Few problems with my 197

[Brunoandrade98]

Hi all,

As the title states, I have a few issues with my 197. Some of them might be related with other problems listed.

I'm wondering if anyone could share some input on them:

Low MPG
My car has quite bad MPG. I understand these cars aren't a cheap runaround, and that I shouldn't expect really good MPG on a hot hatch, however, it has gone as low as 18MPG, which I think it's quite bad.
So far, I have checked my spark plugs, and they look...used. They are NGK, and they're not in bad shape, but used. The oil and filters have been replaced in February, prior to me buying the car. It may be related with the problem below.

Exhaust leak?
It may be my mind playing tricks on me, but I can hear a bit of exhaust underneath the car. I just put the car on ramps, and had someone rev it while I was underneath, looking for any signs of smoke, which I couldn't see any. I could, however, smell exhaust gases from where the manifold is, which I'm not sure how normal it is. One other thing, is that there's a bit of a vibration when revving, and a bit more sound coming from the front. Could this be related with the exhaust? I understand that, if there was an exhaust leak, it could affect the O2 sensors, and I could be running richer.
Is there any easy way to check for this?

Car feels unresponsive
This is the "fastest" car I've owned. Before this one, I was driving a Mini Cooper S R56, with 175HP. Now, the Mini had a lot of issues, but it felt quicker than the 197. It also had better MPG, at about 25-28, with a similar driving style. Not sure if it's because it's a turbo, and has more torque, but it did feel quicker. I wonder if there is an issue with my engine that could be affecting the engine in a negative way, with a loss of power, and lower MPG?

P0313 code on OBD Reader
I plugged an OBD Reader and ran a diagnostic. It came back with a P0313 code, which stands for "Misfire Detected with Low Fuel". The car was on low fuel, but I couldn't tell if there really was a misfire, as the engine sounds okay. I cleared the code, filled her up, and been driving her for a while, to see if the code comes back. It hasn't.

Noise going over bumps
When I bought the car, one of the tyres was quite deflated, so, I powered on my compressor and filled all 4 corners to the correct pressure, as stated in the handbook. All four corners were rather deflated, with one one of the rear tyres being at 8PSI! After filling them up, I could hear a noise when driving in general, but especially when going over bumps. My guess is that because the tyres were quite deflated, the ride was that much smoother that I couldn't notice the noise.
I have checked all four wheels for play, and they were all solid, so, it looks like my suspension is okay. I thought it could be the exhaust that was loose, which could explain an exhaust leak, but I couldn't see any signs of that, either.


Apologies for the massive wall of text, but I'd really appreciate some input on this.

Thanks in advance

 

[burrellbloke]

Hi,

How low in the mpg? My 200 gets to about 25 mpg overtime. It varies from about 12 mpg on a trackway up to 30 mpg on a motorway journey.

Exhaust leak could be your flexes if they are knackered?

Unresponsive car - is it a flat spot low down the revs? If so it may be a common problem tat can be mapped out.

PO313 code - you could try replacing the lambda sensor.

The noise could be a lot of things like worn ball joints, worn top mounts, lose drop links. If you think it may be exhaust give it a good wiggle and see if there is any movement and rattling.

 

[Brunoandrade98]

Hi,

How low in the mpg? My 200 gets to about 25 mpg overtime. It varies from about 12 mpg on a trackway up to 30 mpg on a motorway journey.

Exhaust leak could be your flexes if they are knackered?

Unresponsive car - is it a flat spot low down the revs? If so it may be a common problem tat can be mapped out.

PO313 code - you could try replacing the lambda sensor.

The noise could be a lot of things like worn ball joints, worn top mounts, lose drop links. If you think it may be exhaust give it a good wiggle and see if there is any movement and rattling.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Today, I've reset the MPG, and drove it for a bit, responsibly, and managed to get 20MPG, at a push. Once I've put the car on ramps, and gave her a few good revs, it has decreased to 19MPG.

I looked at the whole exhaust system, including the flexes, and couldn't see any smoke, however, I could smell exhaust gases, for sure. If it's the flexes, are they replaceable, or do I need a manifold? They are part of the manifold, right?

The P0313 code hasn't come back (yet), maybe because I checked the spark plugs and filled her up.

The three bolts on my strut mounts are rusted, so, I'm replacing those. I'm wondering if that's it. It actually does sound exactly like a bad drop link, except I checked the parts catalogue, and didn't see the drop links on the suspension setup, so, I assumed that it didn't have drop links. I'll take my wheels off, and have a check at the drop links, too. I gave the exhaust a good wiggle, and it seemed solid.

