Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Stranded on the M25 in my 2006 roadster!!!

Last night about 8:30 between Jct 11 and Jct 10 while in the middle lane travelling at about 60 mph I suddenly experianced a loss of power and was luckily able to glide to a halt on the hard shoulder!! On the dashboard, as well as the ever present engine mangement light ( I have spent a small fortune at MMC returning the car on two seperate occaisions to the factory in a futile attempt to get this anomaly SORTED ---without success)---along with this dashboard light was a new one in the form of the red battery light!----with all lights switched off ---still the car would not start.Eventually at 11:15 along came the summoned low loader and we eventually arrived back at our address some 45 minutes later.

Luckily the driver of the low loader was intrigued enough with the cars condition to offer to "have a look"---so around midnight, torch in hand howling gale/rainstorm overhead, we opened the bonnet and I tried starting the car again with the same response to which he suggested that the sound was as if the car was running empty (not possible as there was half a tank full of fuel). He next suggested that if I unlocked the filler cap, he would listen to hear if the fuel pump was working. ----so I removed said filler cap turned the ignition and Hey Presto everything work as should---i.e. the red battry light has disappeared (though not the EM light---:( ---- so the diagnosis is that somewhere between the tank and the carb a fuel vacuum formed resulting in an immediate loss of power----has anyone else experianced this anomaly?

Also how would I avoid a repeat perfomance?---or in this case non-perfomance?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Sorry to hear of your "adventure"; but pleased to learn you have narrowed it down.

Pure guess - fuel tank vent - is it blocked?

David
As Richard suggests a blocked or kinked breather pipe?
Or it could well be worth fitting a new fuel pump relay, in case it has an intermitent fault? (I always carry a spare relay, which on my 4/4 would fit both the fuel pump and the cooling fan - so a useful spare to have)

What a nightmare..... I would have stopped for you in my Range Rover, I'm often at that junction too.

As above, it sounds like a blocked fuel cap breather hole, causing a vacuum.

Thanks Richard--yes I have been checking today--and yes it was a nightmare particularly as a certain co-pilot after an hours standing tother side of the barrier freezing and being deafened, decided tetchily she would sit in the car and wait for the recovery vehicle!!!! ---who needs it?

Also as the car is due for its full service shortly I will replace the fuel relay as a matter of course--so that was a good suggestion thanks.

There's a charcoal cannister under the spare wheel on the left hand side - it may have become partly blocked. It's tied into the tank emissions and is linked electronically to the engine management system.

Just one explanation from "How stuff works":
The fuel we put in our cars contains more than 150 chemicals, including benzene, toluene and sometimes even lead. These ingredients can cause dizziness, breathing problems and headaches when they're inhaled. Inhaling large amounts of gasoline fumes can even cause death. On top of all that, evaporated gasoline is one of the leading causes of smog and air pollution.

For these reasons, carmakers are required to install systems on their vehicles that help mitigate gasoline evaporations. Environmental regulation in the United States began in earnest in the early 1970s, and as a result, cars have had evaporative emission control (EVAP) systems ever since. These systems are designed to store and dispose of fuel vapors before they can escape into the atmosphere.

A typical system consists of a small canister full of charcoal, valves, hoses, vents in the fuel lines and a sealed fuel tank cap. When fuel evaporates inside the gas tank, the excess vapors are transferred to the charcoal canister. They're stored there until they can safely be transferred back to the engine to be burned with the normal air-fuel mixture.

When that's ready to happen, a valve creates a vacuum that draws the vapors into the engine. Fresh air is also drawn in through the vents and valves to mix with the vapors for better combustion. These systems can be controlled mechanically, or like on most on newer cars, through the engine's computer. The computer tells the valves when to purge the canister of vapors. This typically happens when the car is in motion, rather than at idle. It's just one example of some of the behind-the-scenes technology that you'll likely never see or feel.

As you may expect, things can go wrong with the EVAP system, too. If the canister fails to purge or does so under the wrong conditions, it can hamper the performance and emissions of your vehicle. When this happens, you may find that the entire system needs to be replaced.

Wow I didn't know all that stuff was going on, sounds like a source for problems as cars get older!

I didn't know either, though I don't think it's part of the set-up on my Zetec 4/4?

It makes me get all nostalgic for SU Carbs, Dynamos and an "A" Series engine.

Or even a slightly larger four cylinder engine?

In my case, I just miss the Webber and pushrods...