tonyc

I've just had my car returned from my mechanic, I asked him to top up the freon in the aircon, and add a vent to the distributer.

Today while driving I changed down to enter a busy traffic circle and my dash lights lit up and the car cut out for no reason, I coasted around and stopped on the side in a really dangerous position. I tried to start the engine, the starter motor turned but would not ignite.(In laymans terms I would call this a fuel feed problem).The fuel tank was low,not critical by any means.

Eventually after a nervous 5 minutes of turning the key, the engine ignited and I was off.

Did the engine flood while driving, or was it the newly vented distributers or filling the aircon or something else that might have caused the problem.

Any assistance or suggestions on this would be appreciated, it might help in me suggesting to the mechanic what was wrong.

thanks
Tony
90C2

Roland Kunz

Hello

I would focus on the ignition.

Check if the wires and caps sit correct then turn engine to TDC remove caps ( both ) and look if the fingers point to the marks.

Grüsse

Bill Wagner

For the problem to be caused by a distributor vent kit is HIGHLY unlikely, unless the mechanic bumped a spark plug wire and it's loose. The distributor cap doesn't need to come off to install this...all you do is remove an "access panel" to the distributor and plug a rubber grommet into it that attaches to a hose. The other end of the hose should attach to a hole the mechanic should have drilled out in the blower duct, and that is also fitted with another grommet.

Possibly the mechanic bumped something, but the symptoms sound to me more like a fuel pump going south, but it could be a lot of things. I would check all the wiring in the area the mechanic worked on and make sure everything is secure. How many miles are on the car?

Bill Wagner

'91 C4

tonyc

Thanks for your feedback. The cars has 32k miles on it. I hope that it's not the fuel pump, that sounds expensive!
It's so typical the car runs fine, then comes back from the mechanic with problems. I noticed that the plastic cap that covers the windscreen wiper has been broken and is showing the nut underneath, it's small I know, but it's damn annoying. He said will replace it.

Roland Kunz

Hello

Bill is right about looking on the fuel side. Alose cap or plug will make the engine run bad but will not let stall the car aprupt except the ignition gets shortete or fires into the Motronic.

Mabe I do live in a other world.

A distributors belt has to be checked before I install the vent kit. The belt can be hardened and bad allready and the vent kit make the next mechanic beleive he has a good unit.
Also on every maintance the fingers, belt and the caps must have a visuall inspection and a drop oil in the shaft keeps things proper. This is done if the kit is ventet or not as the caps wear out and generate that ozone. Normally the caps survive two spark plug periodes.

I´m mechanic and knows the problem that people look much closer after they get the car back. So to prevent trouble every car gets a fast sight with the owner showing up the most dents and scratches. Well if I had to go after each thing on that I would never come to work and make my income. As a human beeing and torn between many tasks mistakes do happen and as long I recognize them I fix them and inform the costumer.

Just can´t see why the mechanic should have broken the wiper nut cover except he worked on that.

Well costumer is king, but even kings can be idiots.

There are other things that can cut in. Normaly it is ignition or fuel relatet.
Fuel sided the DME relay is the unit to check first.

Grüsse