Ford Escort Cabrio - 3 Cylinders???

[AWEssex]

Hi their. Im not technically minded, but my R-Reg 1.6 (Zetec) Escort Cabrio has run into problems. Driving home from work yesterday, it lost power in most gears. Would still drive, but less responsive to gears. Nearing home, I noticed a "blowing" sound. My first thought was exhaust. Once home, leaving engine ticking over, put hand over exhaust end and still felt fumes. Car now shudders badly when engine ticking over, sometimes stalling. When bonnet open, sounds more like a diesel. A friend suggested maybe running on 3 cylinders. Like I say om not technically minded at all, should I try changing the HT leads and Spark Plugs???? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[JohnLIreland]

DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER! You'll only do more damage and end up with a bigger bill.

Get a mechanic to check it over. It may be a bad plug or an HT lead but it sounds more serious than that, maybe a blown piston or gasket. Look for fluids leaking from the casing of the engine (blown gasket), white smoke from the exhaust (water leaking in to the cylinders) or blue smoke from the exhaust (broken ring/blown piston letting oil in to the combustion chamber).

[AWEssex]

No fluids coming from the engine casing, nor any kind of smoke coming from the exhaust. Got a friend of mine well versed with engine's coming round tonight, but am worried incase its an expensive problem. Everyone so far reckons its the Sparks or HT leads, but until these are ruled out I cant do anything.

Have left it sitting on driveway, didn't want to risk driving it for fear of breaking down, let alone doing even more damage.

Thanks for your reply, the more info I get the better.

[Bully Wee]

If the car sounds like a tractor with the engine running and bonnet up have you lookled to see if exhaust is blowing around the manifold joints at the cylinders, or even where the manifold joints to the exhaust downpipe?  If there are any loose/broken studs at any of these joints or if the gasket(s) need replacing the car will rasp badly, run unevenly, accelerate poorly etc and you risk CO poisoning or fire if it is not fixed.

Getting someone to dip the accelerator with the engine ticking over (or do it yourself with a slight tweak of the throttle linkage at the carb) and holding your hand a few inches from the joints will determine if there is a leak as you will feel the hot draught.

[AWEssex]

Thanks everyone.

Bully Wee, you are exactly right. Got my friend (the one who knows stuff about cars) to check it out.

Its running on all cylinders and the engine is running fine, but the rubber gasket seal between the exhaust manifold (where the exhaust joins the engine) needs replacing.

Any ideas how much this will cost? My friend reckons the seal itself, as its quite large, will cost about �10.00, but including labour will cost around the �50.00 mark. Sound about right?

[rick7363]

check the spark plugs its noramly the comman fault, wrong gap,