Q4 Hiccups!

Some of you will know that I am shortly selling my 155 2.0TS as Mrs A has said that if I do not cut down on the number of cars I have, particularly Alfas, she is going to leave me.

Today I took delivery of my 8c..........................dream on...... !

As such the 164 Q4 has just undergone a fair amount of work - new 3 piece clutch kit, most oil seals replaced, gearbox oil changed, electronic diff fluid, coolant and brake fluid changed, a/c overhaul inc. pollen filter, suspension overhauled, new engine and gearbox mounts and bushes, rack refurbished, new plugs, engine oil (Castrol Edge) and filter changed, fuel filters, etc.. water pump, variators, all belts and a few other odds-and-sods.

The car, of course, feels completely different as the steering is better, the rear wheel steering has gone and all-in-all it feels like a new car and so it should.

Now this is not an ad to sell the Q4 as there is someone who has first offer at a meaty price but a plea for advice, well hope that you guys with 164 24Vs will point me in the right direction.

As I was driving home today the car hiccupped - namely it was as if there was a dry joint in a high pressure solid circuit fuel pump- it gets hot and the engine dies but just for a second. This is happening at odd times and does not seem to be load sensitive. I have experienced similar things with a 1.0 Micra we prepared for last year's Mongol Rally. That was the throttle box and was sorted out FOC by BBA-Reman with a couple of free issue units.

I'm going to see a 55,000 mile written off car next Monday and may buy some buy bits based on your hunches, as I won't have time to run fault codes. My prime suspect is the pump, then the pump relay but it could be something with the ignition/EMS !!!

Over to you guys !

From my limited knowledge - I will throw crankshaft sensor into the ring!?

Crank sensor on mine gave these symptons. The cable was being worn through by the cambelt!

My sympathies.

I have precisely the same symptoms on my 164 24V: intermittent very short cutting out of engine but only after engine had started to warm up. Not load or engine speed related.

Have: cleaned and remade all the engine bay ground connections, cleaned contacts in all engine bay connectors, changed crank sensor on advice checked fuel pump relay by bypassing the contacts, had plugs out and checked, swapped over air flow meter, cleaned throttle body, replaced suspect hoses, changed engine temp sensor and swapped alternator, unplugged lambda sensor, cleaned ecu contacts - not a bit of difference has any of it made.

Was advised to change the plug-top coils so sourced a second set - can't get it to start at all now...

Fuel pump runs but not pressure tested yet. Can't seem to release all the connections to it anyway.

At my wits end really - have invested loads of money on the engine - cam belt, idlers water pump etc., etc.

Can't do fault codes on an early 24V without diagnostic equipt that nobody seems to have. The dash display of the later 164s is not available on mine.

My feeling is that it could still be an ignition coil or one of the ignition amplifiers that intermittently goes short circuit and take the whole ignition system with it. Would be interested to know of any progress with a possible pump fault.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Thanks guys. This would make sense as the crank sensor would have been disturbed with the fitting of the new clutch. I guess that the slightest pressure could cause the cable to break internally considering its age.

Fortunately I have a spare one so we'll try that on Tuesday - my French mecchy doesn't work Mondays due to the 35 hour week - he starts Tuesday 2.00pm and finishes Saturday 5.00pm!

Mudhut I have taken onboard your comments which could prove more expensive - - should the cable not be the problem!