running on 4 cylinders

**nicho** · 25th June 2011, 09:33 PM

Ok I'm sure this has been done to death but i took my disco to work the other day and it ran fine all the way to work 60kms and once turned off and restarted it ran on 4 cylinders wouldn't idle stalled then wouldn't start. I left it for a few hours then it started but ran on 4 cylinders or at least it sounded like it. I had a few mechanics at work who were kind enough to look it over and it had them baffled. Spark seemed to be there but was weak, we cleaned all contact points with contact cleaner all plugs all wiring connections but still it ran like a pig. It came good for about an hour but then went almost terminal giving me the worst peak hour rain soaked drive home i have ever had Melbourne to Pakenham 2 1/2 hours mostly in low range or it would die in traffic once the revs got below 1500 rpm (which it did at least 6 times once leaving me near Berwick for 45 minutes letting it gather itself before i tried again). You can hear the fuel pump working but i dont have a fuel pressure gauge so im just guessing, if you unplug the maf it stalls. If you remove any spark plug there is only a marginal change in idle. Is this the LUCAS curse IE my distributor dying or is it something more sinister?? If its a terminal engine there would have been signs I am used to from my previous life as a V8 hoon but there was nothing it ran like a dream all the way to work and has done so since i got it. Any advice, ideas, conversion be they entire drive line or just a dizzy then I'm open to anything at the moment cause its mud season and my baby is not going anywhere fast.. HELP ME PLEASE

**Blknight.aus** · 25th June 2011, 10:40 PM

fuel injection is done in banks.

you may have lost the signal to one bank or the signal from the dizzy to the ecu.

**bee utey** · 26th June 2011, 06:49 AM

I'm going out on a limb here and saying you haven't counted the cylinders firing. As Dave says the cylinders are fired in 2 banks of 4, you would notice which ones were running and which weren't.

To me it sounds like traditional Lucas disease of the ignition amp. While I don't meet too many petrol-only D1's I have seen enough to suspect you need a new ignition amp. My Bosch conversion is cheap and permanent, unlike the Lucas amp which has a relatively limited life.

My thread on ignition amp replacement:

Lucas ignition amplifier replacement by Bosch 024

**nicho** · 26th June 2011, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by bee utey

I'm going out on a limb here and saying you haven't counted the cylinders firing. As Dave says the cylinders are fired in 2 banks of 4, you would notice which ones were running and which weren't.

To me it sounds like traditional Lucas disease of the ignition amp. While I don't meet too many petrol-only D1's I have seen enough to suspect you need a new ignition amp. My Bosch conversion is cheap and permanent, unlike the Lucas amp which has a relatively limited life.

My thread on ignition amp replacement:

Lucas ignition amplifier replacement by Bosch 024

I'm at work so i don't have time to read the whole post but do you sell then completed if so how much what's your payment details and how soon can you have it sent out to me?? The fuel rail prob if it's that I will address once i have eliminated the dizzy and coil

**nicho** · 26th June 2011, 11:27 AM

Could the alarm spider have something to do with this problem??? It had a pretty hard hit going through a wash out on the way to work only prior to this problem occurring??? if so what is it where do I find it and can I remove it without causing more problems??

**nicho** · 13th July 2011, 07:09 PM

Still waiting for a day off so i can do the repairs, so my poor disco has been sitting dormant waiting for me to fix it. Bea utey I'll let you know how i go fitting up the Bosch conversion I'm also going to be fitting my new rock sliders and IPF HID spotlights at the same time so I'm thinking i need the whole day and then some.
Updates and pics of the dizzy repairs etc when i get it done. Just gotta hope for a dry day since the disco wont fit under my garage door anymore

**nicho** · 15th July 2011, 04:09 PM

Ok so i got a few spare hours and following Bee utey's instructions fitted up my bosch coil and module. I have a huge spark at the coil lead now but due to some more hiccups seems the spark stops there.. New cap plugs and leads coming tomorrow and I'll remove the dizzy and give it a once over to make sure its all as it should be, no frayed wires or anything else that could be stopping the spark, so I'll hopefully be able to fire up the beast very soon.
Pics to come once i get it running

**bee utey** · 15th July 2011, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by nicho

Ok so i got a few spare hours and following Bee utey's instructions fitted up my bosch coil and module. I have a huge spark at the coil lead now but due to some more hiccups seems the spark stops there.. New cap plugs and leads coming tomorrow and I'll remove the dizzy and give it a once over to make sure its all as it should be, no frayed wires or anything else that could be stopping the spark, so I'll hopefully be able to fire up the beast very soon.
Pics to come once i get it running

New rotor button too I hope? They can burn through, I did a roadside rescue for that once on a RRC.

**justinc** · 15th July 2011, 08:21 PM

DO NOT skimp on rotor buttons, Genuine LR (Lucas) ones are the only way, I know they are costly but they last.

JC

**SPROVER** · 15th July 2011, 08:56 PM

Make sure its not one of those cheap rotor buttons.I bought a brand new one and put it on and the car wouldnt even start.Like the others have said buy a genuine one or even better put a Scorcher dizzy in there

They are expensive but work well.

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