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Re: Sudden Engine Stop
Posted by Ywan Mason (more from Ywan Mason) on Thu, 15 Jun 2000 09:20:49
In Reply to: Sudden Engine Stop, Cindy Johnson, Tue, 13 Jun 2000 17:13:52
When the car stalls the next time, you have to determine if it is missing
fuel or spark, or both. when it stalls and you try to restart, does the
tach move while the engine is cranking over? If the tach moves, you are
getting a rpm signal. Don't try parts, wait until the car does its thing
and trace it out to the defective part and fix it one time with one part.
The car gets an engine rpm signal from a sensor mounted on the crankshaft
at the front pulley ( near the firewall). The fuel injection system has to
see this signal before it will send power to the fuel pump. The ignition
system has to see this signal before it will fire the plugs. If you either
have spark or the fuel pump running, but not the other, you have
eliminated the crank sensor as a problem.
To check for spark, pull the center wire at the distributor cap back from
the cap about half an inch and have someone crank the engine. Watch for
the spark to arc across the gap from the wire to the cap. If it is there,
then pull any other spark plug wire back from the cap and repeat the test.
If you have spark into the cap, but not out, the cap and rotor should be
replaced. If there is no spark at the center, look at
http://216.78.173.63/electrical_system_folder/ezkcranksensor.htm
The oil leak, if it is coming from the front crank seal, can contaminate
the crank sensor if it picks up a lot of grit. Best to take care of the oil
leak there to protect the expensive sensor. Do both the crank seal and the
o ring behind the oil pump cover. If the belts are oil soaked, change them.
I have seen sensors taken out from belts breaking and wrapping around the
crank pulley, bending the aperture disc into the sensor. Look at
http://216.78.173.63/engine_folder/front_crank_seal900.htm
If you have spark, but no fuel, check that power and ground are reaching
the fuel pump while the engine is cranking. Access the fuel pump from the
trunk/hatch of the car, Remove the flooring and pop up the large round
cover. The fuel pump lives under this cover, just ot the left of center.
Unplug the connector and make sure you have power and ground across the
wires when you crank the engine. If you do, for a confirmation, use a spare
battery and apply power and ground directly to the pump's terminals. If it
runs, check the wiring, particularly the ground side to the pump.
Sometimes, the pump fails when it gets hot, so let the pump run if it
starts up with the battery for a while and see if it stops. Failing fuel
pumps, particularly the Walbro this car is equipped with, fail in this
manner before they finally stop all together. You can replace just the pump
part of the fuel pump, not the whole canister, for a little over $100.
If the problem is real intermittent, keep the cover off the fuel pump and
keep a test light handy as you drive. When the car does act up, first check
for spark, and then use the test light to see if the fuel pump is getting
power. Then listen at the pump and see if it is running when someone cranks
the engine. We leave cars in a state of tear down like this many times in
order to for sure find out what the problem is without guess work throwing
parts at it.
Could be other things related to the fuel system as well, see
http://216.78.173.63/engine_folder/nostart24.htm
Posts in this Thread:
- Sudden Engine Stop, Cindy Johnson, Tue, 13 Jun 2000 17:13:52
- Re: Sudden Engine Stop, Cindy Johnson, Thu, 15 Jun 2000 16:36:04
- Re: Sudden Engine Stop, Ywan Mason, Thu, 15 Jun 2000 09:20:49
- RE: Sudden Engine Stop, sid, Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:56:13
- Re: Sudden Engine Stop, Thor Carlson, Tue, 13 Jun 2000 18:10:01
- Prev by Date: Re: pause on acceleration, Charles Christacopoulos, Thu, 15 Jun 2000 09:20:37
- Next by Date: Re: Sudden Engine Stop, Cindy Johnson, Thu, 15 Jun 2000 16:36:04
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