Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

Hi All

I've got an 03 TF 1.8 135 as well as my Streetwise and its got a fault and well its a K series so thought i'd ask here.

Just its passed its MOT and drove there ok and passed the emissions test, but on the way home developed an obvious misfire I can feel and the engine light came on.

Got myself an OBD2 code reader and it’s come up with three codes, P0301, that’s a generic misfire code. Then the more important P0313 code which is misfire detected low fuel level, and P0313 with a P after it. The one with the P is not listed as a separate code and I have no idea what the extra P indicates, if anything.

Now I’m aware code P0301 can have multiple fuel related causes but one thing comes to mind. The car has not
been used this year, I taxed it to go for the MOT and to use it a little now so the fuel in the tank has been there for at least 10 months so I’m sure qualifies as old.

So anyone got any experience of old fuel causing misfires and codes and what’s the best way round it?

I assume I could fill the tank with new fuel but with limited use that’s likely to sit there until next spring.

Or are there any other common culprits for a K series and code P0313.

Cheer Bean.

Although its ECU is not modern enough to produce codes, my wife's Rover 114 cabriolet (8-valve K-series with SPI) was exactly the same as your TF (in terms of misfires and general flatness) when I took it for the MoT last year. It had been stored outdoors for much of the winter with a small amount of fuel in the tank and saw hardly any use between MoTs. I stopped at a petrol station about a mile from the MoT garage and put around 15 litres of Esso E5 in it before taking it for the test.

It performed much better on the way home and has not had the same issue since then (possibly helped by storing it indoors last winter).

Sounds like you need to treat the TF to some E5 and a month's tax before the winter comes: get a few miles on the clock. You could drive it to this club's AGM on 19th October if you are free.

Hi

I was thinking along the same lines but wondered if there were any other common culprits on a K series.

So unless someone comes up with a code specific idea i'll put some Premium Unleaded in and give it a run about.

Cheers Bean

Most engines respond to an Italian tune-up.