Forum:
This morning, after 11 years and 68k miles of impeccable behaviour my YRV twitched when starting up. It seemed to run on 3 cylinders for a few moments, gave a very dry deep rattle for a couple of jiffs and then ran perfectly. All indicator lights normal. On the road I gave it a bit of welly, up to 5k rpm to help clear any crud that shouldn't have been there. In several subsequent hot starts it behaved as it should.
The last time I'd run the car, last Friday, I'd had to back it out of the garage and then some time later back in, the engine running for just a minute or so in each case. A little abuse I fear!
I use fully-synthetic oil, changed annually at around 3000 miles and expected the YRV to run faultlessly more or less forever.
I haven't been using supermarket fuel, but not the cleanest running petrol either.
The only thing I can think of which might fit the symptoms is a momentarily sticking valve, in which case using Shell V-Power for a few tankfuls might be beneficial.
This needs some very cunning diagnostics I think. Anybody had or heard of a similar occurance?
Hi Tony. Well I know you look
Hi Tony.
Well I know you look after your car, as everytime you have come to one of the meets (Bar 1 this time around) it always looks mint.
I always run Shell V-power on my Turbo cars, and cannot see any harm on why you cant do the same. How long ago since you changed the Spark Plugs? Also could it be a blocked injector perhaps? Failing that maybe a sign of one of the coil plugs breaking down? Last time I had a 3 cylinder start up was down to a sooted up spark plug.
Let us know how you get on
Jon.
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'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
Don't worry in the slightest.
Don't worry in the slightest. You started car breifly from cold, hence you wetted/fouled one of the spark plugs which caused a misfire until enough heat was into it to clear the plug.
What plugs do you run?
How would a valve stick?
This is an aside to the main question, which seems to be satisfactorily resolved, but I'm wondering how the "momentarily sticking valve" suggestion would work.
Seems to me that something would have to give in that situation, so either there'd be damage, or it wouldn't happen.
I suppose I'm thinking of solid tappets though. Maybe hydraulic tappets (which so far I've managed to avoid) would have enough "give" to allow this?
Sticky valve
I should have said 'sticky' not 'sticking' valve to have been clearer.
The harsh mechanical rattle or tapping I heard sounded horrible. I thought it could have been a sticky open valve being tapped by the piston or a sticky closed valve being whacked by the cam.
Anyway, it turns out it must have been a detonation noise which I hope has not damaged the cat. I guess I'll discover that at next May's MoT during the emissions test.
YRV Tony