Turbo diesel engine problem

[DiscoStu]

I've got a P-reg Rover 220 SDi and it's playing up. Nipping round town doesn't seem to be a problem, but when it seems to be that when I go for any decent run (half hour or more) then it starts to splutter. How do I describe it? It's like the engine is coughing... For a split second, the car loses power and jerks, then goes back to normal. This will happen every ten seconds or so. It's like someone's very quickly stamped on the brakes. Thing is, I pulled over to make a phone call the other day when it happened, and even with the car parked, in neutral, it was still 'coughing'. Has anyone out there had this problem, or know what it is/could be?

[mharris]

It sounds like a fuel problem, firstly i would change ur fuel filters both of them  one inline (if it has 1) and the main fuel filter, regardless to how recent it has been replaced. if that does not sort ur problem then perhaps the fuel pump timing is fractionaly out.

[DiscoStu]

I had a feeling it was a fuel thing.

The one thing I forgot to mention was that it seems to happen after 20/30 mins when out on a full speed trip, sitting at 60 in 5th gear. The spluttering may go on intermittently for 5 or 10 mins, but as long as you keep driving, it seems to clear. I had to make a return drive today of over 100 miles and it happened on the way through, but had cleared before driving back. I did wonder (from what little I know) if it could be a fuel injector problem? Maybe a couple of bottles of injector cleaner might be worth a go?

[KebabMeister]

Is that the 2.0 litre with turbo and intercooler?

There is only one fuel filter on that car.  It is also possible that an injector is 'squirting' rather than 'spraying' and therefore causing poor combustion (which could cause your problem).  Injector cleaner might be worth a go, how much is it?

Oh, are you get any coloured smoke out the exhaust?  Black, blue, white?

[mharris]

hi, in answer to ur sugestion of injector fault , I doubt it if an injector was not atomising corectly, it would be a poor starter, smoke all the time (being unspent fuel) and generally run poorly. going bk to the filter, if u imagine a glass of water being a filter full of fuel, as u accelerate it would draw more fuel through the filter than if u are crusing, if the filter is blocked or has a restricted fuel flow( pos intermitant) as u accelerate this would drain ur filter quicker than the blocked /resticted fuel supply can cope with, once crusin the the fuel supply can then  catch up. hope u got the jist of what im trying to explane. good luck.

[DiscoStu]

Thanks guys.

I've been too busy this week to follow up the filter suggestion, but I have put a bottle of Wynn's injector cleaner in the tank. I DO understand the filter scenario! And I will try it when I have the time.

I'm making the long drive down to T in the Park tomorrow, so I'll have a better idea of how the car's doing by time I get back next week.

Thanks again!