werid electrical problem

[Khalil]

My engine will stall in any situation (braking, acceleration, idle) and when it does stall it refuses to start back up again.
Happened to me 2 times today, and i need to fix it.. Here is a detailed account of what happened, I'll put a summary at the end of my post for those who dont feel like reading..

My story-
First time today i was idle at a stop light and it just died (at the airport to, so cops were anoying). I sat there in the car trying to turn on the car, just cranking it, but it wouldn't start.
This has happened to me before but it hasn't happened for a while. Last times it happened all i did was wait and it would start right up after i left it alone. This time i had to get out of there quickly and i had class later.
While i was waiting for a tow, i noticed if i left the ignition to the "ON" position the check engine light was not on, and there would be a clicking noise once a while and the check engine light would come on when the noise occured. ALSO when i was lookin inside the engine bay if it made the clicking sound sometimes the fans would move a little. only sometimes...
My tow final came and about half way to my house the noise/checklight was clicking more often then finally it just stayed on. I wondered to myself and i tried to start the car, and it started!

Second time i was cruising @ about 45mph and it stalled again. Got a little upset and poked around the engine bay for a while. Got cold , read a magazine, and kept trying to start it every couple minutes, but nothing. I did notice the same clicking noise along with my check engine light coming on. Finally someone pulled over to help me, and took a look at the car. Couple minutes later there were a couple clicks, and he seemed very confused. I started to play around with various electrical harnesses in the engine bay and the clicking became more frequet, and then stoped. Also heared a sound, that i think was from the fuel injectors(like a very slight hiss). I went inside the car and noticed the check engine light was now on (left key in the ON position for a while hopeing this would happen). Bet the guy that the car would start and turned the key, and the car starts.

ANY ideas of what could be wrong? Tomarrow morning im going to make sure all electrical harnesses are tight and i might take out my ECUtune chip and see if thats the problem..

Summary:
Car dies in flight, then wont start. Clicking noise after dies (When ignition in "ON" position) and the check engine light coming on with the noise. Cnoise happens a little more and then the Check Engine light stays on. THEN the car will start.

PS- NO problems while its on, untill it stalls.

[Khalil]

Forgot to mention that i tried to check for Codes, and when i did it spat out many many codes... If the codes were right my car should never run. but it does so no help there.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by Khalil

Forgot to mention that i tried to check for Codes, and when i did it spat out many many codes... If the codes were right my car should never run. but it does so no help there.

Loads of codes = loads of problems.

Not!

This problem indicates you have a problem with the engine computer [ECU] or the harnesses connecting to it.

It's throwing up the codes because it is getting "wrong" voltages from all the sensors.

It's stalling to avoid engine damage when a number of sensors are giving it signals outside the ranges it expects.

The first thing you need to do is find the ECU up behind the dashboard near the steering column. You want to check if any of the connectors to it are loose or damaged. [there are 3 or 4 from memory] Check also if it is mounted loose or is connected to a bad earth. This would be certain to give you this type of problem.

Also, it is not unknown for wires in the looms going to the ECU to get frayed where they exit into the engine bay. Check first for loose connections/bad earths though.

If you don't find damaged looms or connectors or bad earths, the chances are you will be replacing the ECU.

Best of luck.

Joe

[Earthworm]

I'm betting on either a bad ground or bad battery.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Loads of codes = loads of problems.

Not!

*Knocks on wood*

Which grounds should i check and where? (i dont know where most the grounds are i bet, im going to just poke around the engine bay with flashlight and try to find them).. So any information on where they are and which one is the likely culprit would be appreciated.
Thanks for the help guys.

[Aredubjay]

This is one of those "way out there" problems that has stymied SVX owners for as long as I've owned one, but, it's worth a check. It will sound strange, BUT, check the wiring for your vanity mirrors. These things have caused owners to go totally mad, trying to figure out what could be wrong. The wiring becomes frayed and shorts out, causing any number of Gremlins. At least it's an easy check and, if it's the problem, an easy fix. Just pop the "elbow cover" off the visor where it enters the roof. Use a small screw driver to tug on the wires and check for frays. Check both the driver's (which is normally the problem, when it is a problem) and the passenger's visors. If they're frayed, snip them and tape them. Fix 'em later if you want.
Just a suggestion.

