Can anyone help me with a small problem, my wifes 1985 renault 4 runs fine but will only do so for about 30 kms then it has overheating symptoms and stops. It is not overheating and the electrics seem fine so it must be some sort of fuel problem but we have blown out the tank, replaced all the seals and bits in the carb, tested the fuel pump. No more ides's, after a short wait all is ok. can antone help please, please my wife is going to kill me if it happens again.
- Thread starter WIzarick
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malcolm
& Clementine the Cat
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The filter for the sender in the tank can get blocked. Remove pipe and blow through to clear for a while. Have you got an inline fuel filter fitted where the pipe goes over the rocker cover. Otherwise gauze in connection to carb and jets can block.
Lucas rotor arms cause problems like that =they conduct electricity down the shaft when hot. Make sure you have a different make.
Carb icing is the only other thing I can think of that fixes itself after a rest. Check the intake hose is in the winter position.
Don't rely on the temperature warning light. Make sure the coolant hoses are full of water.(squish them by hand) .
What are the symptoms exactly? Gradual loss of power?
Lucas rotor arms cause problems like that =they conduct electricity down the shaft when hot. Make sure you have a different make.
Carb icing is the only other thing I can think of that fixes itself after a rest. Check the intake hose is in the winter position.
Don't rely on the temperature warning light. Make sure the coolant hoses are full of water.(squish them by hand) .
What are the symptoms exactly? Gradual loss of power?
Yes a loss of power but it keeps running until the engine is idled then it stops. At first you can keep it going by blipping the throttle but then it stops and won't start until it has rested for about half an hour. On one occasion it stopped in the middle of a gear change.
This problem has been aired (sic) more than once on this Forum — it normally happens with older R4s with the Zenith 281 carb but perhaps it is happening here.
Heat radiated from the exhaust manifold heats up the carb to such an extent that the fuel in the chamber boils off and you get fuel starvation symptoms (stutters/stops). After half an hour or so with the bonnet open the carb cools down and the engine then starts and runs normally — until it heats up again.
I must admit I haven't yet cracked this problem on the car of mine which suffers from it. If this is indeed the cause in your case I could suggest (i) remove the radiator thermostat so the engine runs cooler, (ii) lag the exhaust manifold and carb with heat-resistant tape à la rally car. Or both. Must get round to doing this one day myself!
You mention that it happens after about 30 Kms (rather than miles) — thus your car is presumably a French import — these late models have quite complicated carbs which do not (in my experience with two 1985 Frog 845cc R4s) normally suffer in this way. But there is always a first time . . . .
Heat radiated from the exhaust manifold heats up the carb to such an extent that the fuel in the chamber boils off and you get fuel starvation symptoms (stutters/stops). After half an hour or so with the bonnet open the carb cools down and the engine then starts and runs normally — until it heats up again.
I must admit I haven't yet cracked this problem on the car of mine which suffers from it. If this is indeed the cause in your case I could suggest (i) remove the radiator thermostat so the engine runs cooler, (ii) lag the exhaust manifold and carb with heat-resistant tape à la rally car. Or both. Must get round to doing this one day myself!
You mention that it happens after about 30 Kms (rather than miles) — thus your car is presumably a French import — these late models have quite complicated carbs which do not (in my experience with two 1985 Frog 845cc R4s) normally suffer in this way. But there is always a first time . . . .
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orsome
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A further comment here, i aldo have a 1932 morris which has a horizontal metal plate between the carb and the exhaust manifold. I had always tjough this was to reduce fire risk in the event of the carb dripping however it may well be to keep the carb cool, could be a good fix