Scirocco Register

OK. I'm not sure where this problem lies - so I'll just tell you the running order and we'll see...

I was driving back home a few days ago - fuel needle was at the top of the red. I'm not used to the car, so I assumed that was fine. Suddenly, the car started to stammer. 5 secs later - dead. Managed to freewheel to a layby and call the missus. Assuming a sticky float in the tank (ie. I'd run out) - I stuck 5l in and away we went. I must say at this point that once it conked out I didnt try more than once to restart the car until I'd got more juice. It'd cooled down considerably by the time I filled it with the can.

So - last night - took it for a quick pre MOT run. 1/2 a mile up the road... stammered and conked out. It literally dies in 5 secs. Pulled over. Wouldnt fire (cranks OK). 2 mins later - fired up fine and home we went.

So - assuming that 5l aint enough - I stuck £20 in.

This morning was MOT day (nerves killin me!). 4 miles from home.... stammer and conk. Tried and tried to start it - wouldnt fire. Sat 5 mins... fired fine. Made it 6 miles.. same again.

Got to the MOT centre and with heart in throat went through... (NI - has a govt run test centre - you have 1 shot at it on the rollers for brake bias tests etc etc). The car passed with flying colours I'm glad to say.

Made it 5 miles without issue to work.

Coming home this afternoon - same conking issue - 3 times

So - fault finding time: 1 thing I'm wondering... did I run out of fuel at all on Tuesday? I'm doubting that now. Its behaving the very same with £20 in the tank. However, if it DID run out, maybe theres crud in the lines. But that wouldnt explain it conking - and starting fine 3 mins later. The crud wouldnt just disappear.

Someone suggested it could be the coil on the way out. Its in a really crap place IMO - with all that heat round it. I looked at the fuel line to the carb tonight as it ticked over in the drive. Theres a wee inline Fram filter near the carb - and theres no crud in there. However, at tick over - theres LOTS of air bubbles travelling in the line. Is that normal?

I'm stumped - and quite pi**ed off. This is the last hurdle to getting this wee Cat D back to top form.

Any ideas?

when it dies, soes it feel like it's running out of fuel? think this one is going to need the tank opening - blocked pickup and our old favourite the rusty filler neck methinks

Yup. It stammers, loses power, picks up.... then cuts out. Sit at the side of the road for 5 mins and all is well again. Tell me the pickup is easy got at! Last time I had tank trouble was on my TR7v8. Back axle out job.

take the bottom of the rear seatr out. remove inspection cover (3 screws) then unscrew sender from tank. check the pickup isn't clogged with rust. if it is, chuck a magnet in the tank, fit a new fuel filter and open up the holes in the pickup. then check your filler neck for rust

Nate wrote:take the bottom of the rear seatr out. remove inspection cover (3 screws) then unscrew sender from tank. check the pickup isn't clogged with rust. if it is, chuck a magnet in the tank, fit a new fuel filter and open up the holes in the pickup. then check your filler neck for rust

Dead on. I've had a look at the pics in the Haynes. Thank frig the rocco is FWD. I had month of work with the old TR - which had a shot tank.

1 question - should I buy in anew sealing ring/gasket? If so, wheres the best place to get one?

it wouldn't hurt, but i never have in the past. obviously if it is perished then it'll need one. try your local dealer

OK.. had a look just now. One thing I'll thanks the Germans for - it an easy to get at fuel sender. A total contrast to the daft TR7 setup.

Popped off the back seat base, took off the 2 fuel pipes and with a rubber mallet, knocked off the sender/pickup. Took it out and inspected it. There was little or no crap in the pickup. Just maybe 1 or 2 holes clogged. Looked into the tank, and its not too bad. There were however some fragments of rust swimming about - in the region of the pickup.

So, I popped 3 very strong magnets in there and blew out the pickup (thank frig fro Aquafresh mouthwash gets rid of the petrol taste every time)

Then, I had a closer look at the inline fuel filter and decided this time to take it off. It hadnt looked TOO bad visually - so I removed it and gave it a few taps with a screwdriver. Wow. A lot of crud appeared from the paper filter fins. Sorry for the crap phone pic - but I think despite it being out of focus, you get the picture:



So, whaddya think? Enough crap to cause fuel starvation on load? I think so, but then I'm a not exactly an expert.

Oh... and is this it for filters? Is there one anywhere else or if this the one and only filter to be checked?

Could well be that there's MUCH bigger bits of crud in your tank blocking the pipework at that point.

Get your tank cleaned out, chuck a coupla magnets in and check your filler neck, replace neck, replace filter then replace again after running for a while.

it could also be down to a bit of water getting in if it is your filler neck gone. once a new one fitted, run some wynn's dryfuel thru it to get rid of anything that's left

Well, I took a decent look in with a torch - and there were literally just about a dozen tiny fragments left in the tank - about 1mm in size. I had 3 very strong magnets that I've chucked in - and I used a long screwdriver to pull the fragments over to them - and they stuck instantly to them.

I'll pop a new filter in and see if any more gets sucked through the lines, then as you say get a 2nd filter put on.

A new filler neck is on the cards for sure long term.

Nate wrote:it could also be down to a bit of water getting in if it is your filler neck gone. once a new one fitted, run some wynn's dryfuel thru it to get rid of anything that's left

Good idea - I'll get some Wynns. My brother in law has what I can best describe as a big bendy stick with a magnet on the end - so I'm going to sweep the tank base with that tonight to clear any debris.

Thanks for all the tips chaps.

did you manage to find the cause of the problem?
We're having the same problems with our Golf Clipper, and I'm gonna take a look at the tank fuel pickup tomorrow.
I'm thinking of changing the fuel pump too, see if it makes any difference.

If you've got a carb - could be icing? There's a lot of it about at the minute.

philiano wrote:did you manage to find the cause of the problem?
We're having the same problems with our Golf Clipper, and I'm gonna take a look at the tank fuel pickup tomorrow.
I'm thinking of changing the fuel pump too, see if it makes any difference.

In my case it was a dirty inline fuel filter. It was a fram filter, inline just before the carb. It looked fine but when removed and tapped, it was sludged up.

Also opened up the tank, but all was well in there.

Johnny, where are you based?