Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) mechanical problems +4

I have some mechanical problems with the 1999 Morgan +4 and maybe you can help me .
On Monday 30 had a problem to start the car . The car stopped until October 8, and we started the car again and it took three attempts to get it as despite the battery indicator was correct. On the 11th I picked it up in the workshop and it took me five or six tries to boot up the car , I had a drive of about 30 kms with no problems and parked the car in my garage. This morning (october 12) I took nine or ten attempts to start the car, but then gave a walk of about 40 kms without problems . In the afternoon I have tried again to start the car and I made another nine or ten attempts , finally has started, but there is a new problem: it is that when I stop pressing the accelerator , even up, the tachometer drops to zero and the engine stops . I drive for 80 kms and every time that I not accelerate the engine stops, even if the car is running.

As you see there are two problems, the first when we start and the other that turns off the engine when not accelerated . the first problem has since the car arrived (15 days ago)the second is form this afternoon .

I don´t know because I am not very expert on mechanics, but I think when I turn the key the bump does not work, and finnally, after several attemps the bump works and and the engine starts. I have no idea about the engine stops when I don´t push the throttle.

I would be very gratefull if you could help me telling any idea about both problems.

Sounds like the ECU has failed

Could be any number of things wrong including very simple problems. It needs diagnosis by a competent workshop that has a fault code reader and is used to working with cars that have electronic fuel injection. The engine is a Rover T16. We can see you are not from the UK but there should be many garages that can do this, not necessary to use a Morgan dealer unless there is one nearby.

Good luck!

If you are near to Pamplona, take it to Talleres Mendauto who are Bosch Service Agents. I broke down in Spain and they were very helpful and fixed the problem.

My ECU failed & whilst I didn't have the starting problem one issue was poor or no idling.

Have you tried re-setting the ECU by turning off the red battery switch?

I find if the engine does not fire first time it will not tick over properly, this is always cured by a re-set.

(Although my T16 +4 has a diagnostic plug there does not seem to be a fault reader that will connect to it, so not much use)

I am not sure if you are saying that the starter motor is not turning the engine over when you turn the key or if the engine is turning over but still not starting.

If the starter motor is not working it could be a relay, a faulty starter motor. or loose or corroded contacts where the cables attach from the battery to the chassis or from the battery to the starter motor. It is also possible, but less likely, that a loose or corroded contact or a bad relay could be causing the engine to stop instead of running at minimum.

(Although my T16 +4 has a diagnostic plug there does not seem to be a fault reader that will connect to it, so not much use) [/quote]


JBK. Fault reader leads for the T16 and M16 are available but very difficult to source.
Sorry no ideas, try fleabay and the like I suppose .

Thanks Taffmog, have tried all the likely places.
Here is a pic of the connector, it is a 3 pin plug, so presumably the codes are limited? I believe it is OBD1 probably a Rover dealer has one in his bottom drawer but a DIY lead seems to be rare, and is the software compatible with an OBD11 reader if i can find a lead?

Crankshaft position sensor?
Just a thought...

As for OBD2 compatibility I seriously doubt it...