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Fuel problems on the way home from Classic Le mans

N

nick3814

New member
Got home this morning at 4am from the Classic, car running like a pig!! It all started on the trip up from Le mans. She went great over the weekend and after running round the parts of the track available on the Sunday night with only a 1/4 of a tank of fuel left I filled up for the trip home (some french filling station, can't remember the name), so set off for Dunkerque and within an hour she started popping and farting and refusing to rev past 3000 revs, once we stopped for a break I spoke to the lads I was travelling with who had the same fuel and they seemed ok, so we started off again and for 20 mins she was ok then it started again, pops and bangs from the exhaust and a refusal to rev so at this point I'm thinking it must be that fuel!

So we arrived at the port and then she refused to start! Couldn't hear the fuel pump on turning the key so checked the fuses and the fuel pump fuse was badly positioned and was burnt (as if it had been arcing), changed the fuse and she started great, got on the ferry happy as larry convinced I had sorted the problem, obviously the fuel pump had been cutting on and off!!

Once back in blighty it started again and gradually got worse, checked fuse which is now fine. Filled up with some BP as it was all we could find at the time (I usually use shell V power) and it got to the point where I could run for about 30 - 50 miles as the power got less and less before pulling over, resting her for 5 mins and then off again, so its now had a full tank of BP through the system and still doing it. She starts no problem, idles as normal but doesn't sound as smooth but won't rev past the 3 and pops and bangs still!!

Is it possible that the incident with the fuse has damaged the fuel pump?

Any ideas lads? [FONT=verdana,geneva"]
 
Nick

Sounds very much like a prob. I once had with an Audi 80 which was sediment in the tank. Ran fine for about 20 miles then started to act as you describe - left it 5 mins. and it was fine for a further 20 miles. How energetic were you being when you were down to 1/4 tank - could you have stirred up some primeval ooze in the bottom of the tank. Bit of a long shot but the symptoms are very similar.

Does this mean the 944 will be deployed for Silverstone?

A.
 
Hi Andy, I was thinking of using the 944 anyway but will have to see if I can sort this problem out, its one of those that could take some time I suspect!!

Cheers
 
Hi Nick. Sounds like a classic case of water in the fuel. Ideally the tank should be drained. However draining the tank is not that straightforward to do 100% because contaminated fuel can be left trapped in the baffles of the tank, so it might be waste of time. I'd change the fuel filter run it through a lot of miles to change the tank a few times quickly. Once the water is all out the problem may not go away because of damage done. The fuel head and jets in particular are very precise dimensions and surfaces. Don't think it would make much difference to the fuel tank, pump, and lines but once there is water in the fuel system it can corrode from within.

Jerry[:(]
.
 
Nick

Will probably pick you up at Jct. 37 M1 ( I assume you will come that way rather than A1 - M18 ) - will liaise with you early next week.

A.
 
Its unbelievable!! Fitted new fuel filter this afternoon, took her for a spin and she's transformed, flippin great, pulling through all the gears revs right the way round every time, not a hint of a stutter , pop or fart!!

I'm convinced it was that french petrol I picked up
mad.gif


Would it be worth running some reddex or the like through the system now when I put fresh fuel in??
[FONT=verdana,geneva"]
 
Glad it's sorted out , anyone with a fuel injected car should regularly use an injector cleaner like Redex.
 
Nick

Good to hear- might be useful to renew fuel filter again in say 1000 miles. Also would be interesting to split it open and see what ( if anything ) has been trapped. Did you take a look at filter you took off?

Will mail next week re. S'stone.

A.
 
Just a athought there is some faulty braided fuel hose around from Wurth , exact symptoms , it gets soft and mushy with modern fuels , then when pump sucks pipe closes up progressively getting softer and worse until it stops anything getting through .............................have u had one changed lately are ur pipes a bit old and maybe going soft , changing the filter may have allowed pipe to straighten and will work for a while , worth checking . I lived with this for 3 months before getting to the cause . With fuel contamination will sound like a bag of bones but does nt usually stop, fuse on pump may have gone 'cos it was working so hard to suck through closing pipe,.................................
 
Its funny you should mention that Vic. I have heard similar on other forums so checked the lines in and out of the pump today as I renewed them during the winter. The lines from the pump to the engine and the return to the tank are fine as they are Porsche parts however the short piece from the tank to the motor (about 5inches) as quite soft. I renewed this part but just used some goodyear fuel hose that I purchased from the net. Like I say its quite soft so I might keep an eye on it and try something more rigid if I can find some.

Cheers
 
Mine was all renewed abt 2 years ago , then had ur symptoms exactly ! Pump changed by top Indy , reasonable to believe was faulty etc ,cares for masses of older cars all the time he knows what hes about, car went fine until on the way to classic Lemans ..........the pipe from the pump to the filter had gone soft and kinked badly , rearranged it to get there , creating as smooth an arc as possible , was so 'soft' lasted 2 hours and then closed right up again! At Lemans, said Indy wiv 901 doing well had same prob after practise ! Part of the pipe still felt normal then noticeably soft feel in places .
In my case, the first change had straightened the pipe at the same time probably nothing to do with the pump ! Last weeks adventure the pipe was so soft and swollen /bulging there was no missing it ...............even half way up Foret D'Auvrey hill climb with terrifyibg drop on one side !
Wish u luck , have found a handful of others in the same boat , may be modern fuel maybe faulty batch of pipe , promise it was good quality when we started
 
Very intresting, i have a 996, i also did classic Le Mans headed south afterwards for some time away, driving over to the Lot region and she gave up on me, anyway cut a very long story short the car is still in France and i have come home, a new fuel pump has been fitted and i am going back at the weekend to pick it up, my folks stay down there 3 months a year and this is the 3rd car that has had fuel related problems, and all have had new fuel pumps.

By the way loved Classic Le Mans.

Phil
 
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