Poorly GTA

Can anyone please help me out!!??
After having to take my engine out on my 1990 GTA Turbo,(due to head gasket failure after cooling fans didn't work),i now have the engine back in and have a problem.
She started up first time no problems,left her running to bleed through and to confirm operation of cooling fans-all ok.
The problem is when i rev the engine and it comes on to boost the engine will falter and there is deep popping noises coming from the exhaust and it doesn't want to go.(it will do this at idle and on the road)
I have checked all the obvious things from when i had the engine out and i am sure it has all gone back as it was.
To me it seems like fuel starvation or even an air leak but i cannot hear anything obvious on the air leak side.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know as i want to enjoy driving her again sooner rather than later!!!

Cheers, Neil

No 1 fault finding tip for GTAs....... check all your earths.

battery earth and engine earths seem to be the most popular failure points and then there are the fuel pump earths, 1 up front and 1 at the rear. Several GTA drivers have reported failed fuel pump electrical connections related to random engine misfiring problems.

Good luck and how about posting some pictures in the "Visitors cars" Gallery?

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your suggestion,i know i can hear tha front fuel pump working but i will check the rear one tomorrow.
I did have one earth lead left over as it happens.Its on the right hand side of the engine (as you look from the back),by the injectors.
It's quite a long lead and i couldn't find the original location so i just made sure it went onto a good earth point.

I will get some pics sorted soon once it is up and running properly and once i have had time to give it a good clean!!!

[Alpineandy]

i can hear tha front fuel pump working

That doesn't necessarily mean that it's pumping enough.... Check it's earthed properly. You'll kick yourself later if it turns out to have an effect and you didn't check.

Yes, I can definately vouch for checking your earths properly!

Check these threads; you may find something useful:

http://www.renaultalpineownersclub.com/ ... highlight=

http://www.renaultalpineownersclub.com/ ... highlight=


Putting a voltmeter on the fuel pump terminals will give you a good indication of whether it's getting enough voltage. Also putting the voltmeter across the battery and turning on everything electrical, to see if the battery keeps it's voltage will tell you if you're alternator is posibly fautly. If so, this can mean the fuel pump isn't getting enough voltage and cause poor running/cutting out. I had this problem.

Another thing to consider is whether the engine has been rebuilt with the timing correct. When I had my headgaskets done after overheating, the engine ran very poorly and just wouldn't rev at all. I got the garage to take the timing cover back of; it turned out the timing chain (and hence the timing!) was out by one tooth! The timing was fixed and ran perfectly again!

I was beginning to wonder about the cam timing but i think this is ok as it idles sweet!
Can anyone please tell me about the location of the earthing points.I'm new to these cars and don't know my way around them very well yet.

By the way if i disconnect the vac pipe on the MAP sensor then the engine will rev ok at idle,(haven't tried on the road yet),has anyone had trouble with this or am i just masking another fault by disconnecting the pipe!

Please help as i am getting a bit stressed out now,even more so than trying to put the engine back in without a ramp!!!

If you disconnect the vacuum feed to the map sensor, then the sensor goes atmospheric, so the ecu will richen up the mixture by widening the injector pulse

So, if there was a fueling problem initially, running lean, doing this has probably made the car run 'correct' (or good enough not to falter)

It does sound like you have a fueling issue.., low fuel pressure etc...

Neil, keep cool.
The ones that I have found..... so far:
1 earth is directly under the battery tray in the front.
another earth is on the side of the gearbox and bolts onto the inside of the transmission tunnel.
There is another between the rad and bolted onto the top side of lower part of front subframe.
Another is behind the kick panel in drivers footwell.
Manual mentions others,
engine bay close to RH turret top, behind some square thing,
in console, under gear shift I think.

Manual actually lists 8
Front RH (under battery tray)
rear LH light (near diagnostic lug maybe ???)
enigne (RH side of block.... somewher???)
front RH pillar( behind kick panel by bonnet release lever)
front LH pillar (passengers side)
console(under gear stick)
engine/bodywork (close to rear RH turret square thing)
ABS (maybe you don't have this one)

manual makes no mention of the gearbox earth, so maybe there are some productions mods accross the years. What year is yours?

On Thursday I can scan and send you a picture from a wiring manual.

Hi Simon,
Many thanks for your help.
If you can send me those diagrams that would be great,my email is [email protected].
In the meantime i will check the earths that you mention,weather depending.

It just seems like too much of a coincidence that the car was running ok before the engine came out!?

You guys obviously know these cars well so i will follow your leads,many thanks again!

For the engine the 2 important earths are from the drivers side rear suspension turret into the ignition module (6" (ish) strap) and from the gearbox to the backbone of the backbone of the chassis also on the drivers side.
Another earthing point that is crucial is the engine bay wiring loom earth. Its a wire from the loom on the drivers side of the engine (again!) to the drivers side cam cover where it bolts on. If that isnt firmly screwed to metal then you will encounter all sorts of grief.
Personally I havent had any great problems with the earths....mine have come from spark plugs and leads. (and if you look through the forum Ive had more experience than most ) Check the plugs are dry round the outside and are properly connected to the leads.
On the fuel front I'm afraid I cant really advise...what I will say is that pretty much everyone on this forum has traced their problems to the electrics not fuel.

[phildini]

spryboy1974 are you another converted dini Man, I think you used to have a super spec dini right? stick with them at least they are simple

Hi Phildini,
Yes i did used to have a dini but always wanted a GTA,but up to now i am wondering if it was a good move or not!!!

Hi Guys,

I need more help please!
I have spent all afternoon checking the GTA out to try and solve the problem.
I thought i hit the jackpot when i found the speed sensor off the gearbox not plugged in properly,but NO.
I have checked the earths that you have mentioned but all are good.
I have checked the voltage at the fuel pumps-all ok.
I have checked the voltage to the ECU-all ok.

I still get the misfire just before 2000rpm on or off load and i can't rev through it.

Are the injectors continuous squirt or sequential??
Have you ever had problems with the ECU getting stuck in 'limp home' mode??

Please,please help i'm beginning to run out of options.
Unfortunately i do not have a gas analyser to hand so don't know what the mixture is doing but i have checked the plugs and they seem a little on the rich side.I have also checked the lead connections-all nice and tight,firing order is correct.
When i hit the misfire it does seem like there are 2 leads on the wrong way,but they're not!

Anymore ideas you guys have would be most welcome!

Cheers, Neil

You should have bought my mates J reg GTA Turbo in the classifieds.
Mechanically its a minter.

Sounds like you need to verify positivly that it is not the cams.
I wonder if this can be done without an engine out. Perhaps remove the inlet manifold and monitor the inlet valve position in relation to the crank? Maybe you can just remove the exhaust and then the chain cover insitu as you have had it off recently?