Persistent problem with engine of 240 DL estate cutting out when hot, often after 10-15 minutes driving. B230K engine, carb system not injection. Occasionally longer if motorway! I've tried replacing coil and ECU with a matching pair from a scrapped car - problem the same. Have also tried replacing all HT leads and distributor cap and rotor arm. Any suggestions as to what might be causing the problem? Engine won't start until cooled off; distance travelled before next cut-out depends on time alowed to cool!

If, as I suspect, your ignition system has the Hall Effect sensor in the distributor (if it one has you will have a 3 wire connector on the side/bottom of the distributor body) this is the classic syptom of it failing. As Steve says it could be the power stage, but my money would be on the Hall sensor.
Colin

Sorry there are no electrical connections to the distributor on this car. The coil is a short stubby one incased in a metal square, unlike the longer cylindrical variety. I have tried swapping the coil and control box for a matching pair from a scrap car, but the problem is the same. Any other suggestions welcome!

Thanks for the suggestions. Is the ignition amplifier the same as the ignition coil? If so, I have tried swopping in the coil and control box from a scrapped car - works OK at first, then same problem.

Anyone know what the function of the relay (no.899931 or 1323592-1), next to the coil, fed by yellow/blue, red/blue, red/blue and yellow/black wires? Does this affect any part of the ignition system? Has anyone known the crank position sensor to malfunction only when engine hot? Similarly, can the solenoid valve on the carb play up when hot?

Don't think its the Hall effect - no wires coming from the distributor itself.

Spark is very weak or absent from HT lead to distributor after engine has cut out.

Thanks.

The amplifier is a triangle-shaped device screwed to the fender behind the left headlamp. The coil in your car is round, tubular, and located near the right strut tower.

I agree with Colin: look first at the Hall Sensor, then at the power stage. Both can cause hot stalls and no-hot-restarts, but the Hall sensor fails more frequently.

Sorry my car appears to be different. The coil is short and stubby, not a long cylinder and I cannot find a triangular device. There are no electrical connections to the distributor. Further suggestions welcome!
Thanks for your suggestions so far

It sounds from your description of your coil that you have the Rex ignition system of which I have no first hand experience.
However it must have a crank position sensor somewhere, and I would guess it must sense from the flywheel, as do the later Bosch systems.
These also suffer the same problems if this sensor is failing, (It does the same job as the Hall sensor in the distributor) but you really need someone who knows these Rex systems for a more informed opinion.
Colin.

This sounds as though your ignition amplifier on the inside left wing behind the headlamp is failing. The symptoms are the same. Swap with a known good one and see what happens.

If the ignition is truly all taken care of, I'd have to suspect vapor lock- the fuel boiling as the temperature increases, most likely due to insufficient fuel pressure. I don't know if these cars have the same fuel pump or pumps that are in the LH injected cars.... but I assume it's a similar pump with different pressure settings.

IF fitted, I'd also suspect the ignition power stage and the engine speed sensor (crank sensor). Again I don't know if your model has either of those, but I believe it does, and either is subject to intermittent failures such as this.
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 'Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!'

Does this have electronic ignition? I had a BMW 320i that sometimes would not start when hot, wife would call, and by the time I got there it would start! Very frustrating... Turned out the pickup coil has an intermitent open and when cooled down it would work again.

Will the car die if you let it sit there and idle for 10-15 minutes? If so hook up some test equipment and let it die then see what is missing - either spark, fuel, or air...

Just a thought,

Justin B.
83 Turbo

As you have already tried the most obvious ignition fixes, could it be the carb? Your Solex Cisac is a rather complex unit, with pre-heating, cold-start circuits lots of vacuum lines etc. My car would start, but if it stopped before reaching working temp it was impossible to restart; I had to have the carb rebuilt by professionals. Which I kind of regret, even if it has been working perfect since I should have swapped it for a Weber right away.

Erling.
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