engine gets hot... engine dies

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81SPIDERMATT
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Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

ok.... lets do that.... at the point that it dies it feels like starving for fuel...how would i check that roadside... for that matter how does one do a quick check for spark in the same situation.... i will put together a tool kit and go test it...

it is my observation that what ever it is seams to be heat related... meaning something under the hood is getting far to hot.... stopping even for just a few minutes and starts right back up ..runs great for a short while then dies... the longer i let it cool the farther i can get before it dies again
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81SPIDERMATT
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

however i still plan to address the fact that with the setup i have it is still too hot

but i am at a loss... unsure what to do next.....
majicwrench

Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by majicwrench »

#1 it is not too hot.
Carry a spark plug. Unplug plug wire, plug in spare plug, crank engine watch for spark. Do this while all is good so you know what it should look like. Might want to bring something to shade plug if bright outside.

Not sure just how a FI Spider is arranged, but you should be able to crack open the line at the Cold Start Inj. Fuel should spray as it is cracked open. Then when cranking, more fuel should spray. Got glasses on right?? A fire extinguisher handy?? Again, do this at home, while everything is working, to give yourself a baseline.
Keith
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81SPIDERMATT
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

OK GOT MY FIRE HYDRANT... SCREWDRIVER AND A SPARK PLUG..... OFF WE GO

AND WE ARE BACK.....

at home before the drive as recommended i tested spark and fuel.... spark looked good as in the same at home and at breakdown.... the fuel at home as soon as i loosened fuel line to cold start injector is started squirting (residual pressure i am guessing) then it stopped and i cranked motor and squirted again .. allmost to the ceiling..... at breakdown when i loosened hose ,, nothing... removed hose and nothing for about a second then an eruption of fuel... alot then stop then more then stop then little more than nothing... i then cranked car and several seconds before fuel started to sputter... cranked for several seconds and only got sputtering...... waited a few and then tried again... steady stream of fuel...... attached fuel line back up and was a little tempermental but started eventually and drove home

was close enough to the house at breakdown (advanced planning... getting to know about how far i can get) that it did not happen again
rlux4
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by rlux4 »

Anytime your key is on and the engine is turning you should have full fuel pressure. If it's starting and stopping pumping you have a problem with the dual relay or a connection from the ignition to the dual relay. That would be the inline fuse most often. I don't know if you've seen any threads about the inline fuse and it's holder, but it can make intermittent contact inside the fuse holder and you loose power for the fuel pump. I always recommend replacing the fuse holder with a more modern type, just cut out the old and splice in the new holder, AGC, SFE, or ATO type.
Ron
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'82 2000 Spider: after 26 years between Spiders.
So Cal Mark

Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by So Cal Mark »

beginning to sound like a vacuum in the fuel tank, try loosening the fuel cap and see if you get constant stream of fuel. Remember, the fuel pump ground wire attaches at the left rear taillight. A loose or rusted connection there can cause headaches
rlux4
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by rlux4 »

Sure Mark. I'd have mentioned the ground, but you know... we never see ground problems with our Fiats. :roll:
Ron
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'82 2000 Spider: after 26 years between Spiders.
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81SPIDERMATT
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

So Cal Mark wrote:beginning to sound like a vacuum in the fuel tank, try loosening the fuel cap and see if you get constant stream of fuel. Remember, the fuel pump ground wire attaches at the left rear taillight. A loose or rusted connection there can cause headaches
ground is good just went thru all of those.... does not look like a vented cap so is something else causing it and if i do it cold i get a steady stream.. can i just drill a hole in the damn thing.... got to watch the kids and cant go breadkdown any more today
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81SPIDERMATT
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

rlux4 wrote:Anytime your key is on and the engine is turning you should have full fuel pressure. If it's starting and stopping pumping you have a problem with the dual relay or a connection from the ignition to the dual relay. That would be the inline fuse most often. I don't know if you've seen any threads about the inline fuse and it's holder, but it can make intermittent contact inside the fuse holder and you loose power for the fuel pump. I always recommend replacing the fuse holder with a more modern type, just cut out the old and splice in the new holder, AGC, SFE, or ATO type.
Ron
yeah research..... would this be a problem that is associated with heat...
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81SPIDERMATT
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

my last run... around town for a while stop and go.... temp just over 190 ran great.... got on the highway... ran great... it is when i get back off of the highway and back into stop and go then is starts its problem.. if that helps

meaning it seems i can do stop and go
it seams i can do highway
it seams in can go from stop and go to highway
it''s after the highway then stop and go thats the problem

does that help.. is it just coincidence

my friend keeps saying vapor lock.... is there something i can tell him to shut him up

i am still curious about flushing the block too... tomorrow i am getting a point and shoot thermometer also
majicwrench

Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by majicwrench »

FUel Inj really can't vapor lock if system working right.
You've done good, you're not guessing, now you know it is running out of fuel. As Mark said, it is possible for it to develop a vacuum in tank. Remove cap and see if it still dies. Or drive it till it dies, and pull cap. Big sucky sound is bad :)
Now if it was me, I would hook a long wire to the fuel pump feed wire at the tank, run it into the cab, and hook a volt meter to it. SHould show voltage, pump running, car running. Now get it to die. What does it show??
Quit worrying about temp.
Keith
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81SPIDERMATT
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

majicwrench wrote:FUel Inj really can't vapor lock if system working right.
You've done good, you're not guessing, now you know it is running out of fuel. As Mark said, it is possible for it to develop a vacuum in tank. Remove cap and see if it still dies. Or drive it till it dies, and pull cap. Big sucky sound is bad :)
Now if it was me, I would hook a long wire to the fuel pump feed wire at the tank, run it into the cab, and hook a volt meter to it. SHould show voltage, pump running, car running. Now get it to die. What does it show??
Quit worrying about temp.
Keith
will post findings with volt meter tomorrow... thanks
can i just jump right from the feed wire at the pump? i dont see a feed wire by the tank
Last edited by 81SPIDERMATT on Sat Jun 23, 2012 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
rlux4
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by rlux4 »

Good idea Keith, but the fuel pump isn't in the tank, it's under the car just forward of the rear wheels. Real easy to get to and the two terminals are right out in the open. Green with a black stripe is the power wire.
Ron
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'82 2000 Spider: after 26 years between Spiders.
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81SPIDERMATT
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
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Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

rlux4 wrote:Good idea Keith, but the fuel pump isn't in the tank, it's under the car just forward of the rear wheels. Real easy to get to and the two terminals are right out in the open. Green with a black stripe is the power wire.
Ron
green with black stripe got it.... the other one is yellow
majicwrench

Re: engine gets hot... engine dies

Post by majicwrench »

Thanks for straightening me out Ron, I'm used to cars with pumps in the tanks.
Keith
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