Are there any folks of a mechanical mind out there?
E gave her son her 11-year-old Fiesta recently as she's got a new car. Unfortunately the engine cuts out regularly - even when hot, though it starts first time.
It also sometimes makes a noise like "eeearkwherghhh". (sorry to get a bit too technical there...)
Could it be the breather pipes? Alternator?
I'm not asking anyone to help out physically - just for an opinion so that when we take it to a garage we don't get ripped off.
The noise and the cutting out are not necessarily related. Most common cause of cutting out is electrics and the leat maintained part is always the distributor cap if it has one. Putting a new ditributor cap and leads on a motor that is 11 years old is never wasted money. The problem is that over the years muck and hair line cracks lead to tracking of the HT voltage inside the cap. The squawking noise sounds like the belt. If it's an old one, fit a new belt that stops the squeaks and squealing (most common when there is power steering but on alternator alone you'll ofetn hear belts squealing especially shortly after starting when the alternator is working hard to replace the charge on the battery used during starting)
If the cutting out involves a splutter and is not clear cut you can bet it's fuel and the first place to look with an old car is the filters, especially the sediment bowl if one is fitted.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 11:51
Thank you so much for the advice. It always helps to have a bit of background knowledge before dealing with mechanics.
Ringo - yes please, details would be great. Perhaps send me a PM?
Will look into getting distributor cap etc - hopefully it's not a specialist job. It will be good for E's son to learn how to do these things, as it's his first car.