Engine started surging - followed by back firing then loss of all power. Now wont even turn over - any ideas? Recovery on the way - any quick fixes to avoid the dreaded tow home?
When it cooled down it would start. AA man has diagnosed dodgy points & condenser. Only had it serviced and MOT'd less then 3 weeks ago. Surely we should have had new points put on at the service??? Glad it's something minor but frustrated that this should have been preventable surely??
Check you have oil in the sump? When you say wont turn over? Can you turn engine pully by hand(be careful- ignition off) Does the starter try to move or just dead? Might just be dead starter solenoid? Fuse gone? Battery have power(try headlamps - are they dim/bright?) Fuse blown? Best get it towed rather than risk trashing anything? I know its not good but safest option.
Some people may not change points if they don't realise they are there, but could also be faulty . Do you leave the ignition on for more than a few minutes then the points and condenser will heat up and prematurely fail
Can you see if you ve got fuel In the fuel filter? Could be a number of problems but worth a check? Had same symptoms with 1 of my bays and after changing loads of parts turned out to be a partially blocked fuel pipe that wasn't delivering enough fuel! Is it a 2.0 or 1.6? Electric fuel pump?
I'd go points gap (new ones have been known to self destruct), or they forgot to tighten the distributor clamp. Everyone drops a bollock from time to time.
Thanks for all the advice - the van is booked into Type 2 Detectives for a thorough checking in a weeks time so hopefully they will be able to get to the bottom of the issue.
