So a bit of a long story this.
I bought a second MR2 at the weekend to save it from being sold to someone who was going to part it out. Its a 2001 with 153k miles.
When i bought the car the oil light flickered on now and again when going up and down hills. I had the brother in law drive it home for the hours drive to get it back. Upon arriving home i asked how the car felt to him. All good came his reply apart from the ojl light is on all the time and now the engine management light, arrrrrr!
Put new oil in it (3 ltrs) to "top" it back up. While doing this i spilled quite a bit of oil when the funnel slipped out. Later that day after giving it a good wash i took the other half for a drive in it when i noticed a problem. I put the foot down and the engine doesn't deliver power and feels like something is holding it back. When stood the engine revs free, so i was thinking clutch, especially with spilling some as i noticed what looks like the fly wheels is visible through the bell housing under where the oil spilled from.
When driving and the problem happens the engine hesitates i get a decent puff of white smoke too.
Sorry for the war & peace but any suggestions are appreciated
Hello and welcome, you've contacted the 4th Emergency service.25 minutes response time, AA eat your heart out !
Usually we have a little introduction before the problems start but commendable that you've rescued a Roadster from the Breaker.
I'm guessing you bought a second hand car with 153 thousand on the clock.
When the oil light was flickering up and down hills that was indicating low oil pressure as there was very little oil in the sump( you needed 3 litres to top up) and the pump pick up was above the oil on the inclines.
These engines can block the catalyser when in an advanced state of wear. A blocked catalyser would feel like something is holding it back
To determine a way to check your situation we need to know whether the exhaust has been modified.
When you look at the engine can you see the manifold tubing coming from the cylinder head or is there a silver cover plate over them?
Shoot the brother in law he's a numpty
Quote from: 1979scotte on March 23, 2021, 11:12Shoot the brother in law he's a numpty
Perhaps a quiet word?
It sounds like you didn't check the oil level before you bought it. The chances are it's an oil-burner & the previous owner has neglected it. If you got 3 litres in it, it only had 0.8 running it. Just in case you don't know, the oil light works on pressure, not oil level, so if the sensor is working properly any flicker means the oil is really low.
Far more knowledgeable folk than I will advise whether it's likely to be kaput....?
Are you able to read the error code?
Oil levels OK now?
As said above. If it has been run dry with too little oil, it's a bit of a death blow to the engine
If you put 3 litres in it, and it only holds 3.7 litres, It's basically been driven with no oil.
That won't be a happy engine.
How's the roof? Sounds silly, but I'm gauging whether it's a scrapper or a saver...
Quote from: SV-3 on March 23, 2021, 11:36Quote from: 1979scotte on March 23, 2021, 11:12Shoot the brother in law he's a numpty
Perhaps a quiet word?
If a red oil light doesn't make him stop what makes you think a quiet word will?
Anything short of an elephant gun and I reckon this guy wouldn't even notice.
Thanks for the welcome by the way lol. Just keen to get it back to health.
The exhaust looks stock and yes the heat shield is present. Doesn't look like its ever been off.
I should have checked the oil at the time but it was parked on a very steep driveway, and with the oil light not showing when we drove away i completely forgot about it. Stupid i know.
I had the battery disconnected over the weekend while doing some other bits to it and the engine management light has gone off now the ecu has presumably reset.
No oil light since putting some oil in. The engine sounds good and ticks over and revs nice etc.
Roof is in decent condition just a couple of little tears i plan to patch over
Quote from: 1979scotte on March 23, 2021, 12:20Quote from: SV-3 on March 23, 2021, 11:36Quote from: 1979scotte on March 23, 2021, 11:12Shoot the brother in law he's a numpty
Perhaps a quiet word?
If a red oil light doesn't make him stop what makes you think a quiet word will?
Anything short of an elephant gun and I reckon this guy wouldn't even notice.
Ah, the usual 'overkill' ;)
Quote from: Halls on March 23, 2021, 12:39Thanks for the welcome by the way lol. Just keen to get it back to health.
The exhaust looks stock and yes the heat shield is present. Doesn't look like its ever been off.
I should have checked the oil at the time but it was parked on a very steep driveway, and with the oil light not showing when we drove away i completely forgot about it. Stupid i know.
I had the battery disconnected over the weekend while doing some other bits to it and the engine management light has gone off now the ecu has presumably reset.
No oil light since putting some oil in. The engine sounds good and ticks over and revs nice etc.
Roof is in decent condition just a couple of little tears i plan to patch over
We'll that sounds a lot more promising than before.
The code will likely come back but time for a decent service and then monitor for codes/oil usage
Any idea when it was last driven or serviced?
I would just take it easy and get to know the car. If you havent got a code reader, nows the time to order one.
