Kangaroo finally cured - is it the panacea?

[Doc G]

Well I finally found the cure for my kangaroo, it came in 2 stages. As a recap heres my original thread:

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...continues.html (Kangaroo continues)

Heres a list of things done to date :
New Bosch MAF - before problem began
Fuel Injector cleaner in tank
New coil packs - as old ones had split
New HT leads set at same time
Spark plugs changed at local independent - signs of running rich and wear on tips
Fuel Injector cleaner in tank again
Throttle body dismantled and cleaned (fly-by-wire)-throttle pot dismantled and cleaned before cleaning butterfly
2 front lambda's fitted - totally white tips
All injectors sent for testing and cleaning ( http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...xperience.html (Injector cleaning - my experience) )
New fuel tank filler cap.
Gazza82's oil separator valve
3rd Lambda – rear one
Replaced throttle body with another known good one – no difference


1st fix:
Crankshaft sensor – this cured the from cold kangaroo but left the slight misfire and occasional warm kangaroo. This has had good effect for other people too recently rt05492 for example:

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...flat-spot.html (156 2.0 TS Big Flat Spot)

So do you want to know the miracle cure, you will not believe it I barely did. It is the panacea of fixes that I think many have been looking for. Wait for it…

The switch on the clutch pedal. Yes, 1 year, hours and hours of work and over 800 quid later it was a darn 15 quid switch.

My assumption is having stripped the switch down to see if I could repair it (I could temporarily but have just bought a pucker replacement), is that the ECU assumed the clutch was permanently disengaged, except when it went over a bump and the simple contacts inside the switch were made and quickly broken again. I knew I had a dodgy connection somewhere as recently I found a cobbled road and she kangarooed the whole length of it.

Its easy to test if broken if you have Alfadiag, if not just have a look and see if the clutch pedal is pressing the actuator of the switch. In my case the white actuator was pushed almost completely all the way inside rather than sticking out by 2cm and therefore wasn’t touching the pedal. Part no is 46840511 cost 19.53 euro. It can be stripped and repaired if you want to verify it is the problem, I used superglue.

I hope this miraculous (and very cheap) cure helps others, it took me long enough and cost me enough. Even Alfa Romeo couldn’t find it on my car. Would have loved to have changed it before changing the crankshaft sensor, but unfortunately too late.

Good luck you all.

G

[armoore]

That's a very useful piece of information. At least you have the experience and satisfaction of having solved the problem! But I'm sure you'd rather not have had the problem and the expense in the first place.

[sa155ae]

Good job and well done. I have changed my Lambda today and nothing different it's still Kangarooing

Heres what I changed

Maf
Crank sensor
Lambda (only 1 on mine)
Coil pack and Ht leads
Injectors cleaned ultrasonic
Spark plugs
oil separator valve
Checked emissions


This clutch switch you talk about is on the clutch pedal!

How can I check it with Alfa diag?

[SEARs]

i din;t know there was a switch on the clutch pedal ..... maybe you meant the brake pedal?

[zulu ferret]

Had me thinkng too. But as I only had a Sele', well I hadn't a clue.:

I was not aware that the switch had other functions, I will have to watch for that.

From experience I can tell you that the switch on the 2004 147 1.6TS clutch pedal is also used by the cruise control to disengage cruise control when the pedal is depressed. They are self adjusting - the plunger is a ratchet type adjuster - if your clutch pedal linkage comes loose then it gets fully depressed and the CC won't work. All you need to do is pull the plunger out with the pedal depressed and it will readjust.

My retaining clip on the linkage broke at a traffic light (of course!!!) and I jerry rigged it with a paperclip to get home and found the CC problem.

[rico33]

Knew this switch! It cuts injection when you push the clutch pedal to prevent jerks when changing gears. Condamned mine with a glued plastic bonnet ,like if the clutch was always engaged. Qwiker gear series now. You were brave anyway!

[qawsed]

On the plus side you must have a seriously well running car now with all the work you've done on the engine! Like new!

[Doc G]

On alfadiag with my ECU 7.3.1 there are a set of params starting with "cruise control" and one of them is for the clutch pedal.

I know Im a bit dumb sometimes but I cant mistake the clutch pedal for the Brake pedal.

This also cured the jerkiness when decelerating to a junction, lovely and smooth like new again.

Oh yes, Bella is back that is for sure after all that work, believe you me. Only problem now is my 3rd anniversary of cambelt is rapidly approaching, having only done 25k Km Im a bit aggreved to have to have it done, but no choice really.

I believe this fix may only be possible on CF3 cars as the clutch switch is not present on early cars.

[SEARs]

apologies for throwing any oubt on your findings.

My own is a CF2 ecu'd car so it doesn;t have such a switch.

Your is a CF3 ecu so it does.

[rt05492]

Originally Posted by Doc G

The switch on the clutch pedal. Yes, 1 year, hours and hours of work and over 800 quid later it was a darn 15 quid switch ... Part no is 46840511 cost 19.53 euro. It can be stripped and repaired if you want to verify it is the problem, I used superglue.

Nice one Doc ! Was that yet another Bosch part responsible for bringing the supposedly dodgy Alfas down ?

How is it Alfa MAFs, coils, crank sensors etc. all fail so regularly. Do all the borderline quality control cases at the factory get thrown in the 'Going To Alfa' bin and all the good stuff stays in Germany ?

Mines still 100% sweet and using virtually no oil, just coming upto 135k miles.

[sa155ae]

I looked today for it and theres nothing on my pedal, there is a place for something like with the brake pedal switch.

I have CF2 engine also so I guess no luck for me.

Back to the drawing board now