• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Dead on the road - see engine light thread

Share this page

jaybird

jaybird

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Well gotdammit anyway. I had quite the lovely evening last night, sitting along the side of the busiest interstate in STL for 2 hours.

Was a glorious day, near 70. Took Emma on a couple errands (okay, so I went shopping) Same problem, light was on, off, on again under 50 pounds. But I couldn't get the oil pressure up to 70#. Driving well, flew past a Crossfire convertible with its top down, thinking life is good. Not a minute later, I lost all power at about 75 mph on a 5 lane interstate at rush hour. Coasted across 4 lanes of quickly-moving traffic to the shoulder. She started, went 100 feet, died. Started, ran, but ran rough. The next exit was the one I wanted anyway, so hey, I was already at Borders. Went into Borders, started and ran fine. Stopped at the other end of the shopping area at Bath Bed & Beyond. Came out, started and ran fine.

Got back onto the interstate, lost all power again after about 2 miles. This was about 5:45pm. Wouldn't start. Wouldn't start. Sat half an hour listening to the traffic zipping by, tried again. Nothing. Rrr, rrrr, rrrr, no fire, no start. Then it would start making this clicking sound coming from the area of the alternator. I didn't see any sense in opening the hood because I wouldn't be able to tell anything anyway.

Olwhatshisname was at guys night at the garage, pulling an overdrive (and other bits) out of a donor car for Binabox. Said it's probably the starter. I said it's not the starter that would cause me to lose power at 70mph. I said bring an alternator home from John's shop. Some help. Who needs men when I had a cell phone. I said call me back in half an hour. (he didn't)

Called our towing service, said it would be 2 hours before they could get a flat bed to me, but I could have a tow truck in 20 minutes. I said I want a flatbed, I'd wait. Then I got aggravated and called a tow service in town here, said bring your flatbed. 25 minutes later Emma's on the truck and we were on our merry way home.

Know what's the sickest part? I'd rather have been on the side of the road in Emma, than driving along in the Solara.

It's NOT the starter. I'm SURE of that. (aren't I?)

Oh, and there was an AWFUL smell of gas the first time she died and again when I started her to leave Borders. No connection? Excess fluid from lack of spark and no place for the gas to go? Changed my clothes, pushed Emma up into the garage. Chuck did call about 30 minutes after I was home.

Battery charger is on her now, will pull the alternator after I test the battery and take it to be tested.
 
Check ignition circuit cloely...from condenser backwards (to include condenser)
 
Sounds like a loose wire somewhere.

Nothing kills a car dead at 75 MPH & then allows you to start it back up again like a short.

(How about an overheated coil or electronic ignition module Tony?)
 
You know, I had a 73 Fiat once that had a Lucas alternator. Seemed like it had the same problem. Replaced the alternator, but the same symptoms recurred. It turned out to be the voltage regulator, I believe. Of course this has been at least 20 years ago, so I may just be remembering wrong.
 
Okay guys, THAT I forgot about! The V+ regulator is NOT built into the alternator? I thought it was... my bad!

*scuttles away*
 
I thought it was built into the alternator for the '75 and up Bs? or is that '76 and up? I'm fairly certain the V-regulator is on the alternator on my '76.
 
Oh shoot, replace regulator and get it over with.
 
id say leaking fuel line or loose wire, maybe the coil..loose line would cause the smell and also let air in at high rpms........zimmy
 
Jaybird, had the same problem a couple of years ago, the electronic module for the electronic ignition died,replaced with pertronics unit and all is well. good luck
 
I do want a Pertronix.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Janel - check your PM's
 
Please check your oil. If the pressure is lower than normal, and your getting strong fuel smells, I'd be a tad worried that the oil is thinned out with gas.
Check to see if it's a little overfull, or if it smells strongly of gas.
I agree about the ignition problem. I'd be highly suspicious of the ignition module dying. It's going to be tough to verify if it's intermittant.
 
I changed the oil on Feb 11th - checked it before I drove her yesterday. I check it all the time. Didn't look 'thin,' wasn't overfull and didn't smell gassy.

IF it's thinned out with gas, what causes that and what's the fix? I'll go sniff again.
 
Sounds like you were near Lindbergh and 270? Somewhere around there? I don't know what went wrong, but the next time I'm in STL I'd like to drop in on any club functions you might have-your descriptions bring back a lot of memories of my own break downs!
 
Not far, actually more toward 270 and 44, right at the Gravois exit.

You let me know when you're heading this way! In fact, you should come April 1st for the endurance rally (see the events thread) We'll be in KC for Heartland in June (sans Binabox most likely)
 
Back
Top