My engine decided to take a few naps today

[SubaSteevo]

Today sucked...

I dropped off my car at Midas to have my exhaust leak checked out-
The good: muffler is ok
The not so bad: exhaust gaskets are shot
So they replace the gaskets...
I get a call at 5:30, gaskets are on, but theres another leak coming from the pipe in front of the y-pipe, can't do anything till Tuesday cause of the holiday. So I pick the car up...

Driving home, after about 25 miles, my car dies. Electrical (lights, stereo, vent) still working, but engine just shuts off (thus no power steering, etc). I get off to the side of the road, start it up, drive another mile and the same thing happens. As it was dying I gave it more gas and it starting getting jerky (like a slipping trans). Died, started right up, then died again as I managed to get it into a parking lot to wait for my rescue ride (arrived about a half hour later).
We decide that I should drive it home, with my dad following. I made it the rest of the way (about 10-15 miles) with no problems at all.

What the heck is wrong? Alternator is putting out juice, and everything seems to be connected securely. Any ideas?



I just recently added about 4oz of Acetone to the gas to see if it would lower my emissions any (I failed HC)

[svxfiles]

Swap out your MAF with another one and try both cars.

[madj80]

That is exactly the same problem I had when I bought my SVX. It was the MAF.

[SubaSteevo]

Thanks, I'll check out the MAF. I was having some intermittant problems with it but they went away a month ago or so, guess it looks like I'll be replacing it afterall.

[svxcuseme]

I just started getting this as well. Driven down the expressway at 65 and the car feels like it's running out of gas, slow down, put on flashers, start to go again and all is fine. It's happened a couple more times. Car just dies while running , in gear.

Now the car wants to die everytime it's idling. Idle goes from 2000 at startup slowly down until it coughs it self to death. It's not the MAF. Tried a good one in. No change. Any other suggestions?

Only recent change was to identify a couple bad coils and replace them with good used ones.

[SubaSteevo]

Running fine now, besides the damn exhaust crack...

[svxcuseme]

Steve, with the old MAF, did your stumble to a halt or just stall quickly at idle?

[SubaSteevo]

Originally Posted by svxcuseme

Steve, with the old MAF, did your stumble to a halt or just stall quickly at idle?

I haven't gotten one to change it yet, it's now running fine with the old MAF.

The first time it stalled out I just started accelerating from a light (probably going about 10-15mph) and it just died, the second time I was stopped at a light and it just died, the third time I was driving at about 50 and it kind of sputtered then I gave it some more gas and it jerked and then just died.

[svxcuseme]

Went back in this morning to see if it was trying to die when hot or cold. Battery was dead. I left the key in On position overnight. Put another battery in...started it up, still sputtering when cold.

Out of curiosity I turned the lights on. Hit the brights and the car died. I think mine is a charging issue. I have the alternator wiring mode so I know the ground is good.

I'm running up to the auto store to check alternator. I'll report back. Thanks for the reply Steve. Lately it's been 1 step forward and 2 back Argh!

P.S. Love your Avatar. Beaker Rocks!

[madj80]

A few weeks ago my car was giving me low idle problems (jumping up and down below 1000 rpm). I checked my error codes and notice an oxygen sensor code. I disconnected the battery overnight. The next morning, I started the car up and let it run for 15 minutes before driving. The low idle problem went away as well as the error code for the driver's side oxygen sensor. It has not come back so far, and it has been about three weeks.

Two weekends ago I changed my battery terminal connectors (the old ones were original and in terrible condition). I noticed better acceleration, so maybe it was effecting the spark?

[svxcuseme]

Not a charging issue !

Would a bad temp sensor cause this issue? I know it's usually related to no start but would it cause these issues if it was on the way out? The car is really sputtering itself to death. Start it up Idle goes to 1600, then slowly down until around 400 where it starts to sputter out. I am hearing a slight skip every so often.

[SubaSteevo]

Originally Posted by svxcuseme

Not a charging issue !

Would a bad temp sensor cause this issue? I know it's usually related to no start but would it cause these issues if it was on the way out? The car is really sputtering itself to death. Start it up Idle goes to 1600, then slowly down until around 400 where it starts to sputter out. I am hearing a slight skip every so often.

When I had a problem with cold starts a month or so ago (would need to give the car some gas to keep it going) it was recomended that I change the temp sensor (I did get an occassional CE code for the sensor). It didn't help my problem (although it magically went away about two weeks ago), but it's only like a $20 part, and I changed mine in about 15mins, so it's worth trying.

[SubaSteevo]

After a week of not being able to drive more than 1/4mile without stalling, my new used MAF arrived today, and I drove about 10 miles with no problems

[svxcuseme]

Keep us posted in a couple weeks. Curious to know if this is the long term fix.

FYI I measured the voltage of 3 different MAF's and strangly all report .7 volts DC on pin 11 of connector B60 with Key on.... I'm going to measure MAF attached to the parts SVX and see if it registers as the manual suggests. IF so and I plug it in to the garage queen and I still don't get the proper reading 10-13 volts with key on, then I've got a short somewhere

Hopefully it's just the MAF and not a short or other issue causing voltage drop.

[svxcuseme]

I still don't get any voltage reading from B60 - pin 11. Hum? Anyway, my problem turned out to be the ECU and Crank Sendor 1. I had swapped in the ECU from the spare SVX as I was trying to diagnose problems. I put the original ECU back in and the stalling went away....maybe a bent pin on the other EC?U.. Don't know.

My Crank sensor was bad as well. After swapping in a Legacy Sensor my misses have vanished. Car purs like a kitten. Car idles at the factory mark on the Tac... around 400rpm...Cool!