Capri Technical Forum:

Hi, My 1984 2.8 is having a problem. She starts ok from cold and ticks over fine, then she drives well for about 100 yards before becoming very 'chuggy' and 'spluttery'. Eventually she just cuts out, then starts again but won't move, just cuts out again when you try to move. Once this has happened the tick-over doesn't last long before she's spluttering and cutting out again.
Anyone got any suggestions or had this problem before?
Thanks, Liam.

Hi, I had a very similar problem with my car this summer, and after changing fuel pump, fuel pump relay, warm up regulator and just about every other part of the fuel system there is... eventually found it to be a bad earth (the fuel pump relay was getting really hot)

Yours sounds a similar fault. I'd start by checking the fuel pump and connections.

Hope this helps, Andy

i think the 2.8i had a problem with over heating fuel pump relays, as mentioned they get hot and melt,
i think its the pink relay in the drivers side under the dash (next to heated rear window relay etc).

One way to check the relay.... AND THIS IS ONLY FOR CHECKING... is to take the heated rear window relay out (the one with the fuse on top) and replace the pink fuel pump relay with it.

The pink fuel pump relay needs an impulse from the coil to make it work, so that in the event of an accident, or the engine stopping, the fuel pump will stop. The heated rear window relay will not need this signal, and the fuel pump will run as soon as the ignition is switched on. This is also helpful for checking to see if the fuel pump is noisy with no engine running.

PUT THEM BACK IN TEH RIGHT PLACE WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED![/url]

Thanks alot for the soung advice guys. I'll let you know how I get on!!

Just to let everyone know. The car has now had:

1. New HT leads
2. New plugs
3. New Ignition Coil
4. New Fuel Pump
5. Warm Up regulator has been off and cleaned and seems to work fine (I was
reluctant to replace something else if there was no need)
6. Pipes on plenum chamber appear fine
7. Filters are good

Next step is I?m going to drop the fuel tank out completely, wash it all out, check the filter inside (apparently there is one that can get full of crap) and hopefully that cures it. The car had been sat for a while before I got it and I?m hoping the problem is sludgy fuel that just needs flushing out. Fingers crossed!

There is definately NO filter inside a 2.8i tank. What there is is a spring return valve for the return line.
Do not waste your time.
Your problem is at the top end of your system.
Send me your email address and I will send you a comprehensive doc on the fuekl system and fault finding.

John

Hi John. You were right, made no difference!! Please send me your docs, I need all the help I can get!! Thanks

My email address is: droog1983@yahoo.co.uk

Check the fuel pump relay, all the connections and also the earth points as this caused mine to do teh same.

i said to check relay back in november, 14th if im correct,
BUT in the list of checks it has not once mentioned if he has checked it or not

Hi
I have just got mine going as she should.
More or less the same symptoms so change the fuel pump relay
I got mine from gms capri spares as they are having them re made by the same company that made the original ones.
The best £12 i have spent,oh they are now black with fuel pump relay written on them.something about copyright.

Also i had problems with the fuse and holder to the relay,
basically the wiring had gone rock hard and fuse had welded itself in.

make sure thats ok and there a 16 amp fuse in there and not a bit of coat
hanger.

For a short time you can connect the fat relay wire together (bridging)
to bypass the relay that will tell you for sure.
but make sure you dont drive it like that.

Just to let everyone who posted comments here a few months ago know that my Capri is now running again! Yaaaaaaaaaay!!

We narrowed the problem down to somewhere inside the metering head so instead of taking it to bits I took the plunge and got a complete new (refurbed) head from Capri Club, fitted it and hey presto was back in business.

Thanks to everyone who posted comments before!

good to hear mate, nice one.