Metro turbo cutting out
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi all

I am a regular poster on triple-m.co.uk and had this site recommended to me as i am having some strange issues with my 1989 metro turbo. Basicly i keep losing all fuel pressure causing the car to cut out and stop, if i leave it for a few minutes the car will run again. I have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, the fuel tank pick up, i have by-passed the pump ballast resister and checked all visible hosing and the problem is still there. Happens intermittently always when hot never when the car is cold. I put a fuel pressure tester on it and the fuel pressure starts off fine 4.5 psi on idle but as you drive it, its about 1psi above boost pressure which is obviously far too low. The more you drive, the fuel pressure gets slightly lower untill it suddenly goes to zero and you lose all power.

Anybody got any ideas?
thanks in advance.

sounds to me like fuel vapor lock
when gasoline overheats and boils inside the carburetor bowl it ceases to flow this can cause stalling usually happens during hot weather
just a thought had this happen to me on an injection motor

Hi,
You've changed near enough all the fuel system, so there's not much left to guess at! I know nowt about Metros but I'd have to say fuel tank. Is there a filter on the pickup pipe in the tank, could be blocked?
Or is the tank breather ok? It could be craeting a vacuum in the tank so the fuel can't get out..
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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cheers for the replys guys

Yes there is a pick-up filter in the tank but i have replaced that aswell. Regarding the breather. There is no hiss when you remove the fuel cap after a run so i think thats ok. I t-pieced my fuel pressure tester between the pressure regulator and carb and it was losing all fuel pressure. Its so odd, i suppose the only thing left is wiring?

cheers
matt

If memory serves, isn't the oil pressure switch linked to the pump relay? I'm sure I had probs with it on mine. Only done it when engine was warm.

Yes try wiring the fuel pump up without the oil pressure switch and relay arrangement....mine used to play up

Edit. the relay is under the drivers side headlight

Edited by Dangerous on 9th Aug, 2007.

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Yeh when the oil light goes out, the relay clicks and the fuel pump starts. The oil light does not come on when you are driving, nor does the fuel pump relay click when you are driving. I have recently replaced the pressure regulator with a new one, could a faulty one of these cause me to lose all fuel pressure? Just thought of a way i can test the wiring, if you remove the wire from the oil pressure switch and earth it, it makes the pump come on when you turn the ignition on. I may drive it like that and see if it makes a difference. If so maybe a faulty oil pressure switch could be at fault?

cheers

possible m8. Worth a try.

Right some more info on the metro, i connected some wires to the fuel pump terminals and routed them into the car, then connected the wires to a voltmeter so i could study it whilst i drove. Reading between 12.8v-13.0v. Drove it for about 10 minutes then the problem occured, lost all fuel pressure and my volt meter was still reading about 13volts. So at least i now know that the wiring is not at fault, So whats that leave me, dodgy pressure regulator (unlikely as i replaced it with a new unit about 6 weeks ago) squashed fuel pipe (couldnt spot any when i changed the tank pick-up) or blocked breather? (no hiss when you remove the cap). Im Getting very stuck with this one

Any help much appreciated
cheers

try another pressure reg

Ok had another play with the metro turbo this weekend, took it for another spin with the fuel pressure gauge connected before the regulator and the multimeter attached to the fuel pump terminals. Took my dad with me, so he could study the gauges whilst i drove. Drove it for a good 15-20 minutes and the car was driving fine, pressure was good and the voltage was about 12.8volts. Then the problem occured fuel pressure started to drop then settled on a measly 1 psi, but still increased when you reved the engine whilst the problem occured the voltage at the pump rose to about 13.3 volts. I guess meaning the the pump had slowed down significantley or stopped. So i took it home and thought i would have a feel of the pump. It was very warm. Not good. Thinking maybe the added voltage of having the ballast resister disconnected is causing the pump to overheat. So this morning i have re-connected the ballast resister, which has brought the voltage at the pump down to 9volts. When it stops peeing it down with rain i shall take it for a drive and let you no what happens. (cant drive it in the rain as my fuel pressure gauge is under one of the wipers!) I replaced the pressure regulator with a new one from mini spares about 2 months ago, it was working fine but maybe something has gone a miss with that, if re-connecting the ballast resister dosent work i will try and source a proven good regulator to try.

