Car randomly stops, electrics appear to stay on.

[dokworm]

My UG Nimbus randomly has the engine cut out while driving. There isn't any warning that it is about to happen, the engine just cuts out.

Trying to start the car results in it starting, running for a second or two and then stopping again.

This can happen for 20 starts in a row, or sometimes will just work and run for hours.

I recently put in a new fuel pump and filter to try and solve this, but made t worse (car wouldn't start at all) but that ended up being due to a dodgy o-ring in the pump/gauge in-tank assembly. Replace the o-ring and am back to the original problem. ie starts, runs but randomly cuts out.

Have cleaned, tested and replaced the fuel injectors, replaced the coil packs and plugs, have swapped the fuel pump relay out as well.

Sometimes if I just turn the key to the ON position without trying to start the car, I hear a rapid chatter under the hood for a few seconds, up near the throttle body, have no idea if it is related.

Have tried a new battery as well.

Where to next? Is there any way I can check fault codes on this model (Nimbus UG 1999)

 

[forgeG63gsr]

the same thing happened to me when my intercooler pipe got disconnected, it'll start and run for like 1 or 2 sec. so check if you got any vacuum leak after the MAF. check the condition of your timing belt as well.

 

[4piknup]

That chattering is the idle speed control (isc). It shouldnt chatter. You could pull it out and investigate. Probably unrelated to your issue.

Do you have alarm/immobilizer fitted?
Maybe bypass that out for a start

 

[4piknup]

Being 99 model you might be obd2
If so try this to get codes (at own discretion)
http://www.club3g.com/forum/maintenance/68157-how-read-diagnostic-trouble-codes.html

 

[dokworm]

It has what looks like the connector in this thread:
http://www.justanswer.com/mitsubishi/61eae-1998-mitsubishi-diagnose-the-check-engine-light-flash-codes.html
as well as another connector that only has a few pins present. I'll grab a photo.

I don't have an immobiliser unless there is a factory one. No alarm either. I was wondering about the crank sensor.

Forge, if it does stay on for more than a couple of seconds, it can run for hours. I did a four hour drive without it stopping, next day it stopped 1km into the drive.

 

[4piknup]

Yea thats the one- Obd2. the other one is square obd1You got a scope. Plug it in and test your cas.Check codes too

 

[4piknup]

Back to club 3g
http://www.club3g.com/forum/eclipse-performance/100189-how-do-you-test-crankshaft-position-sensor.html

What do they have? Power, earth and signal. The signal wire needs a good square wave on it.

 

[dokworm]

Thanks so much. Checked the crank angle sensor with the cro and it is okay. Great to know I can check the codes.

Now it's confession time, I had previously put a new battery in and had the same problem as before. I noticed this morning that the alternator belt was a bit loose. Tightened it up and then checked both batteries with the meter. Both were low. Pulled the battery out of my Magna chucked it in the Nimbus and she starts right up and runs just fine.
I can't be sure yet, but I think it may have been a low power condition coupled with the fuel pump causing problems. I'll run it around town for the week and see how it goes.
I feel like a right idiot, I should have tested the new battery and charge circuit and not assumed it was okay.

I bought this car for $500 (with 5 months rego) when a couple of weeks ago when the previous owner had given up on it. He had taken it to three different mechanics and had spent a motza but the problem kept coming back. He did mention that the belts would squeal sometimes, and the alternator belt looks brand new. I'm guessing his problems may have begun a few weeks after he got the new belt put on. He had said the problems started just after he ran nearly empty and filled up at a dodgy petrol station, but I reckon that was co-incidental.
The new plugs and fuel line cleanout can't hurt anyway. The old plugs were pretty rank.

I'll check the codes and see how it all goes, but hopefully the problem is solved. Thanks for everyone's help, I've learned heaps and fingers crossed will have a working car now to drag the kids around while I get the other money pit going.

I found this useful for downloading all those .pdf files in one go http://www.downthemall.net

 

[4piknup]

Sweet as.
Hope it stays fixed.
Sounds like a bargain too

 

[dokworm]

Spoke too soon, stopped going around a corner yesterday arvo when picking up the kids. It did about five minutes of start then stall before running again and getting us home.
I'll try and check the codes tonight and see what it says, the engine light did come on.

 

[BMGTZ]

my money is on the ignitor. heats up...stops. cools down...goes again

 

[dokworm]

The ignitor? Not 100% what you mean there.

Sometimes first thing in the morning it does the start, run for 5 seconds then kick off again, but much less so now with a fully charged battery, (but could be coincidence).
I'll have to try the code readout next time it throws an engine check light, just a bit nervous I'll fry it in the attempt. Does anyone know if the evoscan software and cable would work?

I've been reading about grounding issues on the UG Nimbus, but it looks difficult to diagnose.

 

[khubner1]

The ingitor lives near the coil packs and has the writing power tr unit on it. I had one with a cracked/broken plug and it did similar to you describe just randomly cut off.

 

[4piknup]

Earth points are in the wiring section of the manual. You can volt drop them.

Evoscan will pull codes and reset them. I dont know how to do it.

 

[dokworm]

Okay, it worked, I got two long flashes followed by 3 short ones, so a Code 23?

 

[Gianni]

Pretty sure crank angle sensor code
Try cleaning the plug. Then a new cas. And then finally run new wires as they may have broken in the loom (or starting to break by the sounds of it) over time.

 

[khubner1]

yep thats a CAS code

see i know it says gsr but they use the same reporting system

 

[dokworm]

So the Crank Angle Sensor, not the Cam Angle sensor.
i.e. This one:
http://www.cyberspaceautoparts.com.au/contents/en-uk/p15402_Mitsubishi_Crankshaft_Crank_Angle_Sensor.html?utm_source=myshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Auto+Parts&utm_term=Mitsubishi+Crankshaft+Crank+Angle+Sensor+Nimbus+UG+7+98+10+03

Not this one:
http://www.cyberspaceautoparts.com.au/contents/en-uk/p17183_Mitsubishi_Camshaft_Cam_Angle_Sensor.html?utm_source=myshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Auto+Parts&utm_term=Mitsubishi+Cam+Sensor+Nimbus+UG+7+98+10+03+4G64+2+4L

I cleaned the plug but it didn't help, and when I did get it running I gave the CAS cables a thrashing and it didn't stall, so I'll grab the sensor and replace it and report back here!

 

[Gianni]

Not sure with the nimbus motor sorry. I only know the 2L sensors sorry

 

[khubner1]

i would check option a first then if problem persists option b atleast if you replace the bad one first your sweet if you get the good one first you have a spare.

i personally would do both as they are getting on in age now and there no gurantee that the one not changed will last much longer. from what i know of these type they use the signal from both to determine TDC

the gsr and evo uses a single dizzy type cas. on the end of the cam which is different to that found on the nimbus and RVR