Scorpiorefugee

There might be a clue there. Have you thoroughly checked battery connections or tried a new battery. I know nothing of this model but if it is OK with jump leads then it has to be related with the battery or connections. I believe that if the battery teminal voltage falls below a certain level the system resets as soon as it returns to normal which could cause it to cut out even though it has started OK.

This may be a last hope suggestion but the motor position on these is such that under certain conditions a lot of heavy rain can cause water ingress into the electronic control part of the motor. It is also possible that it may dry out without long term damage. Yes! I know it's a long shot but it might be worth a try. It happened to me a few months after I got my first Gal and after a few days and a couple of carefuly drilled holes in the tray underneath the motor it was fine for another 4 years. The symptoms were not quite the same but it cetainly stopped and started on it's own and wouldn't go when I switched it on.

Nah! Gave those things up for economy years ago. Another sign of galloping dementure probably. :) :P :P

Just a quick thought on the lights that stay on... Does the dimmer control work? It could be used to turn the lights off or, more usefully, it may help in the search for the problem.

or get into more serious stuff like worrying about how best to use engine oil additives to rub away the effects of galloping dementia. :lol:

I agree with Mirez. If you do it properly, it will last. Just strip it right down and clean it up properly. I had to tap outone of the bushes and replace it with a bit of 15mm copper pipe with a slot cut down the side to allow for compression and that lasted 4 years & 100K without deteriorating until the engine died.

Can't remember the hospital, it was nearly 65 years ago :lol: , but my mother's family lived in Manvers Road, virtually the last stop on the way up to Beachy Head. Incredible views over the town and all the way to Dover on a clear day. My parents moved to the midlands 6 months later. I have a fair few relatives still living in the district but I don't get back very often now. My memories of the place are mainly of the '50s and walking through the town past great holes and gaps in the streets where houses used to be..... but it has all changed now. :lol: I remember coming down East Dean Hill C1962 in an old Standard Flying 14 with the brakes red hot and shooting 2 sets of lights before lurching into a side road and coasting to a stop in a cloud of smoke. Happy Days! :lol:

Thanks, all useful information, but I guess the old rule "If it ain't broke don't fix it." still holds. And Gregers, I'm not that decrepit, just a little worn. :( :( :( I'm due to retire but I reckon it should be re-tyre 'cos I'm just losing my grip a bit. :lol: :lol: :lol: I was born in Eastbourne but I'm not ready for the bath chair yet!

It's fantastic what a bit of TLC can do but I shouldn't shout too loudly. Mu poor old S reg had its last MOT just before 230K and went through with flying colours and the tester said that the emissions and smoke tests were much about what you'd expect from a nearly new one. 3 days later, it seized up. :( :( :( I might have been able to get it going but my missus had been going on for so long about its disreputable appearance that I just let the scrap man take it away. Re the brake pads, My last Ganada Scorpio had its first rear pads at 150K and fronts at 175k. At about 180k, a white van tried to rape it and it was written off. :lol: :lol: :lol: Beware the Ides of ....er November? Seriously, I hope you have many more happy years..... ;)

Thanks fellers, I reckon that has been put to bed. Er, should I rub it on before going to bed or when I get up? :lol:

Seatkid, I am very reluctant to contradict but I had exacly this problem when I got my first and now late lamented S reg and spent a lot of time checking for the truth on this 'cos there was a lot being written about this coming on and running at different levels during the period following starting. I hooked a meter and a Scope onto the actual feed and watched it on several cold starts. Result - total compliance with the lamp and positively nothing other than full power for up to about 5 seconds on cold mornings although I didn't check it on seriously sub-zero conditions. I could not detect any situation where there was a low power condition and the only deviation was the fact that, if the glow plugs are not needed, somewhere between 10 & 15 centigrade probably, the power was not supplied to the glow plugs even for the 1/2 second that the lamp flashed. My problem was down to the temperature sender and it ran without further probs in that area for the best part of another 100K. As you have noted on more than one occasion, these things don't really need glow plugs unless it gets really cold. Mine would start in about 5 seconds without glow plugs even in sub zero temperatures. It just took ages to start when it was warm, but that is another story. It only takes a few seconds to unhook the sender for a test and even if it is easy to replace the glow plugs, I'm such a mean and lazy old s*d that I would have just lived with cranking the d*mned thing on cold mornings. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Before you get too involved and spending too much it might be worth checking the time the glow plug light comes on in a morning. If it merely flicks on an off, it might be as simple as the coolant temperature sender. This is in 2 parts and the bit that fails has no effect on the temperature gauge. Another clue is that the fan comes on for a while after switching the engine off after a bit of a run. It is not easy to locate as it sits behind a few bits and pieces top front centre of the engine. If you find it, try disconnecting it but be careful as the wires will be brittle and tend to break off, especially the ground/earth. if your engine now starts more quickly and the glow plug light comes on for up to 15 seconds you may have found your problem.

