back fired

[randeeb1]

04/25/2010 regards to a 1980 spider 2000 fuel injected....started fine cold...drove about 10-15 miles started to skip higher gears lower rpms then pushed in the clutch the engine stalled..smelled very rich with fuel.. tried starting the motor then a major back fire...cranked again still would not start again a major back fire...finally on the third try the engine started drove home (6 miles) same thing happened ??? I'm confused.. Randeeb

[narfire]

Set the cam and crank alignment up and see if the holes in the cams line up with the pointers or raised lines on the cam towers and the crank marker with the pointer below the water pump. Timing belt slip???
The guts of the dist. still intact???
Reading here, a backfire can also cause issues with the afm,but find out what caused the backfire first or you'll bugger up another afm.

[randeeb1]

what is a afm ??

[wachuko]

what is a afm ??

air flow meter - measures air flow to change air/fuel mix and volume.

[narfire]

Hi, do you have a manual for your car? if not I'd suggest trying to score one from a vendor,E-bay or even craigslist at times. The Brooklands covers the FI era,perhaps not the best but will give you a good idea as to timing setup. Yea the afm is that thing just after the air filter box with a electrical conection to it. It has a flap inside that is very sensitive and evidently a backfire Could cause the thing to bend enough for it to stick and not open properly. But get the timing sorted first,line everything up and see if the belt has slipped. There are some way more experienced folk here that could offer some more ideas,but my first guess is the cylinder is not firing at the right time. WHY????

[So Cal Mark]

I'd suspect the electronic ignition malfunctioned, causing the backfire. As already stated, the afm could be damaged from the backfires. Without knowledge of how these systems work, and diagnostic tools you will have a very hard time figuring it out. You might consider finding a local repair shop that is competent to sort out your trouble

[randeeb1]

05/10 I did pull the plugs,cap..it looks like the plug closest to rad ( is that #1??) is not firing correctly compared tothe other three could that still be the timing belt ? I will check timing tonight needed pan to drain rad..

[randeeb1]

the crank,cams and dist all line up..whats the next step for the back fire ??

[billstyer]

The symptoms sound very much like my '81 FI that needed a new fuel filter, and cleaning & tightening the fuel pump ground connection (at the left taillight!) - I'm not honestly sure which fixed the problem, because I changed the filter, then found the loose, corroded ground before I tried to start it.
Good Luck,
Bill

[randeeb1]

i will take a good look at the fuel pump ground / replace filter ....for the cost of a timing belt it will have anew one on it !! thank you!

[billstyer]

Let me know how it comes out. I checked everything else before I got to the simple stuff. Dopey me!
Bill

[randeeb1]

one thing noticed when i was changeing the oil...it has a strong gas smell ??? is there a easy way to lock up the flywheel to turn the crank bolt or just use a bar in the teeth ??

[randeeb1]

I still do not have this unit running..I received the new timing belt but the tensioner is still on back order......but i did check the fuel pump ground and yes it was loose I moved it to the fuel filler ground...does have a tensioner they want to sell ??

[So Cal Mark]

do you just need the tensioner bearing or the complete tensioner?

[mdrburchette]

Have you checked all your air hoses going to the air regulator and such? It sounds like you're running rich and I had a similar situation with my FI X19.