Trouble comes thick and fast

[Fraser]

My cup runneth over !
I've now got a really awful misfire with the TF since last week. The car starts OK then immediately the misfire commences and remains even when the engine has warmed up. The only diagnostic tool I have in an iCarsoft 930, bought when I had a 2003 Jaguar XJ6. It only lists Jaguar and Rover models. Anyway, I plugged it in, and got error messages, but eventually playing around and selecting the Freelander which had the smae 1.8 engine as my TF, I got the fault code which told me there was a misfire on Cylinder 2. So I'm assuming it is ignition-related, but how on earth does the EMS know there has even been a misfire ? I'm trying hard to think what it might detect for this.

[mgtfnut]

I seem to remember, can't be sure without checking records, that it was a coil pack. I bought a spare and replaced the ignition leads. The spare I carry in the front boot for trips abroad. There are two, one for a pair of cylinders.
I should have gone to Belgium in early July, and also cancelled a planned trip to the Swiss/Italian Alp borders this month, but have kept in the front with some other travel "spares" like light bulb kits, oil, coolant etc.
Hope it's that - an easy fix.

[Fraser]

Well, I'm certainly hoping it is an easy fix ! I have just whacked out a load of money for wheel refurbing following clipping a kerb the other week. Also decided to replace the fuel filler cap due to its manky appearance, (see my other post), but that is quite a cheap fix.

All in all, though, up to now, the car has been pretty good to me since I bought it in March 2014 when it was 4 years old. It's a chinese TF 135 with the "N" series engine. It is not used in winter, and I have been round with Dynax S-50 gloop into the sils and round the rear wheel arches so it looks pretty good.

[mgtfnut]

I have been round with Dynax S-50 gloop into the sils and round the rear wheel arches so it looks pretty good.

That's good stuff. When I attacked my sills from either end, water dripped out from the flanged joint between the spot welds. I guess when the water drained out, it was replaced with Dynax. I clear out/check the proper drain holes with the end of a cable tie several times a year. I've still no idea how/why water get inside the sills.

[Barbour]

I've still no idea how/why water get inside the sills.

Condensation.

[Gavin207]

It's a lot more than condensation, i get a small river out of my nearside sill after it has been raining. I've always assumed driving / angled rain getting in via the engine air intake which is open to the sill.

[Fraser]

I'm now having to wait until Mon 14th Sept before the garage can take the TF in. Its all down to a big rush on MOTs that were extended but now have to be done. I looked out my Carsoft i930 and managed to get a fault code telling me No 2 cylinder is misfiring. This little scanner is good, but when I bought it I had a 2003 Jaguar XJ6, so I bought the unit optimised for Jaguar and Land Rover. Obviously, MG doesn't appear, but I selected Freelander, as I knew that had the K-series engine in it. I looked on the internet and one can buy better scanners now, but I don't want to whack out £77 !! I can't do the DIY stuff anymore as I have no garage. The big problem with the TF is the sheer inconvenience of engine access, else I would probably have a go.

[Neil Rushton]

Our 2010 TF had a slight misfire last year only noticeable when you accelerated quickly it was cured by a set of Magnecor leads, ours has done 65K a few weeks ago loaded up ready for a holiday the clutch slave cylinder gave up the ghost forcing us to use the Skoda for the holiday, I couldn’t move the car & couldn’t get anyone to come & look at it so I decided I’d take the engine cover off & give it a coat of looking at, I do have a bit of history with car maintenance but it’s more MK1 Escort based but I sorted it & all was well, refitting the engine cover was a PITA but now I’ve done it I feel happier about it but will still leave the majority of the work to our local MG guy as I’m past laying under cars, at least I got use of the £100s I’ve spent on Teng tools over the years!!

[talkingcars]

.....I got the fault code which told me there was a misfire on Cylinder 2. So I'm assuming it is ignition-related, but how on earth does the EMS know there has even been a misfire ? I'm trying hard to think what it might detect for this.

It's useful to give the actual fault code.

[talkingcars]

...I can't do the DIY stuff anymore as I have no garage. The big problem with the TF is the sheer inconvenience of engine access, else I would probably have a go.

Garage? What's that?

I have changed engines in the road, laid in the gutter under cars with rain flowing past me changing exhausts, changed subframes in my drive that's so small I have to park sideways...so garage, what's that?

[Fraser]

Car went in to the shop today, misfiring as bad as ever, it seemed like it was only running on two cylinders. Now a question - can misfiring like this damage the catalyst ?

[Rob Bell]

As Jerry says, there are two coil packs mounted on the cylinder heads of MEMS3 engines. I've had coil pack failure cause misfire on both a ZR and a Freelander - both cured easily by replacing the faulty pack...

Can a misfire damage the catalyst? Potentially. More problematic for cars with a catalyst in the manifold. Not sure if your car will have the "mani-verter" type exhaust manifold? If not, it'll be like an MGF with its catalyst closer to the exhaust box - which is generally far enough away to avoid the exploding unburnt fuel in the hot exhaust manifold...

[Fraser]

Garage rang to report "all well". They replaced a coil pack and the assoc ignition lead. As the ignition leads are only supplied in pairs, they fitted the second one to the good coil pack. Lets hope this keeps going a while longer !

[mgtfnut]

Excellent.
No need to be pessimistic, it was an easy fix, and I'm sure it will be fine for years to come.
These really are tough little cars when looked after.

[Fraser]

Got its MOT at the same time, no advisories and perfect emissions figures. So all is well.
So I decided to give the leather seat facings a clean today using my favourite cleaner called Zymöl. A lot of dirt came off, not surprising as the car is 10 years old now, and I have never cleaned the leather since I bought the car in 2014 ! Afterwards I rubbed in some Autoglym leather conditioner.

[Rob Bell]

Are TF alcantara/leather seats actually leather and alcantara? Not alcantara, as that is trademarked expensive stuff, but I think the side bolsters are genuine hide?

[Fraser]

From what I found, the seat facings are leather, but the rest of the covers are leathercloth. The seats are black so don't show the dirt, but plent came off onto the application rag using the Xymol. I did the steering wheel cover at the same time.

[Rob Bell]

From what I found, the seat facings are leather, but the rest of the covers are leathercloth. The seats are black so don't show the dirt, but plent came off onto the application rag using the Xymol. I did the steering wheel cover at the same time.