razorguy

iTrader: (2)

Ok, so I was having a problem a couple weeks ago with my car missing and shutting off at random. The miss was pretty consistent in lower RPM's and smoothed out (some) in higher RPM's. Well I also started getting an awful noise from my water pump bearing so last Saturday I finished up replacing the water pump and also I put in a brand new Delphi opti on while I was at it.

Prior to that my SES light was coming on. I had three codes: two of them were one for each of my O2 sensors and another was for the coolant temp sensor. I replaced all of those parts prior to the WP and opti but I did not drive it due to the noise I was experiencing under the hood (thought it was something serious originally) so I can't be certain what fixed the miss, but we'll assume the opti, right?

So now the miss is gone completely but the car is still shutting off at random. At first I thought I had it linked to the SES light, but it is also doing it while the light is not on (good time to let you know it goes on and off while driving but I cannot find a pattern with it). While driving the car in gear it will try to quit, but will not. It starts cutting out a little bit and drops RPM some but if I give it some gas it will go back to smooth operation (at least for a couple minutes and then it repeats). When it is cutting out the throttle response is terrible and the smell of fuel is obvious. The most common time it quits is when coming to a stop with the clutch disengaged as the car is free to drop the RPM's all the way until it quits; it happens very quick too. Say I'm starting to stop at about 2000RPM, the RPM's will quickly drop to about 700-800 and then go back up a couple hundred and then drop to 0 abruptly.

Now part two of the problem....after it quits on me it takes a long time before I can start it with the key. This has proven a problem and an embarrassment when I'm stopped in town and my car won't start (usually have to let it sit and do nothing for 5-10 minutes before it will start again). When turning the key the smell of gas is again obvious. Usually I have to get out and push the car until I can dump the clutch as that is the only way I have found to start it back up quickly. Usually after it dies and I start it via clutch dump it will stay running for quite a while without a problem.

I am going this evening to hook it up to a Snap-On scanner to read the codes again, but wanted to see if anyone had any initial thoughts as to what I should be looking for. The scanner gives me a complete engine readout in real time so I can check IAC position, closed/open loop, voltages, RPM's, temps, etc etc so if there is a reading in particular you think I should pay attention to then by all means let me know. Hopefully the engine codes being thrown will tell me what's wrong..hopefully...

Thanks in advance for reading all of this and for any advice you can give.

Update:

So I hooked it back up the scanner last night, a Snap On Solus Pro to be exact, and it is still throwing the code: "15 Coolant Temp Sensor Reading High or Open". Upon further research of the error code, the general consensus on every website reports that code 15 refers to this: "Code 15
Coolant Sensor Circuit (low temperature) Coolant temperature sensor signal indicates a temperature colder than -36° F for at least 4 seconds after the engine had been running for 2 seconds. See above, then check wiring connections at the ECM". The low makes sense because the coolant temp reading on the scanner indicated -39.

Also reporting an error was QDM 1 which should be a non-issue because #1 controls the AIR and EGR which I have removed.

The final thing that brings concern is the following errors: INJ_1 Fault - YES and INJ_2 Fault - YES. Now I am going to assume INJ stands for injector, correct? However, it only listed two injectors instead of eight so it almost seems like it may refer to something else?

I know the coolant temp sensor is a big part of these cars so I'm hoping I can replace it (again) or check the wiring and possibly find and fix a problem with it. Can anyone shed some more light on the INJ 1 and 2 faults perhaps?

Thanks again..

jaycenk

iTrader: (1)

Could be EGR could be fuel pump, could be fuel pressure regulator, could be several things. Got to start one by one. Id say if it did it before the opti and after the opti change I'd look at other things first depending on the codes but the opti harness is one place to look and make sure it's not bad. Question if you changed O2's did you check the plugs to see if they were wet or fouled?

Mystery Bird

iTrader: (7)

Did you check for vacuum leaks?

razorguy

iTrader: (2)

Doh. I meant to check the plugs while I was doing the other work but forgot. I'll pull a couple and check them out this evening.

And I have listened for vacuum leaks but have yet to find one. I've had the car for five years and it has always seemed like it has a vacuum leak because if I'm driving and push the clutch in it will idle at about ~1400RPM until I hit 5MPH or less and then it goes to the normal ~900. Most of the times I'm under the hood I check for cracked vacuum lines but have never found anything.

razorguy

iTrader: (2)

Updated the OP after hooking it up to the scanner.

flame

iTrader: (13)

Make sure you plugged the coolant temp sensor in on the water pump. If it is open circuit from being unplugged or internally open it will read -39 and the pcm will flood the engine with fuel. With the engine cold the coolant temp and intake air temp should be very close thats an easy way to see if one is out of wack.

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

I had a problem very similar to that. I replaced to pigtail on the coolant sensor and the problem went away

razorguy

iTrader: (2)

I may have to do that. My belt broke a few years ago and cut the wires in half to the sensor. I just spliced them back together and it has been working fine since then but maybe it's time to replace the pigtail..

jaycenk

iTrader: (1)

Start with testing the coolant sensor. A bad coolant sensor can cause problems. Test the sesor by using a ohm meter or multi meter. I think shbox has the way to test it on his site. Here found it http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#ect Try this and see if it passes the test. If not replace the sensor or wire, reset all trouble codes and drive. see if any codes come back or if your problem goes away. Do one thing ata time and you will find the problem.

jaycenk

iTrader: (1)

By the way read the whole article SHbox wrote up to make sure you do it right.

Zebisko

iTrader: (3)

As far as the idling at 1400 and then lowering to 900, that is normal, I think it's to help with smooth shifting or something to that nature.

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

My pigtail had worn out connectors that wouldn't make a solid connection to the sensor. Def worth a look.