As for the unresponsiveness, I'm thinking of booking the car for a dyno run, to see what the numbers are. I can't really explain how it feels, properly, but it's just...underwhelming.
Also, what do you mean by "it can be mapped out"?

Many thanks for this info!

 

[burrellbloke]

The drop links attach to the front damper and (I think) the lower arm. I replaced mine and failed to tighten them up properly. One was swinging around when I heard it as I was going over speed bumps.

The flexis should look a bit like a nice new wicker basket weave. If they look tatty then they can be removed and a new set welded on. They sit at the end of the manifold. OEM manifolds last a long time. Some people chose to replace the OEM manifold when the flexis go as it is sometimes easier to swap out the manifold for a cheaper version rather than get the flexis removed and welded back on.

If the mpg Is consistently low change the lambda sensor as that may be causing your car to run rough. If the lambda sensor is not working it could effect your fuelling and possibly create some exhausnt/fuel smells.

”Mapped out” just means taking your car for a dyno run and getting them to tweak how the ECU works so that you have a better power curve that is perhaps smoother and more consistent.

 

[DS197]

Are you sure the exhaust leak isn’t from the exhaust/manifold clamp?

 

[Brunoandrade98]

The drop links attach to the front damper and (I think) the lower arm. I replaced mine and failed to tighten them up properly. One was swinging around when I heard it as I was going over speed bumps.

The flexis should look a bit like a nice new wicker basket weave. If they look tatty then they can be removed and a new set welded on. They sit at the end of the manifold. OEM manifolds last a long time. Some people chose to replace the OEM manifold when the flexis go as it is sometimes easier to swap out the manifold for a cheaper version rather than get the flexis removed and welded back on.

If the mpg Is consistently low change the lambda sensor as that may be causing your car to run rough. If the lambda sensor is not working it could effect your fuelling and possibly create some exhausnt/fuel smells.

”Mapped out” just means taking your car for a dyno run and getting them to tweak how the ECU works so that you have a better power curve that is perhaps smoother and more consistent.

Yes, you are correct about the drop links.

As for the exhaust flexis, I do know what they look like, but it just didn't look like they were something you could detach, and reattach. I can already predict it would cost a fortune to weld that, over here, in Guernsey
I'll probably look at something new. Any suggestions on what kind/brand to get, if not OEM?

I wish there was a way to just get the reading of the lambda/O2, to see if it was wrong, at all, before throwing money at it, and replacing it. It's not an overly expensive part, so, I might just replace it. Do these cars only have one? I know that some cars use two, over the whole exhaust system.

Thank you VERY much for the help!

 

[Brunoandrade98]

Are you sure the exhaust leak isn’t from the exhaust/manifold clamp?

I thought it could be, or from the flexis, but I physically can't see smoke. However, when sitting in the car, with the window open, revving it, it will sound like some exhaust comes from underneath. There's also an exhaust noise when when shifting gears, sometimes, which doesn't sound that great. Sounds rattly, not normal whatsoever, but then, shaking the exhaust shows it's solidly in place...

 

[DS197]

I thought it could be, or from the flexis, but I physically can't see smoke. However, when sitting in the car, with the window open, revving it, it will sound like some exhaust comes from underneath. There's also an exhaust noise when when shifting gears, sometimes, which doesn't sound that great. Sounds rattly, not normal whatsoever, but then, shaking the exhaust shows it's solidly in place...

It could be either really as I’ve got the same symptoms and know for certain my clamp needs to be changed. I believe that as long as the flexis are visibly in good condition it is unlikely to be them. The manifold also tends to fail at the flange so worth looking at that too.

 

[Brunoandrade98]

It could be either really as I’ve got the same symptoms and know for certain my clamp needs to be changed. I believe that as long as the flexis are visibly in good condition it is unlikely to be them. The manifold also tends to fail at the flange so worth looking at that too.

The flexis had no visible defects. They were also still nice and silver, which could mean smoke wasn't coming out of them, otherwise they would have carbon buildup? Going to take a second look at the manifold, again. It could be worth replacing the clamp, anyway, as they aren't expensive.

 

[burrellbloke]

This is the best photo I can find of my flexes.



I would look at the clamp and lambda sensor if your flexis are in good condition.

There are two lambda sensors, or at least there were on an original OEM exhaust set up. If the lambda sensor at the front is not working properly it will make your car feel flat, possibly make it feel like it is misfiring, and could result in fuelling issues.