Do make sure you have breakdown and recovery cover, "just in case!".
Quote from: Topdownman on March 23, 2021, 13:42Any idea when it was last driven or serviced?
I would just take it easy and get to know the car. If you havent got a code reader, nows the time to order one.
Do make sure you have breakdown and recovery cover, "just in case!".
Im not sure when it was last serviced, the last owners gave me a folder with a stck of old MOT's and invoices so i'll have a look in there. The car has done about 600 miles since the last MOT.
Been meaning to get a code reader, so ill get one ordered. Oh yes i have breakdown cover too.
Ill monitor for engine light & oil coming back on,but in the mean time i need to find out why it feels like its not pulling / clutch slipping.
If it was the oil is there something i can spray on the clutch / flywheel to clean it? Or is it a case of the clutch will be knackered?
Quote from: Halls on March 23, 2021, 14:47Ill monitor for engine light & oil coming back on,but in the mean time i need to find out why it feels like its not pulling / clutch slipping.
If it was the oil is there something i can spray on the clutch / flywheel to clean it? Or is it a case of the clutch will be knackered?
Don't be waiting for the oil light! That means the system has lost pressure Use the dipstick regularly for awhile, while you find out how bad the oil consumption is.
Quote from: Carolyn on March 23, 2021, 15:52Quote from: Halls on March 23, 2021, 14:47Ill monitor for engine light & oil coming back on,but in the mean time i need to find out why it feels like its not pulling / clutch slipping.
If it was the oil is there something i can spray on the clutch / flywheel to clean it? Or is it a case of the clutch will be knackered?
Don't be waiting for the oil light! That means the system has lost pressure Use the dipstick regularly for awhile, while you find out how bad the oil consumption is.
I meant more to keep an eye on the lights. I keep checking the dipstick but im hesitant to drive it with the other problem.
A slipping clutch should feel like a slipping clutch, a very long time since I had one on a not very old Imp. I would put handbrake on and try to pull away, if the engine races the clutch is slipping. If the engine stalls it's not.
Or Courtesy of the www.:
Squeaking or unusual grumbling noise when pressure is applied.
Difficulty changing gears.
The clutch pedal sticking, vibrating or appearing to feel spongey or loose.
Poor acceleration but still having the ability to rev your engine.
Not pulling, I would go back to my first post. Cat blocked.
To check that you remove the Oxygen sensors in the manifold to check the condition of the pre cats. That is best/ easiest done with a special, split, socket to avoid the cable. Other spanner's and methods are available.
If what you se on inspection looks like intact honeycomb all is well. If it looks like broken honeycomb that is what has passed through and blocked the main cat.
If completely clear, no trace of honeycomb they've been cleaned out previously.
PS I would discount oil on the clutch, I doubt that oil would have got into it when you had a spillage and no you can't clean it. If it is oiled and/ or slipping it would need to be replaced.
Just a thought on the clutch. I dont drive my MR2 much in the winter and every spring i think the clutch is on the way out. A bit of juddering when pulling away. A few weeks into regular driving i realise it was just me getting used to the different bite point and torque of the 2 compared to my normal drive.
Havent needed a clutch yet. Try the
@Joesson suggestions of handbrake and pull away. Although with the 2's history of poor handbrake issues you might need feet on all three foot pedals!
Quote from: paulj on March 23, 2021, 16:26Just a thought on the clutch. I dont drive my MR2 much in the winter and every spring i think the clutch is on the way out. A bit of juddering when pulling away. A few weeks into regular driving i realise it was just me getting used to the different bite point and torque of the 2 compared to my normal drive.
Havent needed a clutch yet. Try the @Joesson suggestions of handbrake and pull away. Although with the 2's history of poor handbrake issues you might need feet on all three foot pedals!
Maybe just ( the right ) two would work better.
I'll check out the pre cats tomorrow and see what they look like.
Update to the problems im having above.
I got myself a OBD2 scanner and did a check. One fault PO155 o2 BANK 2 SENSOR 1.
Also the pre cats are still present, so they'll be coming out next.
I swapped the offending 02 sensor with one from my other car. Took the car out and its 90% better than before. Still some hesitancy when giving it full gas but know where near as bad as it was. Getting a fair amount of smoke though still.
Update.
I scanned the car previously and found the o2 sensor fault above. While waiting for a replacement i took off the manifold to remove the pre cats. I finally got around to putting the car back together along with the new sensor. Took the car for a drive over the weekend and i thought the problem had gone with the loss of power, but as the car got hotter the problem got worse. The car drives fine in normal traffic conditions but when you put the foot down to have some fun i get a stuttering and lag from the engine like something is holding it back.
After arriving back home i noticed how hot the engine was! Temp gauge was reading mid way, and coolant present but a lot of heat from the engine.