Could we have 'Mum of 4' Mk II here? ;) ;) ;) It would help if you could describe 'noise' as it might just be a slipping belt. Battery could be done for as little as

I'm not sure how I picked this item on Ebay but it sounds too good to be true so I am interested to know of anyone who has tried this. It claims to do all of the wonderful things that oil additives have always claimed to do but a search for 'Ametech' revealed nothing so it doesn't seem to have been discussed before. Ebay item no 350149798201

We had one of these on the site a while ago which just wouldn't go away. It turned out that it had been chipped for extra performance and when that was reversed the problem went away. It does look like you have inherited the problem which caused the previous owner to sell it. You should have his/her address in the reg. details so it might be worth a letter. On the same theme, if it has been chipped it could invalidate your insurance.

Bet you can't go 800 miles without filling up. :lol: :P :P :P

It might be an idea to check for voltage on the starter terminal before you strip it out....... And don't forget to look for the missing link before binning it. It goes from the fixed terminal to one on a rubber mount. Mine had corroded away completely and it was not immediately obvious that it had ever existed.

So it turned over once and not since... Mine did this a while ago and it turned out to be the starter as you said. However, mine was repairable since the failure was due to the flexible connection on the starter. It had just corroded away. It seemed to be a flexible braid type of copper link so I got to work with a large soldering iron and used some braid from aerial cable folded to about 16 strips in parallel and it held. It does look like it could be a common failure and it will be reasonably obvious once you get it off.

You haven't said what model it is yet. Also, if it was the starter, it wouldn't turn over. Does it start when warm? It has suddenly got colder and, if it's a petrol engine, the heavy load and drop in battery volage would give you exactly what you have. Try a jump start which would prove it.

See! We're already confused. I don't know which topic to chase. :D :D :D :D When you turn on your headlights, do the stop lights come on full or dim. My guess is dim suggesting a shared ground connection problem. It might be worth starting to chase the wiring from there and if you want to try bridging any wiring, try a new chassis connection for the stop lights. Just make sure you get the right one.

Can I suggest that you stick to one topic at a time as this gets confusing and counter productive. Just put a link to your first topic and let this one die. I doubt very much that it is as simple as a direct link between pedal and lights as there are, among other things, current measuring devices in the system. You have already made a list of other symptoms that seem to be linked and it may be more productive to go trough the tests again trying all possible combinations and then chase the one symptom which seems most stable and therefore easier to trace. The dim headlamp may be a good place to start. A dim lamp is going to be a low voltage across the bulb due to high resistance or loss of a common ground connection and this can be either on the feed or return. Use a voltmeter to check voltage on both sides of the bulb - remember to use the battery -ve as the -ve on your meter. It may also be worth checking the voltages on the tail lamps at the same time. The problem with complex systems is that you need to look at the whole picture and understand it so it may be worth investing a bit of time there before you start bridging wires. I wish you good luck, you will probably need it.

I agree that both sides of both tyres suggests a combination of pressure and use. Certainly, you'd do well to start trying pressures in the mid-forties. Unfortunately, I can't comment on tyre brands as I use whatever is reasonably priced at the time and get 40-60K per set. Personally, I try to avoid low profile tyres as being unnecessary, uncomfortable, excessively expensive and less durable but if that's what you have to fit the so be it. Many drivers have developed a habit of turning the steering before starting to move. This is a sure way of trashing tyres but it is probably unavoidable if using it as a taxi.

Just to clear up a point. These engines will normally start without glow plugs at freezing temperature within 10 seconds of a steady crank. Mine certainly did even with 200K on the clock. If it suddenly won't start then it can only be fuel, although that can be anything between lack of it to blockages or loss of control of the injetion system. Have you checked for any fault codes? Don't forget that, because of the position and shape of the fuel tank, if it is parked nose down on a reasonable slope, the fuel is not picked up, even with nearly 1/4 tank. If that happens, it can take a lot of cranking even when back on the level and extra fuel added. This may all be wrong but they ar basic things to remember before you start changing glow plugs. Just out of interest, how much did you pay for the needle lift glow plug (No 3 I think) 'cos I was quoted around

Is this an air sensor? If so then an easier way would be to take it off the car and measure the resistance with a multimeter - Sadly, if it is faulty, measuring it will not help much unless you already know what it should be. Unplugging it may indate something or try shorting it out as an alternative. The ECU should cope with either case if it was designed by anyone with a sense of responsibility.