111S dying - help me work out why

[Tim S]

Started the Elise (S2 111S) yesterday morning and all as normal. Pulled away up the hill from home and obviously down on power (had to use 2nd instead of 3rd). Then stuttered on to the traffic lights for half a mile where it died as soon as I took my foot off the throttle.

It eventually restarted (but only with a bootfull of throttle, when it doesn't normally need any). It seemed then to run OK at >2.5k rpm, but kept hesitating/dying below that. I limped it back home sounding just like a boy racer/learner driver - revving it up every time I stopped

Now, I had only just filled it up with fuel (but if it was a dodgy batch, wouldn't it struggle more at high rpm than low??).

It's also not long ago had its head skimmed after HGF, but it's done at least 1k miles since and had been feeling great (so I'm not reckoning there's any link).

Any clues on what it could be??

Cheers

Tim

[Shug]

Running on 3 cylinders by the sounds of it.

Check plugs, leads, coils etc. Not fatal usually.

[shortie2]

Just washed it? sounds like water down the plug lead holes, if the screws holding down the plastic cam cover arent sealed water can seep down, take it all to bits ,plugs out and clean and dry everything then spray with wd40 or another waterdispersant and it should be ok

[robin]

Check your throttle position sensor - if you have a proper OBD2 tool (not just a code reader/resetter) you can get live data readings and see whether or not it's working - failing that loads of garages have these too.

S2's don't suffer from water down the bores nearly as much as S1's, but still worth removing the cover and taking a quick look for signs of water ingress.

Cheers,
Robin

[tut]

Had my first water experience with a Honda on the run last Sunday.

Had to open the boot in the pouring rain and water poured onto the engine. Drove off and the engine felt really rough and down in power, hoped it was a plug, but the heat soon dried it out and back to normal.

tut

[Tim S]

Thanks guys. I had cleaned it not long ago, though it has run (normally) since then. My car's certainly not used to being cleaned, though - reckon it was the first time for nearly two years.

I'm afraid I had a look for a few minutes at the weekend but knew I would run out of skill/time to sort it, so limped it off to Ali's. It was still running badly after the trip there (probably 30 mins), so if it was water it's not dried itself.

Saw a certain 135R whilst at Ali's that looked remarkably like Robin's. Now I'm wondering what on earth can be wrong with that for Robin not to fix it himself...

Tim

[robin]

Alternator bracket fell off sometime in France last year (I fitted it but either I forgot to tighten the bolt nearest the pulley or it sheared in the block). It's languished in my garage since October and I finally decided I didn't have the time to sort it out, so put it in to get sorted by Ali (though it had to wait behind the mule for attention).

If the bolt is sheared in the block, I just cannot be arsed to wind it out myself

Cheers,
Robin