Anyone have any recommendations of what to check for? Could the two issues be related?
I bought the car as a bit of a do upper but its getting to the point now that my patience is wearing thin with it.
As always any help is greatly appreciated guys & girls
I am no expert but these cars do seem to be hot after a run so it may not necesscarily be a problem, just different to a front engine. Does the heater work as it should with lots of very hot air avaialble? The cars are hard to bleed so could possibly be an airlock if the heater isnt working. Its normal for the coolant to be full when hot and lower when cold though. If you have the Torque pro app and a bluetooth obd reader then you then you can get reports of info such as air intake temperatures to see if this is getting very high.
Have you checked the condition of the spark plugs and air filter? Best to make sure the basics are good before getting too complicated.
Have you cleaned the MAF? Easy to do and cheap but can cause problems if dirty.
Other things to think about could be throttle position sensor or a clogged fuel filter (this is in the top of the fuel tank, accessible by removing the rear storage bins).
Just taken the car for a spin, but all is worse than i thought. Getting lots of smoke from the exhaust. Think between the knackered pre cats and the oil situation have taken their toll. Time for the scrap yard im thinking :(
That'll be sad, one less on the road :'(
Whereabouts in South Yorkshire are you?
@Halls Coincidentally, I saw a fellow 2 owner today who I have not seen for a while. I asked how his car was running and he said that he didn't keep a check of the oil level and took it on the M way with unfortunate results. He told me he sold it and the new owner rebuilt the engine and sold the car on for £1k more than he paid for it.
Quote from: Call the midlife! on April 15, 2021, 20:47Whereabouts in South Yorkshire are you?
Im in Barnsley.
Quote from: Joesson on April 15, 2021, 22:18@Halls
Coincidentally, I saw a fellow 2 owner today who I have not seen for a while. I asked how his car was running and he said that he didn't keep a check of the oil level and took it on the M way with unfortunate results. He told me he sold it and the new owner rebuilt the engine and sold the car on for £1k more than he paid for it.
ive toyed with the idea of rebuild or engine swap. Just not sure i have the time or patience for it.
Aaah, I was hoping you were a bit nearer so I could nip over and see if we could get to the bottom of what might be causing your problems.
Quote from: Call the midlife! on April 16, 2021, 06:45Aaah, I was hoping you were a bit nearer so I could nip over and see if we could get to the bottom of what might be causing your problems.
ah right. Yeah bit of a trek for you, but thanks for that.
Quote from: Halls on April 16, 2021, 07:56Quote from: Call the midlife! on April 16, 2021, 06:45Aaah, I was hoping you were a bit nearer so I could nip over and see if we could get to the bottom of what might be causing your problems.
ah right. Yeah bit of a trek for you, but thanks for that.
It's not so much the distance at the moment, it's having the time to travel the distance.
Quote from: Halls on April 15, 2021, 23:25Quote from: Joesson on April 15, 2021, 22:18@Halls
Coincidentally, I saw a fellow 2 owner today who I have not seen for a while. I asked how his car was running and he said that he didn't keep a check of the oil level and took it on the M way with unfortunate results. He told me he sold it and the new owner rebuilt the engine and sold the car on for £1k more than he paid for it.
ive toyed with the idea of rebuild or engine swap. Just not sure i have the time or patience for it.
I can understand that but sometimes Members and others I'm sure are looking for a project and if your car is otherwise reasonable you may do better financially than selling to Steptoe or his son.
PS
My story was true, the guy is an E European and he had a black, he really liked the car he said (but perhaps not quite enough to check the oil level).
If worse comes to worst (like it did for me after I bought an oil burner) Dean at Rutland MR2 on here, could sort you out with a decent 1ZZ and someone to swap it over for a very reasonable cost. Think I ended up paying about £550 all in a few years back, and got the clutch changed too.
Unfortunately, Dean is no longer doing MR2s.
Also, it's worth bearing in mind that the 1zzfe also went in the Celica, Avensis and Rav4... A few ancillaries will have to be swapped over, but the basic engine is identical - so just look for a decent 1zz.
Quote from: Carolyn on April 29, 2021, 13:30Unfortunately, Dean is no longer doing MR2s.
Ah, I didn't know that - what a shame.
This isn't too bad price wise, from a MR2 MK3, and has a 6 month warranty : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274761419097?epid=1116805810&hash=item3ff90e8959:g:YxIAAOSwNqRgeY9G
Quote from: jim_jiminy on April 29, 2021, 14:26This isn't too bad price wise, from a MR2 MK3, and has a 6 month warranty : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274761419097?epid=1116805810&hash=item3ff90e8959:g:YxIAAOSwNqRgeY9G
I would not buy that just because of the warranty which does not amount to very much imo.