Hi,
I don't think anyone on here runs a ballast resistor on the pump. If your pressure (pre-reg) is dropping and the voltage goes up, that would suggest less load on the pump, which may mean the reg is sticking open and dumping the fuel back to the tank....
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Well the metro is still broken, i changed the pressure regulator this morning and it still has exactly the same fault. I have tried cleaning out the carb but that hasnt made a difference either. Its strange when i take it out for a drive it loses all pressure in exactly the same place every time. After about 6 miles. Now i was thinking, the only thing i havent yet changed, which could be fuel related is the E.C.U. Could a dodgy ecu be causing me these problems do you think?

cheers

replace the pump

I have already replaced the pump

cheers

Hi,
The ECU only controls the boost, so that won't help.
This is a strange one!
Try runnig a direct feed and earth from the battery to the pump, put a fuse in it.
Give that a whirl and report back, we need to start ruling things out to find the cause.
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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Cheers Gavin tried running the pump straight from the battery yesterday unfortunately still no joy. Just another re-cap of what is happening:

Take it for a drive, is perfect for about 4 miles

After about 5 miles the fuel pressure drops slightly and the car starts to feel abit flat

then after about 6 miles always at the exact same place on my road test route, the car loses all fuel pressure and starts to die (pump voltage increases).

After a few seconds the fuel pressure settles at about 2 psi and you are able to limp it along, then after a while it gradually builds up to about 5psi for a mile or so then loses it again.

Also worth mentioning is that when your at fairly high revs and you change gear i now notice quite a noticeable woosh noise. I dont have a noisy dump valve on it and dont remember noticing it before, i always remember it being silent when i changed gears untill this problem started. Its not an overly loud woosh, not as loud as if you had a aftermarket dump valve on there, but still quite noticeable.

cheers

Try connecting your pressure gauge in the return line to the tank. Assuming nothing is being restricted there should be little to no pressure in the return line to the tank. Needs checking to rule it out.

it does sound like a fuel filter blocking up as i have had this many times.

the dump valve noise is a bit strange. all dump valves make a noise even the recirculating ones.

can you tell me where the boost pipe from the fuel pressure regulator connects to the engine and does anything else tap off from the same point.

also are use using the original breather system with the none return valve (red ball thing that break easily)

also if you fill in your location some one may be local and come round for a look.

I have replaced the pick-up filter in the tank and the fuel filter located under the bonnet. The boost pipe comes out of the plenum chamber into the fuel pressure regulator, this same pipe also t pieces and goes into the E.C.U and boost gauge. Yes the original breather system is being used the red ball thing looks in good condition and all the hoses are new. I am located in Aldershot.

cheers

i assume it was always a metro turbo and not a conversion?

you could dump the ECU and the breather system to make things simple

if no one else is closer i live in Epsom, Surrey so not a million miles away.

if you can say yes to the following, people my be more keen to help.

1 i have a garage with power and light
2 i can make tea and coffee
3 i also have hobnobs/digestives
just for Nic - 4 i have a sister who is single

ahem!

Sorry tom missed that one, i will give this ago tomorrow. I had a thought earlier, perhaps the carb is flooding causing the regulator to return the fuel to the tank, causing my pressure reading to go to 0. This would explain why the pressure slowly begins to increase after it has gone to 0. The only floor in this is that surely it wouldnt run really nicely for 4 miles or so if it was flooding. Unfortunately no powered garage as its full of my dads motorbikes :( but im an apprentice so not 2 bad at making tea and coffee! (hob nobs included) :)

cheers guys

damnit i swore blind i posted a reply to this. simple check you can do here to point towards teh pump or the reg.

withthe car running and dying and the fuel pressure gauge between pump and reg, clamp the return very briefly/slowly, if the pressure shoots up (and the engien may stall) the pump must be ok. Regulator be duff. if the pressure doesnt change the pump simply isnt passing fuel to the regulator.

i know you have swapped out these parts but tehre is no guarantee that you havnt been ulucky and got 2 bust ones!

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.