Help needed - broken down.

[David Brown]

Out for run and engine cut out. Can't hear the fuel pump, immobiliser was working. Checked visually the fuses and wagggled the relays and all seem fine but immobiliser no longer cancelling. Waiting for break down. Any suggestions?

CSR 260. 

[Jonathan Kay]

Private Message sent.

[David_Long]

If you need local help to get home let me know. 

[Tom_Arundel]

Did you hit a bump? if so check/press inertial switch.

[SM25T]

Press the inertia switch top ?

[gin-fizz-whizz]

Are the rest of the electric workings. If not then check your main earth connections (e.g. battery terminal) are tight - sounds obvious but has caught me and others out in the past.

[David Brown]

Checked most of these while waiting for breakdown ( must remember to add multimeter to tool kit). Awaiting recovery now as power to fuel pump but it's not running so assume pump is duff. Thanks for all your suggestions. 

[EEK]

I've had the connection in the large econoseal plug that the fuel pump wire goes through somewhere near the inertia switch and down stream of the relay cause my fuel pump to stop - high resistance due to arcing, bit of a clean and been ok since but it did just stop in a garage when refueling.

[Toby S]

Sounds like

• Bad earth
• FIA switch if one is fitted playing up
• A short
• or a combination of all 3

I've just solved a long running intermittent problem with a 1992 1400 K series Supersport where it would cut out and it seemed all electrics just turning themselves off and once I'd coasted to the side fo the road (occassionally it would bump start, but not always), I found absolutely zip power was getting to the starter motor and I was stranded. Sometimes once it had cooled down it would start or bump start, but not always, often to only fail again a few miles later on - was really spoiling the enjoyment of Sevening, and electrics has never been my strong suit

After much mucking around, trying to find voltage drops (no massive single drops found but not brilliant and of course it never cut out on the the drive when your testing the system only generally when I was in deepest Worcestershire, Herfordshire or Wales miles from anywhere !!)) I found (or should I say we, as I enlisted the help of Sunnyside garage in Kempsey, who are a really good general garage):-

•  Cowling at the back of the starter motor - one of the bolts holding it in place had sheared (completely dropped out in fact) and the metal cowling was wobbling about and we think possibly could have been shorting things.
• Starter solenoid was fried - had the starter refurbed (it was a magnetron) with new solenoid  and above Cowling fixing fixed - £90
• Found all the wiring around the starter pretty stiff and inflexible so replaced all main cables from to Battery, FIA, and starter and wiring between starter relay (the k click fix had been already been done), battery and  starter and its solenoid and all main earthing cables from battery to block, and block to engine mount - not sure this was absolutely necessary, but I was so sick of the problem and given the age of the wiring,  and the heat coming of the exhaust primaries thought in for a penny, in for a pound.
• Wrapped the exhaust primaries to reduce heat in the engine bay as a longer term solution.

Have done circa 500 miles since then (only finished the work a couple of weeks ago) and it hasn't missed a beat so seemed to have cracked it. Starter absolutely whizzes into life now,  far better than ever before (I always thought it was a bit sluggish cold and even worse hot) and I've had the car 5 years - I guess mine was probably a combination of all of the above.

P.S. I had first checked the FIA switch to check that wasn't cutting power off, as I'd heard those can go, but that wasn't the problem in my case - also checked the alternator and alternator wiring and that was OK, had battery tested and it wasn't that either, nor the ignition switch or immobiliser - just went through  process of elimination

Also look at the very useful piece by Revilla on Techtalk a few weeks ago looking for voltage drops as you may find a wiring condition problem or short (not sure how old your car is) albeit this is specifically for k-series cars (not sure what engine you have) - may help pin point the exact problem rather than the full scale assault route I took 

 

[David_Long]

I'd put my money on an alternator failure.

[David Brown]

David, why do you say that? Engine turns over fine, immobiliser is off, power to pump but pump not running?

Eventually got home at 7:15 which wasn't bad considering I was in the middle of nowhere. Four of us were enjoying a run from Biggar to New Galloway, via Leadhills and Moniaive. 

[7 wonders of the world]

You can prove the pump with a direct feed to it,

Did you try swapping the pump relay..?

Has the pump ever been replaced....?

I fell foul of a Walbro counterfeit pump from a reputable supplier.

[David Brown]

Not yet tried direct feed but live to the pump. 
Not sure the pump has a relay. 
Pump never been replaced. 

[David aka Blue7]

David, you had a problem with the pump a couple of years ago prior to going to France, what was the cause on that occasion and could it be the same fault recurring?

There was a discussion a while back about CSR fuel pump relays, I didn't think there was one but apparently there is one located in the MFU (Multi Function Unit).  Have a look at the link below, NeilCSR posted a photo of the MFU on page 2 of the thread

https://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/csr-fuel-pump-relay

David

[David Brown]

Hi Blue, found that thread when researching pump problems and, like you, didn't think there was one as not shown on the wiring diagram. Anyway, don't think it can be that as have power to the connector at the side of the tank. Research showed some people had a problem with the earth pin on the multi pin connector on top of the pump having a bad connection. Childminding today so haven't had a chance to take the cover off the pump but will investigate after golf tomorrow. If connector looks ok will try hard wiring the pump to see if it works - was researching replacements on CC parts site and unclear which model I have but astounded that one was £500!

Grateful for all the helpful advice on here but am sure that if I've power to the pump it can't be ecu, relay, immobiliser, etc but either pump connection or faulty pump. 

[David aka Blue7]

Hi David, bad earth problems seem to a common issue with Caterhams so I hope it is as "simple"  as that.  However, don't overlook basic fault finding procedure which is "did I do something recently that might have caused the problem", which in your case involves checking any wiring you disconnected and reconnected during the engine and gearbox removal.

Good luck

Blue

[David Brown]

Anyone recognise this fuel pump, do the connectors just prise up to detach? Not like others I've seen on the site. Also wiring doesn't correspond with the CSR wiring diagram but assume the two wires, red & white are for the fuel sender and the three are for the pump with purple being the inertia switch. 

[David Brown]

Senility setting in, found answers to above replying to the similar problem I had in 2019 which I don't think I resolved but it kept working!

[Jonathan Kay]

[Jonathan Kay]

Private Message sent.