A Liitle Help No Power

[LotusBruno]

Hello I have 93 lotus esprit it started after long winter but no power. No engine lights I replaced plugs fuel filter and air filter as a start.

Car ran fine, I took on 1 hr ride came home and decided to go again after an hour. Again no power acted like I was running on 2 cyl.

any clue thanks

[LotusBruno]

Strange I went out this morning and the car started fine and drove fine. came home after a coffee run and after 1/2 hour went out to go somewhere and it started but have the same problem no power issue .

[Jonathan]

Need more info - have you got any free scan reports ?

[Vulcan Grey]

I've had that happen twice. Once was bad spark plug wires, other time was clogged fuel injectors.

Swap them around to see if you can narrow it down to one or two.

The spark and the fuel injectors are paired (1&4, 2&3) so any problem with 2 will also cause a problem with 3, for example.

Check spark on all 4 plugs, and then swap leads for 3&4 (move it at the coil pack and the spark plug) to see if the miss follows the wire, if not then it is probably the coil pack, which would effect both of the paired plugs.

If spark is ok, I check the injectors. I pull the whole rail with the injectors still clipped into it, and place a paper towel under them. Turn the car over a couple times and look for wet spots. If you are missing wet spost under an injector, swap it to a different position (the other paired circuit, like from 4 to 3) and see if it is still dry. If you have two dry injectors and they are paired (ie. 2&3) then move both to 1&4 and see if they are still dry. If 2&3 are still dry, but 1&4 are wet, then it points ot the injector driver circuit rather than the injectors...

At any rate. Always check spark, fuel, air...

[DanR]

Agree with Travis. I once had a similar irritating problem on my m/c that was due to corrosion where the spark lead fitted into the coil.

[Paula&Marcus]

Hi Bruno,

Does your car still have the EBPV (= exhaust back pressure valve) installed ?

Maybe its not opening ?

If it is this, your car should run properly, up to around 3000 rpm. Higher rpm with load and power will almost be impossible ...

Cheers

Marcus

Hello I have 93 lotus esprit it started after long winter but no power. No engine lights I replaced plugs fuel filter and air filter as a start.

Car ran fine, I took on 1 hr ride came home and decided to go again after an hour. Again no power acted like I was running on 2 cyl.

any clue thanks

[LotusBruno]

Thanks everyone I will get to this weekend and let you know. Sounds like a great place to start looking.

Hi Bruno,

Does your car still have the EBPV (= exhaust back pressure valve) installed ?

Maybe its not opening ?

If it is this, your car should run properly, up to around 3000 rpm. Higher rpm with load and power will almost be impossible ...

Cheers

Marcus

[jaqnbarb]

Hello,

I have similar problem of lack of power.

The short question is Where is the Vehicle Speed Sensor and how do I check if it is good?

The long story to go along with it.

I have an 89 1/2 SE with turbo and charge cooler. It had not been started for 8 months. Before the down time the turbo was never kicking in. There was no boost on the guage and lack of power but seemed to drive well enough. I traced that issue down to a vacuum leak. There is a vacuum line that runs from the Turbo to a relay in the trunk. One of the plastic penetrations broke. Finally a fix for under a $1! But it did not fix it. Then my wifes mother fell and we moved with her until she was released back to heaven.

8 months later I get back to my sweet car. So I change the oil and oil filter in the car. Crank it over a few times to let the pump push oil back to the cams. Wait a few minutes. It starts right up! It idles smoothly as ever. Let it heat up idling in the drive way and to burn off oil that has leaked down the side of the engine. Water temp is at 80 so I head around the neighborhood. She seems to be doing well. I move out to a bigger street and give some gas and there is hardly anything there. It will rev up to about 3000 rpm but that is it. I step on the gas harder and nothing. The temp gauge is quickly headed to 100 so I head home. At least I did not have to push it home. Idleing in the drive way, i stepped on the gas to see how it sounded at higher revs. It really struggled to get to 6000 rpm. Temp was rising quickly. The check engine light came on solid. So I turned it off.

I read about the check engine light and how to get the codes. I used a paper clip to across terminals A & B in the plug in the engine compartment. The light blinked 12, 12, 12, 24, 24, 24, 12, 12, 12, 24, 24, 24 etc. While I was doing this the cooling fans were running. I just figured that it had only been and hour and the car was still warm.

Back to the Esprit Fact File! (Make batman sounds here)

Code 24 translates to 24 - Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) Circuit Can some on point me to the right place to look for information on this? Where is the sensor? Cable? Relay? Any information would be greatly appreciated. I figure the old gas and probably fowled plugs was causing some of my issues but did not expect to see code 24.

On a side note. From my reading it looks like I got home in Limp Mode. The next morning I started it in the garage and it started great. I don't want to do any damage so I won't drive it. Since the day I bought it, it idles wonderfully when it is first started. As the engine warms up the Idle gets faster and faster. I read a different thread that looks like and ECM issue from there.

Thanks,

Jacques

[LotusBruno]

Agree with Travis. I once had a similar irritating problem on my m/c that was due to corrosion where the spark lead fitted into the coil.

Thanks again for all the help. It looks like 2-3 cylinders fuel system is not working I put new coils thinking it was that first. I pulled the plugs and the 2-3 looked like new and 1-4 were loaded up. Lotus tech says bad wire someplace. anybody else have this problem?????? Now my service light is on and I have a cable coming in wed to hook up to my computer.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Bruno Hoch