Sharp left turn and the car goes kaput.

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:27 pm

Beautiful morning for a ride to work... 66 degrees and bright and sunny! I get about 6 miles into my glorious drive, feeling confident and flying along... I get to a left hand turn and with my new control arms in place I whip a left hand turn. The car dies. pump the pedal to keep the car running but it is in a wierd state... It wont idle and it wont rev, but pumping the pedal keeps the engine running... at idle-like.

This is the third time now that this car has done this to me in the last year and a half...

I get the car off of the road into a parking spot (lucky, not quite pissed, but dissapointed). I pop the hood, take off the air filter cover, try to start the car... rolls over but dies... wont idle. pump the pedal while trying to start it, it starts but will not idle and pumping the gas keeps it running but it wont rev if I hold down the gas, just die...

So, I attempt to flood start it... it starts and holds idle long enough for me to get to the throttle linkage. I pump the throttle and hold my hand over the top to create suction hoping to suck stuff out if indeed something is in there... and after a few attempts at this, the car will now rev but not hold idle. After another 10 minutes or so of monkeying around, I decide it is best if I limp her home since she now rev's. I get her on the road and am cruising home, all seems normal... Now, the car idles and is running like it was when I left home. I completed my drive to work.

Gas tank?
Fuel Pump?
Carb?

Where to start????

mbouse · Post by **mbouse** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:17 pm

the carb is firmly mounted to the intake now right?

did you remove the UFO one way valve?

sounds like the float bowl is empty, or the float is stuck.

can you force it to repeat the symptoms with another hard left turn?

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:30 pm

Yeah, I rechecked the nuts... Carb is firmly mounted to intake.

Per suggestions... The UFO valve is gone.

In the last year and a half, this been reproduced three times now, I am sure I can get it to happen again... I will try again on my way home this evening... in my neighborhood, so if it decides not to restart, I can push it home!

bradartigue · Post by **bradartigue** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:14 pm

I'm not sure what Spider you have, but some of the carbureted models (late model especially) had a 12v wire from the driver's side fender to the carburetor idle cut off solenoid. I would guess the wire is loose or the solenoid is bad.

124cso · Post by **124cso** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:06 pm

You do not say how hard a left turn ? just when at speed or at walking speed (2-3MPH) as well ? Not right hand turns ?

If it's fuel injected, I would think about crap in the bottom of the tank ? as pickup in at the very bottom right front corner and has a very fine mesh screen. Rust / crap might slosh over intake on left turn, but then settleback later.
Someone asked if you can make it do it ? If you can, fill tank to the brim & try again. A full tank will not have a slosh / wave action. The injected tank is well baffled ( strangely the carby ones are not) but you still might notice a difference ?

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:26 pm

The car is still idling nasty once the choke is off... choke on, car runs fine... choke goes off and car idles extremely rough.

The turn is a VERY hard left turn. I whip the wheel and giver gas! then ugh.. And it never seemed to happen when the tank was full... interesting, but the fuel filter is clean and it seems to have a supply of fuel available to it.

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:27 pm

sounds like you have a vacuum leak or plugged idle circuit. Whats the lowest speed the engine will idle at?

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:15 pm

Car needs to remain above about 1000-1200 RPM to run right...

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:12 am

at that speed you will have fuel trickling from the main discharge nozzle creating an erratic idle. If it won't idle below 1000, you either have a vacuum leak or a plugged idle circuit. Have you checked the idle cutoff solenoid or tried using compressed air to blow back through the idle circuit?

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:18 pm

No, I have not tried blowing air through... I can do that. I have played with the idle solenoid and unplugging it causes the car to die... plugging it in allows it to idle roughly. I can try blowing air through the idle circuit this afternoon! A good suggestion.

manoa matt · Post by **manoa matt** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:30 pm

When you take the idle solenoid out check the condition of the idle jet, (small brass nozzle at the end). It should be a perfect conical shape. If it appears worn on one side or asymmetrical it won't seal properly

Hvnfn · Post by **Hvnfn** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:12 pm

I just replaced the intake and the carb... that fixed it!

Sharp left turn and the car goes kaput.

Sharp left turn and the car goes kaput.

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