turbo timer gremlin

[rowan]

(bear with me here). when the turbo timer turns the car off, i have noticed that it does so by a vacuum hose leading to a diaphragm, which pulls a little control arm forward, and then the engine dies. this is controlled through some sort of switch bolted on top of the engine.

i have an intermittent problem that has risen it's ugly head again. when i go to start the car, it turns over, barely fires, then dies. now, when the car doesn't start, i have to get out, disconnect the vacuum hose, start the car, then reconnect the hose. i notice that when i start the car in the morning when it's cold, it goes straight to normal idle if the vacuum hose is not connected, and when i put my finger over it, i feel a brief vacuum, then the idle goes up (to warm up idle speed), and the vacuum stops, after which i can reconnect the hose. it also starts if i unplug the wiring to the vacuum switch, then plug it in again. it ALSO starts if i give the accelerator a bit of a jab as i start it so it revs (this only works half the time).

this problem has come and go since i bought the car. anyone know what the hell is going on?

cheers

[thewayitis]

You wouldnt happen to have a 13bt in a mid wheelbase would you? Because it sounds simular to mine. When mine does that it the vsv valve playing up which is the valve that controls the vacumm going to the pusharm. They normally playup in water conditions.

[me3@neuralfibre.com]

If the turbo has a water cooled core, and you don't turn off the engine straight after flogging it, you can ditch the turbo timer.

Drive 1 block sedately or remotely normal and it's fine for temperature.

Paul