hello peeps...

iv got a polo coupe genesis 1993

the car doesnt seem to be running right it sounds as if it is missing...iv changed all the obvious things about a month ago -

spark plugs

leads

distributor cap - plastic bit with rotor arms

coolant sensors

full service etc

this morning i changed the dis cap the unit with rotor arm and hal sensor - iv just driven it to work and the engine was still shaking, when i turned the headlights on the revs droped down and twice the engine cut out!

when i turned the head unit on the revs also drop down.

when the car is idling it doesnt stay on its mark ( not holding ) and moves from say around 500rpm to 1100 rpm

this did not happen until i changed the part ( hal sensor unit of dis cap )...

iv got no clue as to what to do now or what the fault could be

any help would be awesome -

When you say that you have changed the distributor cap, was this for a second time? I ask this, as you said that you changed it in your list of things that you have done.

If you have changed it twice, I would think it highly unlikely that you have had two faulty ones.

It sounds as if your engine may not be running on four cylinders, even though you have changed the plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm. You mention the Hall sensor, but to be honest, if that is faulty, the symptom is generally that the engine cuts out completely, rather than misfires.

Have you lost any coolant?

Is there any signs of coolant on the dipstick?

Is there any signs of oil in the coolant?

If the answer to these is 'yes', it could be that you have a failed head gasket, but in any case, it might be a good idea to have a compression test, as there are other reasons for lack of compression such as valve(s) which aren't seating, broken piston rings etc.

Other items which could cause the problem include lack of fuel or air leaks.

I hope that there may be some help there for you.

thanks for your help mate !

Yeah I only changed the dis cap once and the Hal sensor unit.

I had the head gasket done about two years ago but when I put the car on ramp last week I could see the waterpump has a slight leak-could this be a problem??

I hope it ain't the cylinders lol iv spent so much on this car and it's going to be costly!!

Sweet!

another thing I forgot to mention and my temp gauge reaches all the way to the top, near 110 before it cools down.

I'm sure something ain't right there

:thumbsup:

no that's not right mate, what's the coolant looking like? no signs of oil contamination? and visa versa for the oil?

does it miss fire at all in the rev range, like a big pop here or there? if so i'd double check that you have the firing order correct. i got two of my leads mixed up on the dizzy yesterday and it ticked over lumpy and wouldn't hold and it would let out a pop here and there. gotta be worth a double check just to be sure as i think i remember you mentioning very poor fuel consumption and a lack of power at Stanford?

Edited 16 May, 201115 yr by McLOVIN

yeah my fuels been crap but then it has been since i brought the car lol despite all the work iv done to it!

i havnt actually driven the car to work today - prob do more damage than good...

give me a couple of days il try what you have suggested and get back to you - see if i can put some pics up

mark ( big burt ) has been a great help too

i started the car this morning held at 950rpm then kept dropping up and down...

you could be right about the spark leads being in the wrong place - but when i changed them i did them one by one! how do i know which spark lead goes to what end on the dis cap??

i held the revs at 2000rpm and 3000rpm and it seemed like it was juddering and every now and again il get a lil nudge - could be the pop your talking about. i took one spark lead out the cap and the engine slowly cut out..

my spark plugs look quite clean - from the pic ref in manual it says my engine is good.

coolant is pink - no signs of oil but when i pump the pipe i get a flow of some orange stuff looks like a cloud of rust in water

the oil looks clean i dont think there is any water in it - dip stick looks clean

thank you guys for all your help i really value the help and advice your giving me and forgive me if I'm going on abit and asking silly questions..just want to get this sorted!

i bet its something simple too...

:-D