[oab_au]

Welcome back Fink.

Khalil, find what is clicking. Use a piece of hose, one end to your ear, the other to poke around under the hood to locate which unit is doing the clicking.
What were the codes that you got out.

Harvey.

[Aredubjay]

Originally Posted by oab_au

Welcome back Fink.

Khalil, find what is clicking. Use a piece of hose, one end to your ear, the other to poke around under the hood to locate which unit is doing the clicking.
What were the codes that you got out.

Harvey.

Thanks, Mate.

Good on ya! Hope all's fair dinkum down undah.

[Khalil]

Aredubjay,
looked at those wires, and the ground was cut. Dont think it could add to my problem, but thanks for pointing that out. Ive been wondering why my visor light never worked.

oab_au,
Clicking sound came from more then one place i believe. In the engine bay it was most noticable coming from under the intake manafold on the passenger side. Inside i think i was hearing some sound from somewhere behind the dash.
When i checked for codes i got to about 6 codes and gave up and turned off the ignition. I think if i kept reading the codes it would of listed all of them.

Thanks again for help guys.

[oab_au]

Originally Posted by Khalil

Aredubjay,
looked at those wires, and the ground was cut. Dont think it could add to my problem, but thanks for pointing that out. Ive been wondering why my visor light never worked.

oab_au,
Clicking sound came from more then one place i believe. In the engine bay it was most noticable coming from under the intake manafold on the passenger side. Inside i think i was hearing some sound from somewhere behind the dash.
When i checked for codes i got to about 6 codes and gave up and turned off the ignition. I think if i kept reading the codes it would of listed all of them.

Thanks again for help guys.

"Clicking sound from more than one place" This sounds like there is a loose connection some where, could be on the power or earth side. To track it down, you need to see what else goes off when it happens. Does any dash lights flash, does the head lights flash. If not it may be just confined to the ECU supply.
Just went out to the car to look, the ground for all the units under the inlet manifold is behind the throttle bodies, screwed into the firewall, bulkhead, below the engine snubber mount. It is a thick black/red wire, with a connector, about 3" from the terminal that is screwed to the body. check the screw in the body and that the connector is plugged together properly.

Harvey.

[Khalil]

Is it possible that my ECUtune stage 1 chip is the cause of my problem?
Im going to take it out today and see if that fixes it.. Problem has become more frequent now.

[Earthworm]

I strongly doubt that.

Have you done the alternator mod yet?

Check the ground going from the battery to the frame as well as the one from the frame to the engine.

Also have your battery load tested.

[Khalil]

Yeah ive done the alternator mod.. Would a bad battery cause all this but still have enough juice to power the starter? (and everything else actully).

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by Khalil

Yeah ive done the alternator mod.. Would a bad battery cause all this but still have enough juice to power the starter? (and everything else actully).

Maybe.

It is most likely an intermittent fault. The clicking you hear could be a relay coming and going as it loses and gets back power.

Or a spark arcing somewhere, so be careful of fuel fumes till you trace it.

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Loads of codes = loads of problems.

Not!

This problem indicates you have a problem with the engine computer [ECU] or the harnesses connecting to it.

It's throwing up the codes because it is getting "wrong" voltages from all the sensors.

It's stalling to avoid engine damage when a number of sensors are giving it signals outside the ranges it expects.

The first thing you need to do is find the ECU up behind the dashboard near the steering column. You want to check if any of the connectors to it are loose or damaged. [there are 3 or 4 from memory] Check also if it is mounted loose or is connected to a bad earth. This would be certain to give you this type of problem.

Also, it is not unknown for wires in the looms going to the ECU to get frayed where they exit into the engine bay. Check first for loose connections/bad earths though.

If you don't find damaged looms or connectors or bad earths, the chances are you will be replacing the ECU.

Best of luck.

Joe

What an outstanding answer!!