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Mk4 Xr3I Cutting Out - Lots


ukmole
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First did it after an hours driving. Kept doing it every few miles/mins till I got it into a garage who installed a ballast as they said the coil was overheating. Well, this worked for at least two months. Now it's started doing it again. The current thinking is the distributor.

Anyone else had/solved a similar problem? My XR is bog standard.

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My XR3i does cut out sometimes if I let the revs drop too quickly, ie if I'm coasting towards traffic lights without engine braking at all.

Is this a similar thing? I'd be interested to see what replies you get, the only fix I have at the minute is to make sure I go down through the gears as I come to a stop, but I don't think this is doing my clutch any good!

I'm looking at changing the fuel pump as I suspect mine could be something to do with not enough fuel getting through at low revs, not sure.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, let me know how you get on...

Hawkeye

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is there an electrical box on the side of the dizzy, if so its a ignition amplifier and they were well known for failing and causing cutting out problems and eventually a non start. this may well not be the problem but its someware to start, without an inspection its hard to say.

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is there an electrical box on the side of the dizzy, if so its a ignition amplifier and they were well known for failing and causing cutting out problems and eventually a non start. this may well not be the problem but its someware to start, without an inspection its hard to say.

Now we are talking! Well, at least (as you say) it's somewhere to start. I shall check and (possibly) replace and report back.

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Had a look at my XR at the shop and I cannot see anything attached to the distributor. (Not that I know exactly where to look). My car is an '87 Cabriolet, so it should have one(?)

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I had an 87 model and am pretty sure their was an amplifier type thing on it. I had to replace it once and had to buy it directly from Lucas. It was over 20 years ago so my memory of it isn't great.

Is it only conking out when its warmed up and then starts again once it has cooled down a bit? If so could be the crankcase sensor or the connection to it may have corroded and needs cleaning up.

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Here's a pic of the dizzy. I think it's a Bosch. Can't see anything attached except for a box where the LT wire goes in. Can you take a pic of yours if it has the Ford Ignition box attached? I see lots of them on eBay, and they're all different!

post-47878-0-99214000-1383340538_thumb.j

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I had an 87 model and am pretty sure their was an amplifier type thing on it. I had to replace it once and had to buy it directly from Lucas. It was over 20 years ago so my memory of it isn't great.

Is it only conking out when its warmed up and then starts again once it has cooled down a bit? If so could be the crankcase sensor or the connection to it may have corroded and needs cleaning up.

I could be the crankcase sensor. It cuts out without warning and needs a minute or five before it will start again. This last happened on Sunday and it did the cut-out thing for the five miles I drove home about twenty times! Where is the crankcase sensor?

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been checking up and sorry my mistake it was only the lucas system that had the amplifier and not the Bosch.

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been checking up and sorry my mistake it was only the lucas system that had the amplifier and not the bosch.

Its a Mk3 Facelift.

The crankshaft sensor (sorry not the crankcase) should be low down on the front of the engine with just one wire going to it. I know it was on the XR2I and am hoping it is in roughly the same place. It is open to the elements and was a common reason for these conking out.

Your distributor has the old vacuum advance and !Removed! system on it. Check the pipe to that isn't leaking and see if the it runs different if you disconnect it. If the vacuum pipe is sucking air in but the engine timing doesn't change at all the bob weights in the bottom of the dizzy may be stuck. They may need a little lubrication and freeing up.

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the Bosch had an amplifier too, some were bolted on outside of distributor, some [i think] were inside dizzy

if an external amp, they suffered overheating problem...had to take them off and clean the points of contact on the amp and dizzy body, then apply a special compound to the rear of amp and refit [cant remember the name of compound, but sure it was just a heat resistent grease]...worth trying before changing the amp

if an internal amp, normally meant the whole dizzy needed changing

symptom used to be..

random cutting out, gets worse the warmer the engine..but always restarted

as problem developed, then restarting got more difficult...usually had to wait 5/10 mins before it will go...till finally, engine just refuses to start..

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So, it looks like my distributor doesn't have an external amplifier. Which means I have to get another one. There is one new FS on German eBay for 145Euros! and a couple on UK eBay second hand for 20quids-ish. Unless anyone on the liost wants to sell me one (working) with the external amplifier?

@btmaldon: pic never came out! And I notice the system amended your 'advance and DELETED system'

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Those with a manual: Is the Dizzie this model:

MOTORCRAFT DISTRIBUTOR - EDA 329?
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Panic over. I took off the distributor this am and Lo! an ignition amplifier underneath - covered in oil. I shall get a new one anyway and shield it some way from oil next time!

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chances are, its the distributor o ring thats leaking, might pay to change that too

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