Engine Cut Out

[Topper04]

Until recently the car has been running great. Last week, after a day in the office car park, it wouldn’t start. No fuel pump prime. Breakdown truck got it home. After two days of sitting outside (in the rain…) I had time to check the usual suspects. Relays, ignition amp, fuses and connections. It fired up and I put it to bed in my garage. This morning I took it out of the garage then I noticed the radio behaving strangely and then the engine cut out. It wouldn’t start again….no fuel pump prime again. Pushed it to the side of the road, took the face of the radio and it started….bizarre… Are the two conditions connected? Is there some sort of electrical gremlin whereby the radio is confusing the ECU? Anyone suffered something similar? All advice is much appreciated……TIA

[swisstoni]

Topper04 said:

Until recently the car has been running great. Last week, after a day in the office car park, it wouldn’t start. No fuel pump prime. Breakdown truck got it home. After two days of sitting outside (in the rain…) I had time to check the usual suspects. Relays, ignition amp, fuses and connections. It fired up and I put it to bed in my garage. This morning I took it out of the garage then I noticed the radio behaving strangely and then the engine cut out. It wouldn’t start again….no fuel pump prime again. Pushed it to the side of the road, took the face of the radio and it started….bizarre… Are the two conditions connected? Is there some sort of electrical gremlin whereby the radio is confusing the ECU? Anyone suffered something similar? All advice is much appreciated……TIA

Well, I’m far from technical, but I would just try a new battery for a start (no pun intended).

It’s amazing what odd gremlins clear up when a dodgy battery is replaced.

[Topper04]

The battery is relatively new..3 years old or so..and I keep it on a trickle charger. I have a spare so I shall give that a go……

[PabloGee]

You say you checked the fuses, did you check the 100A fuse under the car, also the fuse from battery to fuse board (can’t remember the value, 75 or 85A I think)?

Sounds similar to when people have a cracked 100A and the car runs off the battery (instead of the alternator) until it dies, with all sorts of funny behaviour.

After that, it could be that the alternator is failing.

But I’m guessing by what I’ve read happens to others.

[Belle427]

Check all the basics first such as battery charge and the connections to it.
If your happy with that move on to the next thing.

[Topper04]

Now the car starts, seemingly without problem. However, when the ignition is on the radio works fine but, when the engine is running there is static interference on the radio……how does that happen?

[PaulH69]

Topper04 said:

Now the car starts, seemingly without problem. However, when the ignition is on the radio works fine but, when the engine is running there is static interference on the radio……how does that happen?

Hi. Check the battery earth. I had confusing symptoms recently that traced back to a dodgy earth. I'm still in the process of sorting but car is fine if I bypass with a jump lead. Good luck

[Belle427]

Topper04 said:

Now the car starts, seemingly without problem. However, when the ignition is on the radio works fine but, when the engine is running there is static interference on the radio……how does that happen?

Sometimes due to using incorrect plug leads and plugs on the ignition system, what do you currently have fitted?
Fancy race type leads are no good.

[Topper04]

Plugs,leads etc are all standard. The leads are only a couple of years old. Picked them up from Rimmers. I’ll swap them over with the old ones and see if that changes something…

[TJC46]

Why do you need the radio on. Best soundtrack ever is a V8 when pushing on. Had a radio in mine.......never used it.

[Loubaruch]

During a body lift to sort out the outriggers I inadvertently broke a thin braided wire connected to the earthing bolt under the nearside front of the whale tail.
Not knowing what the braid fed Belle on here kindly suggested it connected to a screening mesh within the body that prevented interference on the radio.

Also conected to that earthing bolt are several other earths including the main battery earth. So if the bolt is loose it could be the reason that your car cut out intermittently. I would take a look and check it

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