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Renault 4 cutting out

RichardIRL

RichardIRL

Enthusiast
Messages
366
Location
Dublin
My engine keeps on cutting out, just stopping. If I try to start it, it turns but won't actually start. If I leave it a few minutes, it works perfectly....

Can anybody help?
 
Sounds like something in the ignition system thats breaking down when it gets hot. Favourites are rotor arm, coil, capacitor, or high tension leads, though it's worth checking all the connections too.

When it stops working do you have a spark at all? Worth checking how far the spark is getting - if there's a spark at the coil and it it makes it past the distributor - can help narrow things down.
 
Malcolm, I thought that I would let you get there first:wink:

My initial thoughts were fuel related. Blocked filter on the petrol sender unit, fuel pump packing up, blocked in-line filter between pump and carb, blocked mesh in the carb where the petrol goes into the float chamber, pin hole in the fuel line between tank and pump. Then I thought of the coil getting hot, but it would need to cool down for some time before it produces sparks again.
 
the coil on my other car did the same as this
easy to swap out with another 2nd hand one before you start on the carb
 
Does anybody know where I can get another coil?

I also need a front left hand driveshaft.
 
They are standard 12V coils with standard mountings, so any motor factor would have them. Just need to be careful to pick up a plain 12V (not the 6V coils used in ballasted systems).
 
The Renault 4 cut out again today after having replaced the coil yesterday so that excludes the coil as the cause...

It must be the carburettor then
 
If the car starts in the first place and drives OK it removes a whole lot of possibilities. Normally the carb is among them apart from potential fuel blockages within.

The two that are left are something getting hot and failing in the ignition system or a fuel supply problem. The two can be difficult to tell apart, though removing the top of the float chamber after such an issue would tell you if there is enough fuel in there to run the engine. Wouldn't reveal blocked jets, but if it runs OK otherwise they would be unlikely.

How exactly is it cutting out? Does everything really just die at once or do you have a chance to continue with popping and burbling for a few hundred metres to allow you to find a suitable place of rest?
 
This is the first time it has happened in a while.

It was stuck in traffic in traffic and the engine felt slightly dodgy as if running a little bit less smoothly and slightly weaker than before - terrible description I know.

But I knew it was likely to cut out, even though it had been a long time since the last time it cut out.

I pushed it onto a path and then tried to start it, it started briefly and then cut out the same way again. I tried to start it again and it turned but wouldn't start.

I gave it a few minutes and then, as always, it started again and drove normally for the rest of the journey.
 
That sounds a lot like fuel vaporisation. Engine bay can get a bit hot when you are stuck in traffic. Recently Pepper reported running problems with Ermintrude in traffic. Problem there was my engine cooling fan wasn't switching on (and I forgot to mention it to him).

I forget which engine you have - it's not the cooling fan that's broken is it?
 
Not that I am aware of, but thank you for that tip, I will get it checked out.
 
What about a blocked tank breather? When it stops take off the filler cap, if it breathes in you have a blocked breather.
Allan
 
Thanks, next time it happens I will take off the filler cap. I think somebody mentioned that on another similar thread to this as well.

Hopefully I will get to the bottom of this soon.

The mechanic in my nearest garage thought the carburettor that was the most likely cause and will check it out in two weeks. I suppose it could be either.

I think somebody mentioned on the other thread that the fact that the car was standing for such a long time meant that a blockage somewhere, either the tank or carburettor was the most likely thing.
 
The carburettor was opened today and there was water and a large piece of plastic on the inside....

Hopefully this is the end of uncertainty at busy junctions
 
drive stop drive stop and so on

In Two cars i Had I had the same problem.

Soulution:
There may be a vacuum in the tank.

Borre a 1 mm hole in the tank lid and saw a slot in the top of the inlet pipe

And: The problem is solved
 
I recall that this happened to me on one occasion many years ago and it was the diaphragm inside the petrol pump which had a small hole in it, when I replaced the petrol pump the problem stopped.
 
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