Shuddering engine

My dads escort has started shuddering i.e producing a bass every second or so. I looked under the bonnet and the actual engine unit seems to be shaking when ideling.

The car is fine when on motorways etc its as smooth as a new car but when ideling it sounds like the engine is about to blow up.

It sounds a bit like this "urum rum rumr umr urm urm" its hard to explain. But does anybody have any idea what the problem could be? The engine is a 1.6 Zetec unit with 70k on the clock.

Thanks

 

Hunting at low revs -

Air leak on intake track
Bad plugs
Bad plug leads
Knackered head gasket (tho would be prevelant at all revs)
Dodgy/missing air filter
If its a carb engine (not injecter) could be blocked/dirty pilot jets or pilot circuit

probably cause its a Ford

HTH

 

Its a 16 valve multi point injection unit. The car has been recently serviced as well, the rocker cover gasket was recently replaced but not the head gasket. The catolic convertor has also been replaced as that failed at only 68k.

Bloody Fords.

 

been nothing wrong with the 5 Fords we've had in my household during the last 15 years:
mk4 Escort
mk1 Fiesta
mk3 Fiesta
mk4 Fiesta
mk5 Fiesta


just looks like your dads got a duff one, AT, sorry to say.

 

Could be anything from a valve problem, to a simple blockage or air leak.

Not looked at one of these engines but - on the older fuel injected engines, there was a butterfly in the air intake, that used to get clogged, if you remove the hose next to said butterfly - and clean the butterfly & seating area, with some carb cleaner or brake fluid, this will often cure a hunting engine.

Otherwise take it to a mechanic.

Regards

Barnie

 

Part of the problem may be that my dad basicaly stop start journeys. Its very rare that the car goes on the motorway so this will wear out the brakes quicker etc and the engine will have to work harder because of the higer revs. The garage blamed this for the premature cat failure, though it was only £130 including fitting to replace on a lot of cars the cost would be 5 times that.

 

A leaking vacuum hose would explain this. It would also explain the destruction of the cat. Happened to my Renault. Could happen to any car before anyone starts carping

 

Thanks, from all these replies it sounds like its a problem with the air inlet into the engine then. I think my dad will be better taking to to the garage. Does the vacumn hose provide air to the engine?

 

i dont know those engines at all, but a vacum hose normally operates on a diaphram switch/valve and can be used for fuel delivery or advance/retard etc

 

Indeed. I believe it was the advance/retard mechanism that was affected on my car. Caused it to misfire at low speeds and to dislike pulling away. Sadly, misfiring is very bad for catalytic converters, so 'Trade's Dad should get this fixed pronto.