So my Countach....died

As some others said, It is fuel or ignition. That said, it is not all that expensive to go after some of those parts....coils, pumps, wiring, wires etc.

A multimeter may be you best friend now.

 

Sadly with the Countach, we all know that every handful of years we gotta dump money into them.

 

I think it's been 11years since I have been chasing a "losing power while driving a gradual incline" problem. I've done all I want to do myself. I know it is time I send the car out for carbs and ignition work. Hopefully later this year, been focusing on the Jarama and Urraco.

 

Good luck and just handed it over to your shop and be done with the inconvenience/aggravation etc

 

The longer the problem persists, the more chances of people disliking their cars.....

What was the outside temp/humidity like when it happened?

When it comes to sensors overheating, this should not be the case. Its happened 3x over the past year or so. Two of those times the car was sitting in the garage, dead cold and would not start. Just crank over and over. This last time, the car just abrubtly shut off when I came to a stop. No power loss, just shut off. When I finally restarted it, again drove perfectly like nothing happened. I even ran it up to 7k rpm in 1st to 3rd on way home. Perfect.

What was the outside temp/humidity like when it happened?

Maybe 80?

Vapour lock? Gas tank not venting properly?

I know nothing about Countach engines. Though I did have a similar issue on an older car than was eventually traced back to cracked and worn vacuum hoses. The problem only occurred when the temperature rose. Easy to check and cross off the list.

Shouldn't have bought one that had been totalled...

Shouldn't have bought one that had been totalled...

You mean like yours? Haha

I would guess ignition. If it were fuel it would probably at least sputter a little bit before it quit. Does that have twin fuel pumps like a diablo or not?

 

Coils are oil filled typically, if it has leaked some oil out that could be a problem, Also MSD is know in racing circles to be pretty unreliable generally. All of the local circle track guys run two msd units stacked, and switch the connector if it acts up.

I would also just double check the power wire and ground connection to the msd box. Actually unplug it and inspect the wire. Just yesterday we had an intermittent Kawasaki and the ground wire was pulled 2mm out of the connector that hooks to the ecu

Maybe 80?

 

Have you noticed more on hot days?

 

 

I set my idle to run a little high... Well, a lot high at cold start, then when it goes through its various warm up stages and the idle drops, it stays around 12-1500 but it doesnt struggle, especially in low gears/speeds/ under load....

 

Mine seemed to do it on high temp/high humidity days. If I didnt give it enough gas it would stall- sometimes between gear shifts... And then not restart for about ten to 15 minutes (Which I assumed meant it was flooded or vapor locked).

 

Then it would start up and drive normal... Until it did it again... But I know where youre at... Its a bit terrifying... You're afraid to drive the car because you dont want to get stranded...

Removed post: wrong thread, sorry

Been trying repeatedly to get the Countach to die again. Starts everyday. WTF ...

Been trying repeatedly to get the Countach to die again. Starts everyday. WTF ...

 

It missed Deuce. Once it saw him it was happy.

Nothing is more frustrating then a problem you can't recreate but yet you know actually exists. Hope it rears it's head again soon so you can lock it down and get it fixed.

Sucks, good luck with the car oldman

Pain in the ass. But since Im mad at the Countach it forced me to take the Diablo out. Love the Diablo!

the onlyy issue i ever had with my car have all been related to the lousy marelli ignition.

Weird stuff occured. sometimes it would start or not randomly. I would lose power while driving just like if i was starving gas, etc...

 

I had a long discussion with a local Shop tech. Guy was an expert on old ignitions. They had an old machine to test them.

Basically these things are crap new and worst crap old. They are just good for thoses who look at the car, rave about how fast they are but dont drive them.

 

MSD does not fix anything because you still have the rotor and all that crap.

If you drive the car, move to electromotive ignition. Since I did, no more weird electrical things occuring. Starts everytime.

 

I never understood why the MSD is so popular as it does not fix the distributor weaknesses.

 

My only issue is when the car gets very very hot, the starter needs to cool off abouot 20mn before I can start again but that is very consistent and a known issue on these car due to the exhaust proximity.

the onlyy issue i ever had with my car have all been related to the lousy marelli ignition.

Weird stuff occured. sometimes it would start or not randomly. I would lose power while driving just like if i was starving gas, etc...

 

I had a long discussion with a local Shop tech. Guy was an expert on old ignitions. They had an old machine to test them.

Basically these things are crap new and worst crap old. They are just good for thoses who look at the car, rave about how fast they are but dont drive them.

 

MSD does not fix anything because you still have the rotor and all that crap.

If you drive the car, move to electromotive ignition. Since I did, no more weird electrical things occuring. Starts everytime.

 

I never understood why the MSD is so popular as it does not fix the distributor weaknesses.

 

My only issue is when the car gets very very hot, the starter needs to cool off abouot 20mn before I can start again but that is very consistent and a known issue on these car due to the exhaust proximity.

 

I remember my first Countach working very well with the Electromotive. I never had any issues with it prior though either. On this car, the distributor was rebuilt, new cap, rotor, wires etc. I replaced everything. Also have no issue with the starter getting hot. Car started again today. No issues. Its funny to have a car that you are hoping wont start.

If it happens when it is hot, look into vapor-lock.

If it happens when it is hot, look into vapor-lock.

 

2 of the 3 times its happened, it was parked in the garage unused.

Its funny to have a car that you are hoping wont start.

 

I can fix that for you.

 

All you have to do is take your wife out to dinner in the car and it won't start.

 

Trust me this will work to make it not work, it never fails.

Had same problem with a boat. Sucks bobbing in the water. Then when a tow is finally under way, boat starts ARGGGG. Problem was SOMEWHERE in the wiring loom. Replaced ignition switch. Ran new wires from battery to switch. From switch to coil.

Problem never returned

Had same problem with a boat. Sucks bobbing in the water. Then when a tow is finally under way, boat starts ARGGGG. Problem was SOMEWHERE in the wiring loom. Replaced ignition switch. Ran new wires from battery to switch. From switch to coil.

Problem never returned

Im thinking this is where the problem lies. Going to start getting into the inner workings today.

Have you checked the wires running from the MSD box to the 2 separate magnetic pick ups on the side of the distributor?

 

These wires are extremely light gauge and can break in the plastic sheathing or at the terminal ends.

 

Often, when they break, it is NOT A COMPLETE CATASTROPHIC BREAK. They will often appear to be in good shape and intact. However, because the wires and terminals are still encased in a plastic sheath, they will flex and move around causing them to intermittently lose connection.

 

I had to replace the pick up wires on my car for this very reason.

 

Damn thing would quit, I would get out, wiggle a bunch of wires and it would inexplicably start right up.

 

Frustrating as hell.

 

I finally got it to "no go" in my garage, ran a test light to the wires and found a break in the wire at the terminal end by the distributor.

 

I replaced the wires and terminal ends and solved the problem.

 

Good luck hope it helps.