it's fired its like an old car with a choke, it needs a little bit of gas to clear its self and then it runs fine at idle and normal driving.

Looking through the archive, there is nothing that really matches this problem, its not loosing coolant so inlet gasket is ok, leads and plugs are ok (as far as I know) and temp sensor seems to affect running all the time when this is just an initial thing.

Any help would be appreciated as my Dad needs this car as his F is starting out on its HGF journey! Lol

Cheers
Perhaps you can try to reset the throttle (idle) ignition(key) in position 2 and then 5 times with the throttle pedal to the floor,then ignition off:clap:

Is the car starting from cold and soon after being switched off without a proper warmup run? My 45V6 would do this if I just moved the car a few feet in the cold and then switched off. The next start up it would do as your car is. I soon found out that this start up and switching off in the cold caused the problem. I got over it by putting my foot on the throttle to the floor and cranking just a couple of times. Keeping my foot on the floor I switched off the engine/ignition. Kept my foot on the throttle for about 30 secs then tried again. It always started but gave about 3-4 secs of lumpy running. You could try it to see if it helps.

Is the car starting from cold and soon after being switched off without a proper warmup run? My 45V6 would do this if I just moved the car a few feet in the cold and then switched off. The next start up it would do as your car is. I soon found out that this start up and switching off in the cold caused the problem. I got over it by putting my foot on the throttle to the floor and cranking just a couple of times. Keeping my foot on the floor I switched off the engine/ignition. Kept my foot on the throttle for about 30 secs then tried again. It always started but gave about 3-4 secs of lumpy running. You could try it to see if it helps.

It doesn't do massive journeys but the problem is there hot or cold.

Cheers

Looking through the archive, there is nothing that really matches this problem, its not loosing coolant so inlet gasket is ok,

Lumpy running right after starting is a common symptom of the inlet manifold gasket leaking, and it need only be a very small leak so it would take some time to notice any change in coolant levels.

OTOH it could be something like a sticking hydraulic lifter, does the engine sound noisy when running?

Lumpy running right after starting is a common symptom of the inlet manifold gasket leaking, and it need only be a very small leak so it would take some time to notice any change in coolant levels.

OTOH it could be something like a sticking hydraulic lifter, does the engine sound noisy when running?

I'm pretty sure the the tappets are fine, it's not that sort of sound. It's as if it is a little flooded at start up and a bit of throttle blows it through and it's back to normal. If the inlet gasket was a fault, wouldn't it effect the idle all the time instead of just at start up?

I'm pretty sure the the tappets are fine, it's not that sort of sound. It's as if it is a little flooded at start up and a bit of throttle blows it through and it's back to normal. If the inlet gasket was a fault, wouldn't it effect the idle all the time instead of just at start up?


No, a small leak will make no difference when the engine is up and running, but when stopped it slowly trickles into the cylinder and causes a misfire at start up. If it gets bad enough it can cause a hydraulic lock when you come to start it.

No, a small leak will make no difference when the engine is up and running, but when stopped it slowly trickles into the cylinder and causes a misfire at start up. If it gets bad enough it can cause a hydraulic lock when you come to start it.

true, but he is not losing coolant,

true, but he is not losing coolant,

As I also said, a small leak may take quite a while to show a significant coolant loss. You'd only need a teaspoon of water in a cylinder to make it misfire at start up.

So, if it is the inlet gasket leaking then I take it it's no.1 cylinder that gets a wet plug?

To update, re-setting the stepper motor didn't work :(

So, if it is the inlet gasket leaking then I take it it's no.1 cylinder that gets a wet plug?

Could leak into any cylinder I think, althought I believe it tends to be number 1 and number 4 cylinder that it leaks into the most.


Could it not be a temperature sensor or something? (question for others as im not 100% sure)

To update, re-setting the stepper motor didn't work :(
Check you're vacuumhoses and especially this small one look at the picture in this thread http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=392300:D