Strange engine problem, need help - Page 2

svxistentialist · #16 11-02-2006, 11:01 AM

These two sensors are at the front centre of the engine all right. The timing cover does not need to come off.

They are situated behind and slightly to the left of the main multirib pulley, the one with the timing marks on it. The two sensors are clustered together. Crank angle sensor 2 is the rhs one as you look in under the hood [but on the lhs of the engine as per usual naming protocol]

If you have another engine from your totalled car, then swap in the crank sensor 2, and see if that gets rid of the code.

If it does not, it may indicate you have a bad connection between the sensor and the ECU, or it could indicate a bad ECU.

It strikes me as strange that when you put the car in gear it stalls. The ECU is meant to read and compensate for the load of putting in gear, aircon coming on and so on. Yours stalls. That means it is not seeing the load and adjusting accordingly, or the ECU is faulty/has faulty connections.

Joe

longassname · #17 11-06-2006, 07:47 PM

I've never heard of a bad SVX ecu. I would believe the two codes you have gotten. The crank sensors can be quite annoying when they start going bad. Just be glad it went bad enough you got the code so you know what it is. Mysterious stalls usually end up being a crank or cam sensor and they arent' always kind enough to give you a code before they leave you stranded.

The bad mass air flow meter code could have happened if you turned the ignition key on without the maf meter plugged in. If you haven't done that then you have a bad mass air flow meter too. A bad mass air meter signal will cause stalls as well accompanied by all around bad performance. I suspect you can get one quite cheaply from someone who has the stage 2 software.

longassname · #18 11-06-2006, 07:56 PM

If you still suspect the stage 1 product there's an easy way to check for that. When the ignition key is on but the engine is not running the check engine light should illuminate. If your problem is accompanied by that not happening then there is something wrong with your stage 1. It's unlikely but possible. Thus far we've had one memory adaptor and one rom go bad. There was also one person whose memory adaptor was falling out of the socket and suffered for a long time trying to diagnose his problems because he never knew the symptoms of a faulty ecu/memory adaptor or thought to check to make sure it was plugged in all the way.

Another thing you will notice if there is a problem with your ecu or memory adaptor/roms is your fans and relays going crazy.

Yoda3000 · #19 11-06-2006, 08:44 PM

Thanks for the tips. I have (in the past) started my car without the MAF plugged in. How long do those codes stay and how can I clear them?

I doubt a faulty ECU or chip, like I said it only happens when the engine is cold.

I do have a spare engine with sensor, but it's kinda far away and if I can find a cheap used one before I go up to Chama again then I'll buy it. Otherwise it's only an inconvenience for now, so it's not top priority.

Again, thanks all.

I've also heard those sensors are magnetic, so there may be some crap on it and it could just use a cleaning. I'll check it next time I have time to pull off the alternator.
--MIke

longassname · #20 11-06-2006, 09:45 PM

no no no, replace it asap. It doesn't just need cleaning. The unexplained stalling from a failing crank sensor is always followed by being left dead on the side (or in the middle) of the road.

longassname · #21 11-06-2006, 09:49 PM

the codes stay until you delete them. The how to I'm guessing you found to check the trouble codes tells you how to delete them too.

Yoda3000 · #22 11-06-2006, 11:12 PM

Well I still can't get up to chama for a couple of weeks. Anyone have a sensor I can buy?

Yoda3000 · #23 11-28-2006, 06:00 PM

Well I swapped the sensor (the vertical and centered one--the RHS of the two under the alternator) and it still does it

. The one in my car was grimey and dented a bit. The one I put in looked better.

Today the engine was cold and I gave it a little rev after I started it (less than 4000 rpm) and when I put it in gear it promptly died. The engine wouldn't start again until much later today, when I had to turn the key for almost a minute. Good thing my battery was up to the challenge.

As of right now it's not giving any engine codes. Do I really have to take it to a dealership and pay $100 for them to tell me they don't know what's wrong with it?

longassname · #24 11-28-2006, 07:07 PM

There's no point in having them check the trouble codes; you can do that yourself. What they can do though is look at the signals your ecu is getting from your sensors. Say your temperature sensor is bad and giving the wrong voltage it will show the wrong voltage on the select monitor and if they are good mechanics they will see that the voltage is wrong for the temperature it is.

Have you changed your plugs? I've heard of a few instances now where people have had stalling problems and it turned out to be they were driving on bad plugs.

Did you replace the right temperature sensor which gives the ecu its signal or did you replace the one that gives the temp guage its signal?

Do you have another maf to try? Have you checked that you don't have any hoses popped off or clamps not tightened down? It's easy to get the snorkel on the throttle body wrong and not even notice you have a huge airleak on the bottom.

That's all i can think of right now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoda3000

Well I swapped the sensor (the vertical and centered one--the RHS of the two under the alternator) and it still does it

. The one in my car was grimey and dented a bit. The one I put in looked better.

Today the engine was cold and I gave it a little rev after I started it (less than 4000 rpm) and when I put it in gear it promptly died. The engine wouldn't start again until much later today, when I had to turn the key for almost a minute. Good thing my battery was up to the challenge.

As of right now it's not giving any engine codes. Do I really have to take it to a dealership and pay $100 for them to tell me they don't know what's wrong with it?

Yoda3000 · #25 11-28-2006, 10:46 PM

It doesn't seem like a MAF problem as it only happens when the car is cold. Once it warms up its good for the day. I will check the air path though.

New spark plugs as of a month ago.

Yeah i replaced the right coolant temp sensor (the bigger one with the red plastic plugin), I had to buy an extra deep socket to get it out.

I guess i'll try and get it to the subie dealership this winter sometime. They'll have to keep it overnight as it will be working fine when I drive it there.

Thanks for trying to help though.