shuddering under acceleration

[billpayer]

Hi guys

Im hoping I can get some help as Im wanting to get my problem fixed asap (got a 400 mile trip to Cumbria planned in a few days)

I had to drive my car on very low fuel today, so to conserve petrol I did about 20 miles in 6th gear, cruise control on, traveling at 40mph for a few miles then the rest at 60mph. The onboard computer said that my range was 0 miles for the last 4/5 miles of my journey. I was expecting to run out of petrol but luckily I did manage to get home. when I got there I went to the shed to get my petrol can and found that it had about a cup full still in it so I put it in the tank, went to the petrol station and filled up.

Now when I drive the car the little engine light on the dash stays on and the car stutters/shudders when accelerating, its not a very heavy stutter/shudder and it can be eliminated by not revving to hard. I looked in the handbook and it says its an emission control system fault.

It just seems strange that it has happened after running on low fuel and me putting a cup full of old petrol in the tank. It could be coincidence but that would be hard for me to swallow.

My car is a 55 plate signum, 2.2 direct petrol with 60K on the clock, recently serviced as well, no more than 1500 miles ago.

Any pointers or advice would go down a treat

Thanks Bill

[Handyandy-UK]

Good chance the 'old' fuel you put in will have had all manner of contamination/water in it.
Also quite possible that you've sucked up some of the junk from the bottom of your fuel tank when the level got as low as it did.
Would help to know what the fault code causing the fault light is, but it may well go once the engine's had a chance to run through with good fuel for a while.

[billpayer]

Is it possible for me to get the fault codes myself or do i need to go to the dealers?

thanks for the speedy reply

[Handyandy-UK]

You might well be able to find a cheap fault code reader from a motor factors or Halfrauds.... pretty sure there's a member or two down Essex way who have either tech 2 or op-com.... failing that it's a quiet word with your local stealer (last I heard was 1 hour's labour - £63.80 just to read the code, not diagnose anything).

[billpayer]

thanks for you help Andy,
Im going to try going for a slow drive to try and burn some fuel just to see if the fault does go away

thanks again

[vectra3.2dave]

the rate up here is 46 quid for a tech 2 but its probably where the fuel level low has sucked something from the tank, replace fuel filter and run through good fuel and see if it improves anything!

[robwilson69]

Hi m8 got ya pm i'll can help with my tech 2 no problem..

[billpayer]

Well I went for a drive about 7/8 miles and no shudder but I did notice that while at a set of lights it seemed to be running a bit lumpy

Rob I have pm'd you my details and thank you so much for your offer of help

I will look at the fuel filter tommorrow and change it if nessacery

thanks guys for the fantastic advice and help

[billpayer]

Quick update

Didnt use the car untill this evening and was feeling happy when I saw that the little engine icon had gone out and the shudder completly gone. Then after an hour or so I decided to take it for a run, I went to the car, started it, only for it to cut out after 10 seconds then it wouldnt start at all.

Consulted the handbook (is it just mine or is eveyones the same where by the page numbers on the index do not match the pages ) anyway after leaving it for 10 mins it did start but only with a boot full of gas, now its showing the spanner-car icon when running and also when turning the ignition on or of it says 'InSP 1000'. A quick search on these forums told me that its something to do with service intervals which is strange becuase it had a full service when I bought the car 2 months ago, in that 2 months the dealer had it for over 3 weeks sorting out some knocking from the front and rear and I have only just got it back (5 days ago)

Im begining to think I bought a lemon

Rob if you read this and you can find the time to get your tech 2 on it I will forever be in your debt

[Handyandy-UK]

That to me leads me to think of muff, fluff, dust or custard (blame my old trade instructors for that one) that has been contaminating the pump or filter, has had a chance to 'drop' (hence the good start) but has then been sucked back to cause the stop.
I'm hoping there's a filter you can clear/change before the fuel pump as well as in the fuel line as it's sounding to me like the fuel system needs to be flushed through.

I could however, be wrong


The 'Insp' flag though could just mean the service interval wasn't reset when the service was last done... easy enough to do yourself - something like 'press and hold brake pedal, press and hold trip reset button, turn ignition on and wait till trip/Insp display flashes then stops, release all and carry on.