P Reg Galaxy 2.3 Petrol Has Hiccups!

[Paamy]

My P reg Galaxy 2.3 Petrol has hiccups!

My symptoms are car gives a sort of splutter/hiccup when accelerating or under heavy drive...

 

Symptom developed a while ago but was tollerable - with a little careful 'feathering' of the throttle or gentle acceleration it was ok.

Sometimes dropping a gear seemed to get over the problem too, as it was almost like acccelerating in 5th at 20mph the car would sort of splutter - but this was in any gear at ok revs to do the job... Like it needed extra whoomph

recently

 

The garage blamed wiring at first - and have taped up anything that they said was frayed around the rocker cover area but to no avail. Now they are suggesting fitting new coils coils???

 

Oh they also suggested a full rewire and new loom??!!!

 

Any idea?

any relpy/info would be useful

Edited June 8, 2010 by Paamy

[chrispb123456]

Hi there

Have you changed spark plugs recently and possibly plug leads, air filter, do these before considering coil packs also check for perished/split air hoses.

[Mirez]

Classic coil pack failure, there are two on the 2.3 each controlling two cylinders.

[Paamy]

Hi

The car was in for full 200,000 mile service 3 days ago - so plugs should have been changed as as weel as air filter???- diagnostics check threw nothing for the technicians to work on so they wanted to change the wiring loom. DOH!

I presume they checked the hoses to???? but will ask tomorrow - thanks :rolleyes:

 

Hi there

Have you changed spark plugs recently and possibly plug leads, air filter, do these before considering coil packs also check for perished/split air hoses.

[Paamy]

I sort of came to the same conclusion - thanks

It's an expensive guess though - great if it is correct bit of a bummer if wrong tho...

will post results - garage are fitting coils tomorrow

Thanks for taking time to reply.. :rolleyes:

 

Classic coil pack failure, there are two on the 2.3 each controlling two cylinders.

[Paamy]

Yey!!!!

Two new coils later and the hiccups have gone!!!!

Now all I have is a very basic lack of power on accelleration!

Put ya foot down and it struggles to get above 60mph in 3rd and the engine sounds kinda 'muffled'

change up into 4th and just no guts....

any ideas?? Engine sounds and runs well at low revs and 'easy throttling' - poor fuel system? dodgy engine management? or sticky valves??? Where might I start?.... Remember, It has hada 200. 000 service 3 days ago by Ford main agent .

 

Classic coil pack failure, there are two on the 2.3 each controlling two cylinders.

[Willie Krashitt]

Running with a misfire (or hiccups as you call it) especially at high load could well have melted the catalyst, partially blocking the exhaust. This would manifest itself in a very similar manner as you describe - the higher the speed/load, the worse the restriction effect is. Could be worth getting an exhaust gas check and see if cat is still working, but that wouldn't be 100% accurate check, as the cat brick could be melted in one part, yet working in other areas so still does its job.

 

George.

[gizmo.john]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago engine started to misfire and hiccup so i put new coil packs on, only for one of them to breakdown a week later had that one replaced and after another week that one also started to miss after a long argument with the motor factors i got my money back. my gal was also holding back on power and drinking petrol so i had the exhaust gas checked and it failed the test so after another long argument with motor factor they agreed to replace my cat under warranty car now running better than it ever has its no done 255,000 miles. my cat had melted, it was slowing the release of exhaust gasses also making engine getting to hot.

[Paamy]

I too have mentioned the cat to the dealers - they pooh poohed it (mind you, they did that with the coils too) - had it replaced about 6 months ago - but as you say it could have gone into a meltdown and causing restriction. The symptoms certainly appear to be the same! Also I noticed a small tube coming from the exhaust vacuum sensor pipe has blown off - this seems to re occur... soa gain.. seems like there is excess pressure somewhere on the exhaust system side of things....

It's going back in on Tuesday... beginning to lose faith in them - just don't seem to WANT to solve a problem... No sense of inquiry or problem solving - They wanted to re wire the loom the other day!!!!

 

I can see a fight coming on!!

 

I had the same problem a few weeks ago engine started to misfire and hiccup so i put new coil packs on, only for one of them to breakdown a week later had that one replaced and after another week that one also started to miss after a long argument with the motor factors i got my money back. my gal was also holding back on power and drinking petrol so i had the exhaust gas checked and it failed the test so after another long argument with motor factor they agreed to replace my cat under warranty car now running better than it ever has its no done 255,000 miles. my cat had melted, it was slowing the release of exhaust gasses also making engine getting to hot.

[Paamy]

I will check exhaust gasses.... seems to be that you are possibly on the right trail - Thanks... will follow up...

Running with a misfire (or hiccups as you call it) especially at high load could well have melted the catalyst, partially blocking the exhaust. This would manifest itself in a very similar manner as you describe - the higher the speed/load, the worse the restriction effect is. Could be worth getting an exhaust gas check and see if cat is still working, but that wouldn't be 100% accurate check, as the cat brick could be melted in one part, yet working in other areas so still does its job.

 

George.