It was running perfectly, then, slowly but surely it became a cow to start if the engine was partially warm. It would catch, eventually, but not without a LOT of cranking! Eventually, it stopped starting whatever I did. I searched all over the net for ideas but came up with nothing, so I gave up for the time being. It came to the time to start looking at the problem again and I found out about the Idle Control Valve. I removed it and cleaned it thoroughly. Stuck it back in and away she went, no problem at all. That was a couple of mnonths ago. The same thing has started again, albeit in a much shorter time-scale. I took her out one day a couple of weeks ago and she was fine. Tried to start her to get home and she didn't want to know. I got her running eventually and limped home. Since then she simply won't start. I've cleaned the idle control valve again. The thing is spotless! Still nothing.
When trying to start her she turns over and I can hear some firing but it's not consistent. There is an occasional back fire too. It's as if she wants to run but simply won't catch. She also seems to be flooding, there is a smell of petrol after a lot of cranking. I've checked the spark and there's plenty.
One thing that may be relelvant, when I was limping home a couple of weeks ago, she would run perfectly above about 2,000 rpm but at lower speeds/throttle openings she would be very unresponsive and it was as much as I could do to keep her running. Fortunately I was only a mile or so from home.
A couple of weird effects I've noticed whilst trying to start her, the windscreen wiper will suddenly start to operate and the radiator fan will sometimes cut in too. And yes, the wipers are switched off!
So, here I am, with my lovely 260E and I need some help. Pretty please?
When trying to start her she turns over and I can hear some firing but it's not consistent. There is an occasional back fire too. It's as if she wants to run but simply won't catch. She also seems to be flooding, there is a smell of petrol after a lot of cranking. I've checked the spark and there's plenty.
One thing that may be relelvant, when I was limping home a couple of weeks ago, she would run perfectly above about 2,000 rpm but at lower speeds/throttle openings she would be very unresponsive and it was as much as I could do to keep her running. Fortunately I was only a mile or so from home.
A couple of weird effects I've noticed whilst trying to start her, the windscreen wiper will suddenly start to operate and the radiator fan will sometimes cut in too. And yes, the wipers are switched off!
So, here I am, with my lovely 260E and I need some help. Pretty please?
